Super Sunday

The jinx worked! The Patriots lost!

NFL fans, prepare to see in perpetuity the play where Eli Manning evaded a sack (when in most other circumstances he would have been called down for being in the grasp, right?) and David Tyree somehow caught the pass against his helmet. I watched the game with varying levels of interest--I knitted for most of the third quarter--but I take satisfaction in the outcome.

While watching the halftime show I wondered who will be playing events like this fifteen or twenty years from now. Those in charge of planning the mid-game entertainment extravaganzas have chosen rock and pop standard bearers since the infamous 2004 mishap. Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have broad mainstream appeal, but will there be any artists like that with sustained careers in two decades?

Think about it. Music is increasingly becoming the domain of niches. The top pop acts don't seem to have the staying power they once did. What are the biggest rock bands in the world? Do they truly exist anymore?

So, here are my guesses for who might still be relevant and asked to sing to the masses on Super Bowl Sunday in a decade or two, as well as a few unlikely to make the cut:

-U2: They performed at the 2002 halftime show, so their selection has precedent. In ten or fifteen years their flagging reputation among music hipsters will probably be due for reconsideration.

-R.E.M.: They're no longer as big as they were in their heyday, and this doesn't particularly feel like their thing. Still, they're an important band for a generation and may be poised for rediscovery. The little I've heard from their forthcoming album has me hopeful.

-Radiohead: Among those with a claim to the title of biggest rock band today, Radiohead has to be near the top of the list. Their songs are too weird for this event, though. I can't foresee them having the slightest interest in doing it.

-Coldplay: They're everyone's favorite punching bag, but they sell a lot of albums and have to be popular with somebody. Hey, I have their CDs. And like them. I know, my cool card has just been revoked.

-Green Day: Somewhat inexplicably they have become one of the top rock groups that came to attention when I was in college. Can't say I saw that happening. Granted, don't expect them to play "Longview" right after the teams break for the half unless the FCC's standards have slipped.

-Pearl Jam: After their 1994 dust-up with Ticketmaster and decisions to cut back on promotional efforts, Pearl Jam has slipped under the radar. Is halftime at the Super Bowl too corporate for Eddie Vedder and company? The biggest strike against them is their current mainstream invisibility. Maybe when Ten celebrates its thirtieth anniversary it'll be time for their dinosaur act.

-The White Stripes: Simply put, too rough around the edges. Also, Jack and Meg would mandate that the field must be red and white.

-The Dave Matthews Band: The group doesn't interest me, but he/they has/have a loyal fan base and had enough radio hits once upon a time that I could see him/them being the kind of safe choice the producers would want.

-Foo Fighters: You know what, this might be the wide appeal rock band with a large body of work tailor-made for a Super Bowl halftime in a decade. I haven't heard a new album of theirs in forever, but the fact that they remain popular and well-known gives them a big boost.

-Justin Timberlake: All will be forgiven for his involvement in L'affaire de Janet Jackson. Let's pencil him in sixteen years for now for the twentieth anniversary.

Who do you think will still have wide-reaching popularity in ten or twenty years to step up to the mic?