From Beyoncé to Usher to Katy Perry, the 10 most watched Super Bowl halftime shows of all time

Justin Timberlake’s return to the Super Bowl after his controversial appearance alongside Janet Jackson may have received mixed reviews, but it received a healthy 106.6 million in audience viewership.

In an effort to bring in a younger audience, The Black Eyed Peas headlined the Super Bowl XLV halftime, with guest appearances from Slash and Usher (more on him in a bit). Despite its 110.2 million in audience, the show received generally negative reviews.

On the flip side, Beyoncé headlined the XLVII halftime show, with special appearances from none other than Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The show became the most tweeted moment in history, 110.8 million in viewership, and massive critical acclaim.

Madonna broke records with her extremely opulent show, complete with pyrotechnics, costume changes, and celebrity guests like LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green and M.I.A., plus 114 million in viewership.

Bruno Mars brought the funk to the XLVIII halftime, joined by his band The Hooligans and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, attracting an audience of 115.3 million.

Coldplay turned their halftime performance into a spectacle of color and power, also thanks to special guests (and previous mentions on this list) Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, attracting 115.5 million viewers, making them the most watched show by a group to date.

Lady Gaga brought the house down the year after, putting on a show filled with impressive drone shots, the singer’s loving tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, and a collection of major hits, all completely by her lonesome. She leaped off the stage at the end to a record 117.5 million viewers.

With special guests Lenny Kravitz and standout Missy Elliott, Katy Perry roared into the stadium on a giant mechanical lion and soared through the crowd at the end with “Firework,” ending the show with 118 million viewers and setting the record for most viewed show in history at the time.

Amid her years-long break from music, Rihanna broke several records with her career-spanning set, plus the internet when she revealed she was pregnant with her son Riot Rose. The show surpassed Katy’s record with 121 million viewers, only to eventually be broken the next year by…

Alongside supporting acts like Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon and more, Usher put on a sultry, dance-heavy show last year that quickly took over as the most viewed halftime show from Rihanna, clocking in at 123 million.