The 100th Grey Cup: When artists from different musical genres collide

When it works, having a combination of different artists from different genres preforming together can make for a fantastic collide in the music world at live events like the Grey Cup and Super Bowl.

See more: Best and worst Grey Cup halftime performances

This year, Canada is celebrating the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on Sunday Nov. 25 with a halftime show mixed bag consisting of performances by Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, pop/rock outfit Marianas Trench and Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot.

Bringing such artists together for a smooth 10-15 minute set can seem like an impossible feat, so we hope they will learn some tips from these past performances on what to do and what not to do.

WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK: The Black Eyed Peas, Usher and Slash at Super Bowl XLV
This 2011 Super Bowl performance was a disaster for a number of technical reasons including microphone issues and certain set pieces not lighting up like the V in the LOVE final stage assembly.

In addition, performers Slash and Usher were not fully utilized; both acts could have joined forces with The Black Eyed Peas for one epic-closing tune. Critics such as the National Post, weren't pleased. Said the Post: "Fergie & co. did a pretty dreadful job at Sunday's Super Bowl half-time, what with all the terrible sound and butchering of Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child O' Mine.'"

See more: Why are Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen playing at the halftime?

Tip we learned: Too much going on with tech and multiple performers can be hard to work with and sometimes it's better to keep it simple and favour the performance instead of the spectacle.

WHEN IT WORKS: Aerosmith, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly at Super Bowl XXXV
2001's Super Bowl halftime show was billed with the theme "The Kings of Rock and Pop" and totally delivered by taking artists at the top of their game spanning genres like rock, pop, R&B and rap and combining them for one awesome show.

The back and forth opening between Aerosmith and *NSYNC set the stage for a wicked all-star cover of "Walk This Way." The additions of Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly featured smooth transitions and gave everyone time to shine.

Tip we learned: A culminating performance where all of the artists involved in the halftime show come together on stage for one tune is ultra satisfying to watch.

WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK: Theory of a Deadman, Suzie McNeil and Andrée Watters at the 96th Grey Cup
After Theory of a Deadman finished playing a few tracks during the 2008 Grey Cup halftime show in Montreal, they brought up singer/songwriter Suzie McNeil to perform her hit "Believe" with them. Although the inspirational nature of the tune worked with the setting, we're not sure that singing a song that is closer to a ballad than an energetic anthem was the right choice for these artists as the crowd looked somewhat bored during the performance.

See more: How we think the halftime show should play out

Tip we learned: Ballads aren't a good idea when trying to keep the crowd from falling asleep and entertained during halftime.

WHEN IT WORKS: Janet Jackson, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock and Justin Timberlake at Super Bowl XXXVIII
It's too bad that this 2004 Super Bowl halftime show is largely remembered for Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction (or maybe that was the point?) because up until that moment, this show was pretty cool and featured pop, rap, rock and R&B.

Celebrating the "Rock the Vote" theme, we liked how this show opened with Jackson and featured a return appearance by the songstress for her track "Rhythm Nation," which morphed into a duet between her and Justin Timberlake on his tune "Rock Your Body."

Tip we learned: Opening and closing with your headline act brings the audience in at the top of the show and closing with them can ensure a memorable finale.

(WARNING! This clip contains nudity.)


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