2002: U2
This Super Bowl happened only five months after the Twin Towers attack, so it was not like the ones that came before it. U2 and Bono honored the victims with “Where the Streets Have No Name”. The backdrop showed the names of the victims of the tragedy. Bono revealed the stars and stripes in his jacket lining as he was finishing the song. However, there were people who thought it was uncomfortable. Billboard described it this way: “It was great theater and a touching tribute, but going from football to Beautiful Day to a heartbreaking, scrolling list of the thousands killed in a terrorist attack, then back to football in a span of 25 minutes was disorienting.”
2002: U2
2009: Bruce
Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen is here, of course. The musician had a set that lasted 15 minutes, which was longer than most. The four-song set included an unknown song, much to everyone’s puzzlement. Nonetheless, he also played hit songs such as “Born To Run” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out”. He had turned down numerous invitations before, so everyone was thrilled when he took the stage in 2009.
2009: Bruce