Best NFL Thanksgiving performances ft. Selena Gomez and Destiny's Child
NFL Thanksgiving performances are slowly becoming as big as Super Bowl halftime shows. While not there yet, the gap is gradually closing. The Dallas Cowboys usually get the most eyeballs when they play, and on Thanksgiving, it again captivates the world.
Usually, there are two games on NFL Thanksgiving, with this year seeing the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions getting things started. In the afternoon, the Cowboys will take on division rivals, the New York Giants.
But back to the halftime shows. There have been plenty, but which performances rank in the top five all-time? Given that it is largely down to one's opinion, Sportskeeda has done its best to rank the top five NFL Thanksgiving performances of all time. Here we go.
#5- Reba McEntire - 1997
This might be a bit too far back for some viewers, but in 1997, Reba McEntire performed in the first-ever NFL Thanksgiving halftime show at the Cowboys' home stadium.
Despite the dazzling show, the Cowboys could not get a win on Thanksgiving, going down 27-14 to the Oilers.
#4 - Creed - 2001
Rock band Creed performed gave one of their best performances during the halftime show on Thanksgiving in 2001.
The game between the Cowboys and the Denver Broncos was a 26-24 thriller that Dallas won, but Creed's performance was just as good. They performed three songs, Higher, My Sacrifice, and Don't Stop Dancing, in front of 65,000 fans at Texas Stadium.
#3- Ellie Goulding - 2019
Singer Ellie Goulding took the stage on Thanksgiving in 2019 at AT&T Stadium. Her performance had everything, from her hits to all the glitz and glamor, and she even had some Cowboys cheerleaders.
Unfortunately, for Dallas, Goulding's halftime show was as good as it got as the Buffalo Bills steamrolled them in their own building.
#2 - Selena Gomez - 2013
Gomez performed back in 2013 and produced a seven-minute show-stopping performance. She sang Naturally, Round & Round, Come & Get It, and Who Says as she rocked AT&T Stadium.
Again, the Cowboys couldn't get the win on their home deck, losing to the Raiders in overtime.
#1 - Destiny's Child - 2004
This is regarded by many as the best-ever Thanksgiving performance of all time. At AT&T Stadium, the group gave it their all. Charlotte Jones Anderson, who was in charge, said, via The Dallas Morning News: "It was, by far, I think one of our greatest shows.''
Destiny's Child performed Lose My Breath to a great ovation. Their NFL Thanksgiving halftime show remains, to this day, one of the best ever.