In recent years, Super Bowl halftime shows have gotten increasingly flashy. However, in 2008, the recently deceased rock icon Tom Petty challenged this, putting on a stellar show during Super Bowl XLII, which saw the New York Giants dramatically upset the New England Patriots at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. During his twelve-minute performance, Petty and The Heartbreakers ran through some of his greatest hits, laying out superb renditions of “American Girl,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Fallin’”, and “Runnin’ Down a Dream” and letting the music speak for itself during his fairly stripped-down performance.
This 1977 Interview Proves That Tom Petty Was Coolness Personified [Watch]
You can watch Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker’s full Super Bowl XLII halftime show below, which the NFL published earlier in the week in remembrance of the late and great rock and roll hero.