Summary: The Super Bowl is making a rare appearance north of the Mason Dixon line this year: For the first time ever, it’s coming to New Jersey. And while we still don’t know which teams will be facing off at Met Life Stadium, we do know that Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be taking the stage at halftime. Behind the this year's show is Ricky Kirshner, who's served as executive producer of the Super Bowl halftime show since 2007. The event is a massive spectacle that takes a lot of planning. "We've been working on the staging for months," Kirshner says. "There's a lot to do: What graphics we use in the stage, what pyro we use in the show. It's all very, very calculated, down to the last second." But the Super Bowl halftime show hasn't always been such a big deal. Amos Barshad, pop culture editor for Grantland, runs down the history of the event, from traditional marching bands and the ever-so-cheery Up with People to Janet Jackson's "Nipplegate" and the "playing-it-safe" legacy era that followed -- a who's who of crowd-pleasing iconic stars like The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Tom Petty and The Who. History Of The Super Bowl Halftime Show: From The Early Days To Now Super Bowl VII (1973) - University of Michigan Marching Band Super Bowl XIV (1980) - Up With People Super Bowl XXV (1991) - New Kids On The Block Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004) - Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake Super Bowl XLII (2008) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Super Bowl XLIII - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009) Super Bowl XLVII (2013) - Beyonce
