Pick a Day

Music History Events: Sports

May 7, 1978 Goaded by an item in the magazine saying they are "more interested in finding a softball team they can beat," the Eagles take on Rolling Stone in a game the rock band wins 15-8 (Don Henley is the winning pitcher). In the crowd cheering on the Eagles are Joni Mitchell and Chevy Chase.

October 30, 1974 At the "Rumble In The Jungle" in Zaire, Africa, boxer Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman (unbeaten in 40 fights) in the eighth round in a stunning victory that earns him the heavyweight title he was stripped of for refusing induction into the US Army in 1967. The fight is recounted in the 1975 hit "Black Superman" by Johnny Wakelin & the Kinshasa Band.More

October 7, 1968 Long before the US National Anthem becomes a performance piece, the Puerto Rican singer Jose Feliciano makes waves when he does a slow, jazzy version of the song before Game 5 of the World Series between the Tigers and Cardinals. Among those joining the uproar are Tigers starting pitcher Mickey Lolich, who complains that the overly long rendition screwed up his pregame routine.More

February 8, 2026 Bad Bunny headlines the Super Bowl halftime show, bringing a set full of Spanish-language songs to that stage for the first time. His performance is a tribute to his native Puerto Rico, with a real-life wedding and subsequent celebration. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin perform as special guests, with Gaga's "Die With A Smile" the only song sung in English.

August 2, 2025 Jack White, a huge baseball fan, completes his quest to see a game at every Major League stadium when he watches the Phillies play the Tigers in Philadelphia.

August 11, 2024 Phoenix close out the Paris Olympics with a closing ceremony set that includes crowd-pleasers "Lisztomania" and "1901." The band, which formed in Paris but sing mostly in English, quickly win over the athletes and spectators. By the end of the set, lead singer Thomas Mars is in the crowd, being held aloft by Olympians.

July 26, 2024 Celine Dion makes a spectacular return with a performance of "Hymne À L'amour" from the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. It's her first performance since 2020, when she was sidelined with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.

May 15, 2024 The new professional hockey team in Athens, Georgia, is christened the Rock Lobsters in honor of the B-52s, who formed in the city and released their classic song "Rock Lobster" in 1979. The name was chosen in a fan vote that nearly went to Classic City Panic in honor of another Athens band, WideSpread Panic.

February 11, 2024 Usher, at times shirtless and other times on roller skates, pulls off a Vegas-worthy halftime show at the Super Bowl between the 49ers and Chiefs. Guests include Alicia Keys, H.E.R., and of course, Lil Jon and Ludacris for "Yeah!." After the show, he heads to a Vegas wedding chapel and marries his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea.

November 23, 2023 Dolly Parton rocks a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit to perform at halftime of the Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and Washington Commanders, where she also kicks off the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign.

September 24, 2023 Taylor Swift takes in the Chiefs/Bears game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as a guest of Chiefs star Travis Kelce, a potential love interest. Ratings spike among teenage girls, and Kelce jerseys register a surge in sales.

February 12, 2023 Performing on a suspended platform and on a stage with 80 dancers, Rihanna is the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl LVII, where the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35. After the performance she confirms she's pregnant with her second child.

November 13, 2022 John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads," already a staple at Oktoberfests and other gatherings in Germany, becomes a sporting event singalong when the crowd of nearly 70,000 at Allianz Arena in Munich belts it out during the first NFL came in the country.

February 2, 2014 28-year-old Bruno Mars becomes the youngest solo headliner in Super Bowl halftime show history, delivering a hit-packed performance with a lot more excitement than the game, which is a 43-8 rout of the Denver Broncos by the Seattle Seahawks. The Red Hot Chili Peppers pop in as special guests, joining Bruno on "Give It Away." It's the most-watched halftime show in history to this point, with 115 million viewers.

October 1, 2011 Meat Loaf performs at the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne between Collingwood and Geelong. Suffering from a hemorrhaging vocal cord, he struggles through the 12-minute set and is blasted in the press. The singer responds by calling AFL organizers "the cheapest people I've ever seen in my life."More

July 25, 2010 John Fogerty performs "Centerfield" at the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, where he donates a guitar shaped like a baseball bat.More

February 1, 2009 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform at the Bridgestone halftime show during Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

December 31, 2008 At halftime of the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, 40,148 fans perform the "Y.M.C.A." dance while the Village People perform, establishing a Guinness World Record. It is the most memorable part of the game, which Oregon State wins 3-0 over Pittsburgh.

June 5, 2008 James Taylor sings the US national anthem at Game 1 of the NBA finals in Boston.

January 26, 2008 Weezer's Rivers Cuomo takes part in the Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra charity soccer match benefiting the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation in Carson, California.

October 21, 2006 Bob Seger sings "America The Beautiful" before the World Series game between his beloved Detroit Tigers and the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Unfortunately for Seger, the Tigers lose both the game and the series.

April 5, 2002 In Philadelphia, 12-year-old Taylor Swift sings the national anthem before the 76ers game against the Detroit Pistons. She's from the borough of Wyomissing, about 60 miles away.

January 28, 2001 Ray Charles sings "America The Beautiful" at Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa. The Backstreet Boys sing the US national anthem, and halftime performers include Aerosmith, 'N Sync and Britney Spears.

November 23, 2000 Twelve-year-old Billy Gilman sings "One Voice" during festivities at the Dallas Cowboys-Minnesota Vikings football game. Gilman is joined by Jessica Simpson for the halftime show.

November 25, 1999 Clint Black is on hand to help the Salvation Army launch its annual holiday fundraising drive. Black entertains during the third annual "National Kettle Kick-off," a half-time event at the Dallas Cowboys' football game.

October 31, 1999 Bryan White sings the US national anthem at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville prior to the match-up between the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams. Following the game, White gives his second annual Howl-O-Ween concert at the north end of the coliseum.

October 28, 1999 Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis, out with an injury, tries his hand at rapping when he performs at the Denver nightclub Wazoos.

October 27, 1999 Master P's hoop dream comes to an end. The high-profile rapper, whose real name is Percy Miller, is waived by the NBA's Toronto Raptors, failing to make the pro league for the second straight season. The year before, the Charlotte Hornets waived Miller just before the regular season began.

September 17, 1999 It is announced that rap entrepreneur Percy Miller (Master P) has signed an NBA contract with the Toronto Raptors. He appears in some preseason games but is cut before the regular season.

November 27, 1997 Reba McEntire debuts her new song "What If" at halftime of the Cowboys-Oilers Thanksgiving Day football game at Texas Stadium. Proceeds from the song are donated to the Salvation Army.