During the earlier days of the Super Bowl, the halftime shows that were features just consisted of some marching bands of the local high schools or colleges. However, as the popularity of the Super Bowl increased through the years, the potential of exposure has also increased. Because of this, popular singers and other musicians came to perform at pre-game ceremonies and halftime shows. Sometimes, they would just sing the U.S. National Anthem, which is the Star-Spangled Banner.

At the Super Bowl XL, there were a couple of outstanding performances. Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Joss Stone performed at the pre-game ceremony. Aaron Neville, Dr. John and Aretha Franklin sang the Star-Spangled Banner. And at the halftime show, the Rolling Stones gave an unforgettable performance.

Also a memorable performance was the performance of U2 in 2002. It was a special tribute to the 9/11 victims so as the band sang their second song, the names of the victims were scrolled on a large projection screen.

Another controversial halftime show was at the Super Bowl XXXVIII. Justin Timberlake accidentally removed a piece of what Janet Jackson was wearing, which exposed her right breast and showed her star shaped ring. They repeated that it was just a "wardrobe malfunction". That particular game was aired live on CBS and the halftime show was produced by MTV, which was a sister company of CBS under Viacom.

After that, pictures and videos of the incident quickly circulated online. Due to the incident, NFL prohibited MTV from producing another halftime show. The FCC also tightened their controls regarding indecency and fined CBS for $225,000, including the other stations that were owned and operated by CBS. The following year, however, the halftime show was totally uncontroversial, as Paul McCartney performed.