America’s Favorite Halftime Shows Ranked By State
The Super Bowl halftime show has become one of the most anticipated and debated music events of the year. When fans react, there’s never a universal consensus.
Our new analysis dives into state-by-state reactions to halftime shows 2011–2025 using Google Trends and fan engagement data to reveal which performances had people buzzing. The results tell a story of regional identity, generational taste, and viral moments.
So, which halftime show got your state talking?
Key Insights
- Dr. Dre & Co. Take the Crown: The 2022 West Coast hip-hop spectacle topped engagement in 26 states and scored a perfect 10 in national fan favorability thanks to its cultural weight, surprise cameos, and nostalgia-fueled buzz.
- Rihanna’s Solo Set Made Noise: Her 2023 performance earned a 9.6 score across the country and major post-show buzz, despite no guests and only being the overall favorite in two states.
- Kendrick’s Cultural Moment Hit Home: His 2025 show blended artistry and commentary, making it the favorite across seven states with a near-perfect score of 9.9.
- Supergroups Outperform Solo Acts on Reach: While solo performers drove strong engagement, ensemble shows like 2022’s generated wider national traction.
Each State’s Favorite Super Bowl Halftime Show (2011–2025)
This map from The Sports Geek highlights the most searched halftime show in every state from 2011 to 2025. Each state’s top choice paints a picture of what really got people talking and re-watching.
Regional Trends
While the Super Bowl halftime show is a shared national event, audiences’ online engagement tells a different story, one rooted in culture, music identity, and regional taste. By grouping states into broader regions, we can see clear patterns in the types of performances that resonate most. Here’s how fan interest breaks down across the U.S.
West Coast: Where Hip-Hop Dominates
The West Coast came out strong for 2022’s hip-hop showcase led by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar, all artists with deep Southern California roots. Regional engagement rates made it clear that this was more than a performance. It was a cultural moment.
- Dre’s Supergroup Dominated the Coast: The 2022 halftime show ranked #1 in California, Oregon, and Washington, and helped drive the show’s overall win in 26 states.
- Hip-Hop Resonated Beyond the Coast: States like Utah and Arizona also backed the Dre-led performance, showing the West’s broader alignment with modern rap.
- Kendrick’s Solo Set Broke Through: Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 solo performance overtook the 2022 ensemble show for the most online engagement in Nevada, one of the few states to favor a solo act over a multi-artist lineup.
💡 What it says: The West Coast’s musical identity is deeply tied to hip-hop and cultural legacy. When local icons take the stage, regional engagement spikes.
Midwest: Loyalty to Legacy Acts
Midwestern audiences leaned toward pop stars with established reputations and wide generational appeal.
- Madonna’s Pop Spectacle Still Resonates: Her 2012 performance topped engagement in two Midwestern states: Nebraska (NE) and Missouri (MO). With features from LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and CeeLo Green, the show blended theatrical spectacle with pop relevance.
- Timberlake’s Tribute Hit Home: Minnesota (MN) favored Justin Timberlake’s 2018 show, a legacy pop performance that likely resonated due to his Prince tribute in Minneapolis. It earned a Fan Favorability Score of only 1.3.
💡 What it says: The Midwest tends to favor familiar acts that blend nostalgia, spectacle, and broad appeal, with engagement clustering around pop royalty and performers rooted in legacy eras.
Northeast: Cultural Relevance Meets Polished Pop
The Northeast split its attention between message-driven performances and high-production pop sets. The region favored halftime performances that offered both impact and star power, like Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 solo show and ensemble showcases.
- Kendrick Resonated in Cultural Centers: His 2025 solo performance topped engagement in Connecticut (CT), Pennsylvania (PA), and Vermont (VT), pointing to a strong connection with performances that carry artistic or social weight.
- Hip-Hop Headliners Made a Statement: The 2022 show led by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and co. won in Maine (ME), New Jersey (NJ), and Rhode Island (RI), proving that even East Coast audiences connected with the West Coast-rooted performance.
- Big-Pop Productions Still Landed: Rihanna (2023) led in New Hampshire (NH), and Coldplay’s 2016 ensemble show in New York (NY), reinforcing that polished, star-powered pop performances still draw attention.
💡 What it says: The Northeast values both cultural storytelling and standout production. From solo artistry to legacy pop icons, the most engaging shows offered meaning, spectacle, or both.
South: Where Star Power Meets Regional Roots
The South showed strong alignment with national trends, especially around the 2022 hip-hop ensemble performance, but standout choices like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar show how cultural identity still drives regional engagement.
- Hip-Hop Headliners Swept the Region: The 2022 West Coast-led performance came out on top in major Southern states like Texas, Georgia, and both Carolinas, part of a sweeping national wave of engagement that made it the most talked-about show across the country.
- Beyoncé’s Legacy Still Runs Deep: Her 2013 performance resonated in Louisiana (LA), Mississippi (MS), thanks to a high-energy set that mixed hits with a Destiny’s Child reunion, reflecting both her Southern roots and wide generational appeal.
- Kendrick’s Solo Set Broke Through: Alabama (AL) and Florida (FL) favored Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 performance, a sign that message-driven artistry is connecting even in traditionally legacy-leaning states.
💡 What it says: Southern audiences respond to a mix of cultural authenticity and star power, from hometown heroes to genre-defining icons.
Mountain & Southwest: Trend Followers with a Twist
Most states in this region backed the 2022 hip-hop supergroup, but a few broke from the mainstream, favoring pop-forward or culturally distinct performances that stood out from their neighbors.
- Hip-Hop Headliners Held Strong: Colorado (CO), Utah (UT), and Arizona (AZ) all picked the 2022 Dr. Dre-led halftime show, aligning with the national favorite.
- Coldplay’s Ensemble Show Shined in New Mexico: The 2016 performance featuring Coldplay, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars was New Mexico’s (NM) top pick, a polished, collaborative set that leaned into broad pop appeal. It earned a modest Fan Favorability Score of 4.3.
- Unexpected Pop Choices Stood Out: Montana picked Rihanna’s minimalist 2023 set, while Idaho favored Shakira & JLo’s 2020 Latin-pop show. That performance earned the second highest Fan Favorability Score of 9.7, despite winning just two states.
💡 What it says: Even in trend-following regions, some states respond more to cultural moments and viral buzz than to the consensus — reminding us that regional taste is always more layered than it looks.
Other Insights
1. Only One State Picked Maroon 5
Maroon 5’s 2019 halftime show ranked as the most engaging performance in just one state: Wyoming (WY), and it earned one of the lowest Fan Favorability Scores (1).
- It Featured Guests Without Chemistry: Travis Scott and Big Boi joined the set, but never shared the stage with Levine, creating a disjointed feel.
- It Still Got People Talking: Viral moments, including Levine’s shirtless finale, may have driven curiosity clicks more than musical acclaim.
- It’s the Biggest Outlier in the Data: No other state ranked this show highest, making Wyoming the clear exception.
💡 What it says: These one-off wins are a reminder that even polarizing shows can resonate in unexpected ways, perfect for local storytelling or brand tie-ins.
2. Bruno Mars Had Home-Field Advantage
Hawaii picked Bruno Mars’ 2014 halftime show, a performance by one of the islands’ own. Born and raised in Honolulu, Mars blended funk, soul, and pop in a set that resonated with local pride and feel-good energy.
💡 What is says: Hometown ties can strongly influence regional engagement. While Mars earned a low national Fan Favorability Score of 1.7, his local appeal in Hawaii shows that cultural and geographic connection can outweigh broader popularity.
3. Rihanna’s Viral Moment Outperformed Expectations
Rihanna’s 2023 show broke from halftime tradition with no guests, minimal choreography, and a surprise pregnancy reveal, yet it still captured massive national attention. Though it only topped engagement in two states (MT and NH), it earned the fourth-highest Fan Favorability Score (9.6).
- She Performed Solo, and Owned It: Suspended on a floating platform, she delivered a confident, hit-packed set entirely on her own terms.
- It Was More Than a Performance: From a mid-set Fenty Beauty touch-up to her viral pregnancy reveal, she fused pop culture with personal identity.
- Her Presence Was the Power Play: With minimal choreography and no guests, she kept the focus on her, saving spectacle for the finale, when fireworks lit up her closing song.
💡 Why it matters: Rihanna’s show proved that cultural relevance and star power can spark more engagement than spectacle alone.
The Most Popular Super Bowl Halftime Shows Nationwide
While state-by-state engagement shows which performances got local audiences talking, the Fan Favorability Index tells a different story. This ranking combines TV viewership and YouTube engagement to reflect each show’s overall national impact. Interestingly, some shows that ranked high in favorability didn’t win many (or any) states, revealing a difference between mass appeal and local buzz.
| Rank | Halftime Show (Year) | of States Where It Ranked #1 | Fan Favorability Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent (2022) | 26 states | 10.0 |
| 2 | Shakira & Jennifer Lopez (2020) | 2 states | 9.96 |
| 3 | Kendrick Lamar (2025) | 7 states | 9.92 |
| 4 | Rihanna (2023) | 2 states | 9.61 |
| 5 | Coldplay (2016) (w/ Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson) | 2 States | 4.3 |
| 6 | Katy Perry (2015) (with Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliot) | 0 states | 4.2 |
| 7 | Lady Gaga (2017) | 0 states | 4.0 |
| 8 | Usher (2024) (w/ Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, etc.) | 1 state | 3.7 |
| 9 | The Weekend (2021) | 0 states | 2.7 |
| 10 | Madonna (2012) (w/ LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., CeeLo Green) | 2 states | 2.6 |
Full Data Sets
Want to dive deeper into the numbers? Explore the complete state-by-state rankings and fan favorability scores in the full interactive datasets below:
The Halftime Show Reflects More Than Music
The Super Bowl halftime show has grown into much more than a performance. It is one of the few moments each year when culture, entertainment, and national identity intersect on a global stage. Our state-by-state engagement data reveals just how personal this shared event really is.
We’re excited to see how this year’s halftime show will go. With Bad Bunny headlining, one of the most streamed artists on the planet and the first ever to perform entirely in Spanish, it’s a performance that will surely have people talking.
One thing’s certain: fans will be watching, sharing, and debating every second.
Methodology
To determine which Super Bowl halftime shows sparked the most interest, we analyzed two sets of data:
- National Rankings were based on a composite Fan Favorability Score, which combines live TV viewership with post-event YouTube engagement. Metrics were standardized and averaged to compare performances across different years and platforms.
- State-by-State Rankings were calculated using Google Trends data. For each state, we identified the year in which the search interest for “Super Bowl halftime show” peaked during a 4-week window (2 weeks before and after the game). The show with the highest interest in that window was recorded as that state’s “most engaged with” halftime performance.
- Engagement scores reflect online interest and often diverge from traditional TV viewership, revealing what performances sparked the most conversation, not just the biggest audiences.
Sources
1. “Why Was Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show So Controversial?” Rolling Stone
2. “Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked from Worst to Best.” Rolling Stone
3. “The 14 Best Super Bowl Half Time Shows. Billboard
