Super Bowl XXX halftime show
Part ofSuper Bowl XXX
DateJanuary 28, 1996
LocationTempe, Arizona, United States
VenueSun Devil Stadium
ThemeTake Me Higher: A Celebration of 30 years of the Super Bowl
HeadlinerDiana Ross
SponsorOscar Mayer
ProducerRadio City Music Hall
Super Bowl halftime show chronology
XXIX
(1995) 		XXX
(1996) 		XXXI
(1997)

The Super Bowl XXX halftime show occurred on January 28, 1996, at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona as part of Super Bowl XXX and featured American entertainer Diana Ross. The show was produced by Radio City Music Hall. The performance was entitled Take Me Higher: A Celebration of 30 years of the Super Bowl.

The show featured a number of Ross' songs, both from her solo career and her time in The Supremes. The show made use of pyrotechnics, special effects, and stadium card stunts.[1] Ross made many costume changes throughout the performance.[2]

History

Ross had previously performed the national anthem at Super Bowl XVI in 1982.

The singer had developed a show which would last for a duration of thirteen-and-a-half minutes. Broadcaster NBC demanded that she shorten the performance to twelve minutes. After she pleaded with them to allow her to keep the performance unabbreviated, they relented to allow her a thirteen-and-a-half minute time slot.[3]

Synopsis

Ross, in a red minidress, started the performance standing on a crane, which lowered her onto the stage as sparklers were illuminated on the bottom of the crane, while singing "Stop! In the Name of Love". Hundreds of dancers occupied the field surrounding the stage, spelling out Ross' name.[4]

Ross then sang three more songs from her days as part of The Supremes: "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Baby Love", and "You Can't Hurry Love". "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" saw Ross make an onstage costume change into an orange and purple colored dress, before performing "Chain Reaction" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". The performance of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" saw a yellow-robed choir joining the singer.[4][5]

The show ended with Ross singing "I Will Survive" and "Take Me Higher" from her 1995 nineteenth studio album of the same name. The singer exclaimed, "Oh my, here comes my ride," as a helicopter came into the stadium and carried her off the field.[1][6]

Reception

Critical

Ross’ halftime performance has been ranked positively among Super Bowl halftime shows.[2][7][8][9][10] Her performance was cited as The Weeknd's favorite halftime performance; he would later go on to perform for the Super Bowl LV halftime show.[11]

Ross was cited for extravagant wardrobe changes during the performance.[12]

Commercial

In the week following her performance, Ross' newest album, Take Me Higher, saw a 74% increase in sales, selling 3,000 copies in the week following the performance.[13]

Rankings

Rankings for SuperBowl Halftime Show XXX
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
CBS Sports Super Bowl 2018 halftime show rankings: Where every performance ranks, from worst to first
16
[14]
Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best
17
[15]
The Oregonian 26 Super Bowl halftime shows ranked from best to worst, including J-Lo and Shakira
6
 [16]
Thrillist The Greatest Super Bowl Halftime Shows of All Time, Ranked
4
 [17]
Vulture Every Super Bowl Halftime Show Since 1993, Ranked
7
 [18]

Set list

  1. "Stop In The Name Of Love"[5]
  2. "You Keep Me Hangin' On"[5]
  3. "Baby Love"[5]
  4. "You Can't Hurry Love"[5]
  5. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"[5]
  6. "Chain Reaction"[5]
  7. "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)"[5]
  8. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"[5]
  9. "I Will Survive"[5]
  10. "Take Me Higher"[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mitchell, Fred (January 29, 1996). "Halftime Headliner Diana Ross Goes Up, Up And Away". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b Brian Moylan. "Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ever, Ranked". vulture.com. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  3. ^ Murphy, Austin. "It's... Halftime!". Sports Illustrated Longform. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b Rabkin, Heather (1 February 2018). "Remember When Diana Ross Left Her Super Bowl Halftime Show Via Helicopter?". CR Fashion Book. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Diana Ross Setlist at Super Bowl XXX". setlist.fm. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  6. ^ "21 unforgettable Super Bowl halftime shows: from Nipplegate to The Mouseketeers". The Telegraph. 2 February 2020. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows". CBS News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  8. ^ Sheffield, Rob (4 February 2016). "Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked by Sheffield: From Worst to Best". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  9. ^ "Super Bowl 2018 halftime show rankings: Where every performance ranks, from worst to first". CBS Sports. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Ranked: The Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows". ESPN Radio 1320. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  11. ^ Aswad, Jem (February 3, 2021). "The Weeknd shares details about Super Bowl halftime show". Variety. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "15 best-ever NFL Super Bowl half-time concert outfits". Style. Feb 15, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  13. ^ "Super Bowl Halftime Shows: Who Got the Biggest Sales Bumps?". Billboard. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Super Bowl 2018 halftime show rankings: Where every performance ranks, from worst to first". CBS Sports. February 4, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best". Billboard. February 12, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.((cite magazine)): CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Acker, Lizzy (22 January 2020). "25 Super Bowl halftime shows ranked from truly terrible to totally transcendent for 2020". Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  17. ^ Schneck, Anthony (4 February 2019). "The Biggest Super Bowl Halftime Shows, Ranked". Thrillist. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  18. ^ Moylan, Brian (8 February 2021). "Every Super Bowl Halftime Show Since 1993, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
Categories