This is what it sounds like when audiences get rocked! Music icon Prince died at age 57 on Thursday, April 21, at his Minnesota studio. But his legacy endures in perpetuity through his incredible song catalog and especially his legendary live performances, from the 2007 Super Bowl, to the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, to his 2008 Coachella set.
One of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime performances ever was during Super Bowl XLI, with Prince putting on an incendiary show in the middle of a Miami thunderstorm.
His set list included covers of such varied tunes as Foo Fighters’ “Best of You” — which was a shout-out to the band that recorded a popular cover of Prince’s “Darling Nikki” in 2003 — Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”
The singer appropriately closed out his rainy set with signature tune “Purple Rain.” The sexy performance included him wailing on a mesmerizing guitar solo in silhouette from behind a sheet, with the guitar neck creating a phallic image.
Another standout concert was Prince’s 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. The musician joined such fellow legends as Tom Petty, Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynne for an all-star performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” The tune was a tribute to George Harrison, who was also inducted that year.
Prince made his way to the California desert in 2008 to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The set included a powerful, eight-minute cover of Radiohead’s breakthrough 1993 classic “Creep.”
The prolific star continued his voracious output even later in life. He performed a number of his late-period tracks — including such tunes as “Clouds” and “Marz” — during an eight-minute medley on a 2014 Saturday Night Live episode.
His Super Bowl performance can be seen in the video above.
Tell Us: Which Prince live performance is your favorite?