Iconic Rock Stars’ Most Embarrassing NFL Game Performances

NFL halftime shows are famous for giving viewers unforgettable moments—sometimes for the right reasons, and sometimes for reasons everyone wishes they could unsee. For every jaw-dropping, emotional performance, like Prince singing through the rain or U2 honoring 9/11 victims, there are chaotic misfires that live on the internet forever. Not even rock legends are safe from the occasional onstage disaster.

Because big rock stars rarely appear at regular-season games, most of these awkward moments happen at the Super Bowl. For fairness, this list focuses on halftime performances, not national anthem singers—though sometimes those go sideways too. When rock and the NFL collide, magic can happen, but sometimes the results are so strange that fans still talk about them decades later.

Here are some iconic rock artists who stepped onto the NFL’s biggest stage—and left fans scratching their heads.

Phil Collins – Super Bowl 2000

The year 2000 felt like a fresh start—the world didn’t collapse from Y2K, boy bands ruled the radio, and the Rams beat the Titans. But nothing that year was as bizarre as the halftime show Disney created for the Super Bowl.

What viewers saw looked like a surreal mash-up of theme-park storytelling, circus choreography, and early-internet weirdness: costumed dancers, strange puppets, fiery props, and performers who mostly looked like they were awkwardly lip-syncing. Then, in the middle of this whirlwind, Phil Collins walked onstage wearing cargo pants and a hat, trying his best to belong.

Collins wasn’t the problem. He had just come off a massive hit with “You’ll Be in My Heart” from Disney’s Tarzan, and Disney was in charge of the show. The song was beloved, the movie was huge, and Collins was simply doing his job. The issue was the entire production. It felt less like a halftime show and more like an off-brand Disney parade that accidentally wandered into the Super Bowl. Despite Collins’ best efforts, the show became known as one of the strangest in Super Bowl history, leaving him caught in the middle of a promotional experiment that didn’t quite land.

Aerosmith – Super Bowl 2001

The following year didn’t fare much better. The 2001 halftime show attempted to mix rock icons with pop superstars, resulting in what felt like a shuffled playlist performed live. It started with NSYNC bursting onstage with high-energy choreography. Then Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith joined in, slipping into the performance as if they were accidentally booked for the wrong concert. Aerosmith had recently regained popularity thanks to the movie Armageddon, so putting them in the lineup made sense—at least on paper.

The show ended in a chaotic mash-up featuring Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly, NSYNC, and Aerosmith performing “Walk This Way.” Instead of feeling epic, it felt like multiple concerts battling for control of the same stage. The vibe was pure early-2000s chaos—a hurried mix of pop trends, last-minute duets, and a finale held together with duct tape and hope. For many viewers, it became a time capsule of awkward collaborations and questionable staging.

Slash – Super Bowl 2011

If secondhand embarrassment needed a visual, the 2011 halftime show delivered. The Black Eyed Peas headlined, wearing futuristic outfits reminiscent of sci-fi cosplay. Then, out of nowhere, Slash rose from the stage like a rock-and-roll jack-in-the-box.

He looked perfect—top hat, sunglasses, guitar, the whole Slash package—and played flawlessly. The problem came when Fergie attempted to sing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” beside him. Her performance was loud, off-key, and strangely theatrical, leaving fans wondering what exactly was happening. It sparked immediate “please make it stop” energy across living rooms everywhere. To make matters worse, that same night featured Christina Aguilera famously botching the national anthem.

In fairness, Slash simply played his part. The real issue was a legendary rock anthem delivered in a way nobody asked for—or expected.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Super Bowl 2014

By 2014, fans noticed a pattern: halftime shows loved pairing rock stars with trending pop acts. That year, the Red Hot Chili Peppers shared the stage with Bruno Mars, who kicked off the performance with high-energy drumming and old-school showmanship.

Midway through, Mars introduced the Chili Peppers, who jumped in with their usual wild energy—and not many shirts. At first, it seemed like a fun surprise. But viewers soon noticed something odd: Flea’s bass wasn’t plugged in, and neither were the other instruments.

The band later explained that the NFL required pre-recorded instrumentals, but the moment still felt awkward. Anthony Kiedis sang live, but the rest of the band essentially mimed, taking away the raw edge fans loved. The performance wasn’t terrible—just mismatched and a little too obviously staged.

Adam Levine – Super Bowl 2019

Maroon 5 headlined the 2019 halftime show, which was widely criticized as bland, mismatched, and oddly self-absorbed. Levine sang well enough, but viewers couldn’t ignore his dramatic guitar posing, brooding close-ups, and constant smoldering into the camera.

Then came the moment that broke the internet: Levine took off his shirt mid-performance, revealing his tattooed torso as if finishing a modeling shoot instead of performing for one of the world’s largest broadcasts. With guest appearances from Travis Scott and Big Boi, the show felt confused and tone-deaf, quickly becoming one of the most mocked halftime shows in recent memory.

Even rock icons can have an off night, especially under the bright lights of the Super Bowl. These performances weren’t failures because the artists lacked talent—they were reminders that when the NFL forces unexpected mash-ups, odd themes, or mismatched vibes, even the biggest names in music can end up in unforgettable—and cringe-worthy—situations.