Coldplay Had the Best Super Bowl Halftime Show This Century, Study Claims

Super Bowl Sunday has arrived, and fans are eagerly anticipating the Super Bowl LV halftime show featuring The Weeknd. Many are already wondering how the show, which is free to watch online, will stack up against those from years past. According to a new study, Coldplay sits atop the list with a sizable advantage.

OnBuy.com recently conducted a study and surveyed 4,376 fans around the world. The site collated YouTube views and “like-to-dislike ratios” to come up with a fan index score. Coldplay scored a 48 out of a possible 60 while Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s performance at Super Bowl LIV came in second place with 46. Prince, who performed “Purple Rain” in the middle of a downpour, came in third place with a score of 44.

The Coldplay performance took place midway through a battle between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers following the 2015 season. The “Yellow” performers kicked off the show at Levi’s Stadium and welcomed some special guests. Beyonce and Bruno Mars both showed up and sparked excited comments among NFL fans, setting the stage for a wild second half.

“that one year beyoncé and bruno mars performed at the super bowl halftime show and everyone forgot that coldplay was the main performance,” one fan commented on social media. Others said that they didn’t quite agree with the survey and questioned its validity. The conversations continued as some people said that Beyonce and Bruno Mars were the reasons for the success of the performance.

Beyonce actually made two appearances in the top five of the list. Her performance from 2013 sat in fifth place, just behind Madonna’s performance from 2012. Bruno Mars, who performed in 2014, appeared in 13th place overall.

The survey also found that the fans had very strong feelings about shirtless Adam Levine and Maroon 5. The halftime show scored a measly 16 out of 60. Shania Twain (2003), the Who (2010) and Janet Jackson (2004) joined Maroon 5 at the bottom of the list.

With Super Bowl LV taking place on Sunday evening, there are questions about where The Weeknd will rank. The expectation among some fans is that the performer will easily surpass Maroon 5. Though many don’t know if he will top Coldplay in future surveys.