The Holiday season is almost upon us, and Thanksgiving NFL Halftime Performances will certainly return over this long weekend. The Dallas Cowboys are set to mesmerize us with Post Malone this time around, or maybe disappoint us (We’ll see if this is a trend, as we’ll see).
Now, in preparation, let us review the best and worst the NFL has had to offer in Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving NFL Halftime Performances Ranked
#1 Dolly Parton – 2023 (@Dallas Cowboys)
Widely considered the best Thanksgiving NFL Halftime Performance. Could it be any other way? It’s Dolly Parton we are talking about. Of course, it was meant to be iconic. That day, she decided to go full Dallas Cowboys cheerleader while singing “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” and paying tribute to the legendary rock band Queen with “We are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You.”
#2 Destiny’s Child – 2004 (@Dallas Cowboys)
Destiny’s Child is at the peak of their power. Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams in the earliest 2000s Thanksgiving NFL Halftime Performance ever. The show came shortly after their last studio album, Destiny Fulfilled, and the fact that it was one of the final times Destiny’s Child were together at the peak of their power marks a cultural moment beyond the NFL.
#3 Kid Rock – 2012 (@Detroit Lions)
Kid Rock’s love letter to his native Detroit (He’s from Romeo, Michigan, but close enough, right?). A high-energy spectacle like he knows how to do. The high point of the presentation is the debut of his “Detroit, Michigan” single. A pretty appropriate occasion to do so, if you ask us.
#4 Jonas Brothers – 2008 (@Dallas Cowboys)
Jerry Jones does know how to put up a show, right? They basically command our top five. This one is a very 2000s Disney, as it had the network’s flagship boy band on stage. As every other Dallas Cowboys performance on Thanksgiving Day, it kicked off the Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff with the difference that it was done at the old Texas Stadium, not at AT&T Stadium, which was a year away from opening. This one was for the young millennial fans at the time.
#5 Sheryl Crow – 2005 (@Dallas Cowboys)
Again with the Dallas Cowboys. This one was widely praised for the vivid performance and sheer spectacle out of it all. I mean, come on, it’s just sheet good music courtesy of Sheryl Crow singing hits like”If It Makes You Happy,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road,” and “All I Wanna Do”. It’s just good, okay?
#6 Creed – 2001 (@Dallas Cowboys)
This one was a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and while sports gave us some of the most important moments of national healing at that time, like Mike Piazza’s home run at Shea Stadium, George W. Bush’s first pitch during Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, and U2’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, Creed’s performance wasn’t one of them. Melodrama that didn’t land well, mixed with terrible sound. That’s it. It has its fans, though.
#7 Enrique Iglesias – 2011 (@Dallas Cowboys)
The Dallas Cowboys have had some really great highs. But as we saw with the opening entry on the worst side of the list, they also have some of the worst. Whoever chose Enrique Iglesias to perform for a Southern Texan football audience really didn’t know what they were doing. Enrique Iglesias, what all football fans want to hear between half of their favorite sport.
#8 Toby Keith – 2003 (@Dallas Cowboys)
Toby Keith’s performance wasn’t bad because of his doing. It’s just that the technical aspects of the show weren’t there. The poor sound made the show sound muffled and flat overall during its broadcast of its broadcast. While Keith reportedly did his best to sing songs like “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue,” that wasn’t seen on national TV. However, the performance was highly praised for his patriotism.
#9 Meghan Trainor – 2018 (@Dallas Cowboys)
While Trainor was at the time near the height of her powers, and she’s arguably a very talented singer and songwriter, the singer of “All About That Bass” and “No Excuses” was thought not to be the best mix for the high-energy and macho NFL. The production value was not the best the shows have seen, either.
#10 Nicky Minaj – 2015 (@Dallas Cowboys)
The Cowboys come in with the crown for both the best and worst Thanksgiving NFL Halftime Performances. Nicky Minaj, overall, was a mismatch not only with the league’s spirit overall but with the holiday season too (remember, this is Thanksgiving). “Anaconda” is not the kind of song you think of in such dates.
Read more:
CFB Analyst Makes Bold Claim about Oklahoma’s Edge with John Mateer at QB
Analyst Makes Scathing Remarks on Cade Klubnik’s NFL Draft Stock Amid Injury Concerns
