Rock Genre Ignored Again For Super Bowl Halftime Show

Many rock and metal fans are holding onto hope that their favorite genres might eventually be recognized again by the NFL via their Super Bowl halftime show. Rock acts at the Super Bowl have seemingly become a thing of the past.

The Who did the football spectacle in 2010, and Aerosmith performed in 2001, albeit alongside N’Sync, Britney Spears and other pop acts.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and The Rolling Stones have also appeared on past halftime shows, but more recent performers — Rihanna, Eminem, The Weeknd, Shakira, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Beyonce highlight the sort of acts that are now often pegged to do the spectacle.

On Sunday, rapper Kendrick Lamar revealed that he will headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans next year on Feb. 9.

“My name is Kendrick Lamar and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX,” the 37-year-old said in a video. “Will you be pulling up? I hope so. You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos. Let’s get it, boom! I wouldn’t want you to miss it. Meet me in New Orleans February 9, 2025. Wear your best dressed too, even if you’re watching from home. Let’s go, yeee! It’s what I’m talking about, man. Now we can get to it for real.”

Last year, Las Vegas governor Joe Lombardo said he hoped that AC/DC would perform at the 2024 Super Bowl in his home state of Nevada. R&B star Usher ended up being the pick.

From a global perspective perhaps only AC/DC, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Foo Fighters and Metallica are big enough rock bands to do the show. With a successful recent tour, AC/DC seemed like an outside possibility until Sunday’s announcement. However, SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk has said previously that acts, or more often their record labels, pay to do the show as a promotional tool, making it seem highly unlikely that any legacy rock act would fork over the money to do the show.

Trunk commented on the announcement on Sunday saying: “Well there goes the fantasy of a rock act ever playing @SuperBowl again… God forbid! Kendrick LaMar your next halftime performer. Pay no attention to that format called rock @NFL, as you play @MotleyCrue @acdc @gunsnroses etc non stop in games at every stadium. Pathetic.”