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.
| Part of | Super Bowl XXX | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | January 28, 1996 | |||
| Location | Tempe, Arizona, United States | |||
| Venue | Sun Devil Stadium | |||
| Theme | Take Me Higher: A Celebration of 30 years of the Super Bowl | |||
| Headliner | Diana Ross | |||
| Sponsor | Oscar Mayer | |||
| Producer | Radio City Music Hall | |||
| Super Bowl halftime show chronology | ||||
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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
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS Sports | Super Bowl 2018 halftime show rankings: Where every performance ranks, from worst to first | 16 | |
| Rolling Stone | Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best | 17 | |
| The Oregonian | 26 Super Bowl halftime shows ranked from best to worst, including J-Lo and Shakira | 6 | |
| Thrillist | The Greatest Super Bowl Halftime Shows of All Time, Ranked | 4 | |
| Vulture | Every Super Bowl Halftime Show Since 1993, Ranked | 7 |
Set list
See also
- 1996 in American music
- 1996 in American television