It will probably surprise no one to learn that Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were not the NFL's first choice to perform at halftime in today's Super Bowl.

Actually, he was around number four.

Weeks after the 2007 Super Bowl, Variety magazine reported that Bruce Springsteen was at the top of a short wish list, but talks never materialized.

Then, in the fall, the Web site www.sportsbybrooks.com, which broke the news of Prince's enlistment six months before last year's game, cited numerous sources who said a deal with the rejuvenated Eagles was "90 percent" done. That was after the NFL's rumored second choice, Garth Brooks, declined to participate.

No one in the Eagles camp is talking, but, obviously, the band bowed out, leaving Petty to accept an offer.

While the NFL doesn't pay halftime performers any fees, the artists do benefit from invaluable free exposure.

It's a priceless opportunity for musicians such as Petty and Prince, who might not move albums in the millions as they did in the'70s and'80s but are still household names.

After Prince's performance last year, Billboard reported that his album sales doubled to 31,000 and digital downloads rose from 59,000 to 102,000.

In 2006, The Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang" album jumped 34 percent in sales after their halftime appearance.

Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or mruggieri@timesdispatch.com.