Poll:Worst Halftime show ever?

[MegaBlue05]

I will challenge this a little. Don't disagree that generations have different taste. But most Gen X that I know liked everything from rap/hip hop to metal, country, rock anywhere from the 60's up, etc. I still listen to everything from Elvis to Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Jerry Lee Lewis, NWA, Enya, Keith Whitley, etc.. Pretty diverse and I think most of us appreciated must from any generation. That is until the 2000's when this horseshit country started to kick in, rap because unbearable and rock pretty much has been lost for the most part with the exception of a few new bands and old farts putting out new albums. My son is 21 and has migrated completely away from new anything back to the 80's & 90's metal, grunge and old hip hop. I am ever hopeful that we have a future generation of Metallica's and NWA/Ice Cubes/2 Live Crew's, but time is running out. Lol. Anyway, just maybe a different perspective but it does seem like Gen X offspring are more into Offspring than Kendrick Lamar's lame halftime show.

The main thing is music is subjective and there’s no right or wrong answer.

Every generation thinks their stuff is the best, the new stuff sucks in comparison and opinions on stuff older than one’s self are mixed. For example, I enjoy a lot of 60s-70s rock and country but think the Beatles are just OK at best. (Yes, I understand and appreciate their influence and impact. Their music just isn’t for me. Please don't murder me younger boomers/Gen Xers of CatPaw.)

Similar to how I put 80s and 90s artists on a pedestal but my 20-year-old niece who enjoys modern pop and hip-hop thinks it’s just old people music as she so rudely puts it.

I would also be willing to guess more 20-30 year olds are into Kendrick Lamar in 2025 than the Offspring. Could very well be wrong there, though.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Come out and play, why don’t you get a job, pretty fly for a white guy

Hell of a halftime show there

 

[MegaBlue05]

In my Spotify 'Liked Songs', I've got:
British Invasion
Classic rock (V. Morrison, Creedence, Yardbirds, R. Stewart, Doors, etc.)
Motown/Stax
80s groups (Petty, Journey, Gin Blossoms, REM, etc.)
70s punk
Texas country
Blues - both modern (Marcus King, Larkin Poe, Joanne Shaw Taylor, etc.) and classic (3 Kings, Otis Rush, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James, etc.)
Some basic pop from several eras (Gaga, LeAnn Rimes, Monkeys, etc.)
Newer rock - (Pretty Reckless, Blackberry Smoke, Robert Jon and the Wreck, Lukas Nelson, Nathaniel Rateliff, etc.)
Classic country - (Willie, Johnny Cash, etc.)

Pretty much no metal/heavy rock, no grunge, no rap/hip hop. At least once a quarter I dig deep into Spotify's 'bands you might like' to find newer music to include. So, I'm not exactly that guy that only listens to what was popular when I was a teenager. I appreciate good music that gets my adrenaline flowing and recognize what I feel are talented people playing and singing. It can be one of any number of genres - if it's good and I get a rush from it, it goes into the rotation. The above genres have been absent because they don't do it for me. To each his own.

That’s quite an eclectic taste. I know you’re a musician who can actually play.

Question for you: Is there a reason you never got into heavier music like metal or even hard rock?

I love heavy music, so I am always curious about why others don’t like it.

For most it seems to usually be either the harsh tone of (some) vocals, too much distortion in the guitars or drummers going too wild. Lol.

Not judging at all. I’m just curious what an actual musician thinks.

 

[vhcat70]

I didn't vote just to PO the Dr.

 

[FtWorthCat]

Worst ever? I'm praying Taylor swoops down for a save.

Madonna was the worst, imo.

 

[Girthang]

I don't think it was the worst. There have been several that I had to turn off very quickly. I watched all of this one. Couldn't hear the lyrics clearly at all so pretty much every song sounded almost identical. Not sure why every show seems to require 50 dancers on stage or a 'special' guest. Is the headliner just not good enough on their own to carry a 14 minute performance? Was not impressed by KL who did not distinguish himself from previous SB performers, imo.

SB halftime has to be one of the hardest gigs ever, to be fair. Huge, diversified audience of which 1/3 or more will hate the performer regardless. 300 million critics online. Run on, perform, run off. Horrible acoustics in these huge stadiums. So far from an actual audience that it's impossible to get that instant energy boost. How much can you do in such a short time? Tough gig.

You nailed it

 

[Girthang]

It's in New Orleans do jazz.

Jazz or something that actually grew from jazz and is still music, like Earth Wind and Fire, Toto, Us3. Would love to see Living Color, Lenny Kravitz, or .... several bands whose key members are no longer alive...

I'd tune in for a real show, but skip the game, if the acts weren't so poor

And THERE'S NOTHING lazy about really good Jazz. Especially the stuff before the easy listening sht of the 80s and early 90s and some after that was tied in more with hip hop.

 

[Girthang]

Other than that I'd love to hear and see some of the greatest Blues players still with us. Sucks that most all the iconic jazz and blues greats have passed on or don't perform anymore. Even among the 2nd and 3rd generation players, not as many are left that can really rock a stadium.

 

[Girthang]

I'd like a medley of Halestorm, glam rock, and Nickleback finishing with Rock Star

 

[Girthang]

As someone who is exactly 45 years old, you have to understand rap/hip hop came from our generation. Gen X started it and millennials took it and ran with it.

The genre really took off from 1985-88. Someone who was 10 years old in 1985 is 50 this year. The genre exploded in popularity in the early to mid 90s and was easily outselling most rock acts by the late 90s. A 20 year old listening to 2Pac in 1995 is also 50 this year.

Most American kids who are now 35-55 likely listen to/listened to rap regularly at some point in their lives unless they grew up in a house that didn’t allow that kind of music for various reasons. So, to imply those older than 45 don’t like rap is not true.

I get it. My parents are pushing 80. They always hated my rap and metal as much as I hated their 50s bubblegum. Music tastes will always be generational and subjective.

I listened to it quite a bit out of necessity at that time and most all of it sucked. The reason why it was so popular is because there's so little variation and other than getting the breathing right, it isn't hard. It was easy if you gave any effort at all and had rhythm.

Since the beginning with some good, unique talents, the lyrics are always simple, have no redeeming value whatsoever, the rhymes are retreads year over year, and the themes are less creative than GTA.

I tried to like it after the first few years, but the style is just blah and more cheesey than air supply with cuss words. Jmo

I rank rap up (down) there with yodeling on the worst "music" list

 

[Girthang]

Not even close.

I will put The Wknd and Bruno Mars up there.

This will get me some heat here, but I thought a clearly washed up The Who several years back was pretty lame, BUT they were long gone from the mainstream shortly after I was born so that’s my parents music as far as I am concerned.

Was never much of a The Who or Rush fan. Grated on my nerves outside of a couple songs or parts of their songs that are more nostalgia oriented for me than something I enjoy for the sake of the music itself.

I think music overall has gone from surf and turf at a 5 star restaurant every couple years to a regular diet of soggy French toast on gluten free bread and a side of plain oatmeal, with an occasional plate of bacon every decade or so

 

[DrH. Lecter]

I'd like a medley of Halestorm, glam rock, and Nickleback finishing either Rock Star

Ah....Glam rock. I still love me some:

TRex
Ziggy Stardust
The Sweet
Mott the Hoople
Slade

 

[Girthang]

I wonder...if the younger generation does NOT watch sports to the extent as older generations do (I believe that's pretty established) and would, presumably, not be watching the SB most years (this year an exception as I'm sure there were viewers who tuned in just to get a glimpse of Taylor Swift), why continue to run out musical acts for halftime that would generally only appeal to the younger generations (who aren't watching)?

Now, I'm not suggesting a replay of the Stones or McCartney or other 70+ year old rock and rollers, but there are plenty of good musical artists in a variety of genres that would appeal to the viewing audience whose average age, I'm completely guessing, skews towards 45+. Surely market research has determined that the SB may be the one game millennials and younger WILL watch and that's why the halftime artists are more geared towards those age groups. But, I just wonder if they're kidding themselves that the younger generation are going to tune into the game to watch a very abbreviated performance by some musical artist they like and, miraculously, fall in love with pro football and become a fan. I just don't see that happening. If you only go to church for a 30-minute mass on Easter Sunday, are you REALLY a staunch Catholic? And, BTW, if the average age of the SB viewer is 45+, don't those age groups (and older) have a LOT more money than the younger ones and, thus, more likely to buy products being advertised?

But the media and the league doesn't give 2 shts about the people that are already tuning in. They couldn't give 2 fks about them. They just want the ones they don't have. They just want more more more, just like the media and the players. A lot them don't really care about the fans at all. It's just the way it is. They'll say they do, because that's what they're supposed to say, but money is the main motivator with winning games a nearby 2nd.

They are just trying to keep the people they see as peasants happy enough to keep doing what they're doing

 

[HymanKaplan]

The NFL is no doubt thrilled to learn they nailed the retired cryptographer / bus driver demo perfectly.

Not to nitpick but cryptologist is the more accurate word/job title. Loosely speaking, cryptographers concentrate more on CREATING codes, and cryptologists focus on BREAKING them.

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

Missed the boat not having cash money or no limit in New Orleans.

Kendrick is good, but he didn't even do his biggest songs, I'd probably done that if you wanted to try to expand your audience...

 

[Nightwish84]

But the media and the league doesn't give 2 shts about the people that are already tuning in. They couldn't give 2 fks about them. They just want the ones they don't have. They just want more more more, just like the media and the players. A lot them don't really care about the fans at all. It's just the way it is. They'll say they do, because that's what they're supposed to say, but money is the main motivator with winning games a nearby 2nd.

They are just trying to keep the people they see as peasants happy enough to keep doing what they're doing

You seem way too frustrated over a halftime show that's now been over for like 27 hrs.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Oh Oh! The Hall Monitor has monitored and declared that any further discussion or contempt for the halftime show is displaying too much frustration. This thread has been Hall Monitored!!

 

[HymanKaplan]

This is the Paddock, and it's primary PURPOSE is for all of us to bitch about things that are essentially meaningless.

Chief amongst them, each other. 😃

 

[Diggers_Matching_Highlighter]

I was in a bar, so thankfully did not hear any of it. I think there should at least be instruments involved with the half time show, but I am just a crotchety Gen X'er, whose time has probably passed.