They don’t do Super Bowl Halftime shows like this anymore.
If this doesn’t further prove that the ’90s was the era for country music, I’m not sure what does. And in 1994, some of the best of ’90s country came together for one of the greatest Super Bowl Halftime shows of all time.
With the Dallas Cowboys on the field, and the game taking place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, it only made sense to bring a little Southern flare to the halftime show, which typically features pop artists.
The performance was appropriately named Rockin’ Country Sunday. With some of the biggest names in country music at the time, and still some of the biggest names when you think of ’90s country, everyone tuning into the programming was in for a treat.
But did anyone watching the show or in the stadium know that this halftime show would still be discussed 30 years later?
Clint Black opens the performance with “Tuckered Out,” and as he sings the rockin’ jukebox jam, the field is filled with Western dancers fitted out in cowboy hats and boots. Tanya Tucker followed him with “It’s A Little Too Late” before Travis Tritt joined the stage in a blue fringe suit to perform his hit “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” and introduce Queen Wynonna to the stage:
“Thank you very much! I am honored to introduce a lady whose first album sold three million copies. A lady that we love and admire, Wynonna!”
Wynonna took the stage, leaving it all out there as she sang, “No One Else On Earth.” When the performance couldn’t get better, they surprised the audience, bringing out Naomi Judd for “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
This was The Judds’ first appearance since their 1991 Farewell Tour, but the surprise kept getting better when Ashley Judd, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Daniels, and others stepped out for the finale. For the song’s second half, this all-star cast had a moving moment rounding out the incredible performance.
The field is chaotic during the performance as hundreds of dancers perform, combined with the electric stage presence of the artist, but that’s what makes it so great. They brought the dance floor of a Texas honky tonk to the Super Bowl field.
With Chris Stapleton singing the national anthem last year and Reba set to perform the song this year, it seems we might be getting closer to another halftime performance like this.
Only time will tell, but another Rockin’ Country Sunday would lead to a halftime performance with little complaints.
