“The Star-Spangled Banner” has been known to bring tears to player’s eyes and Super Bowl LIX was no exception. Kansas City defensive tackle, Chris Jones, has a history of tearing up during the honoring of America and he came prepared this time with tissues to wipe away his tears. When the song started, tears flowed from Jones’ eyes.
In leagues from the MLB, NHL and NBA, famous singers are often brought in to sing before big games but no league is as big as the NFL. The league and the Super Bowl are so big in fact, that betters place large wagers on how long the song will be when it is performed live.
The betting line for the Super Bowl LIX national anthem, sung by New Orleans native, Jon Batiste, was set at 120.5 seconds. The under eventually hit. Bets like this show just how big the national anthem has become.
Hearing Batiste sing and watching Chris Jones cry made me want to look back at all the national anthems performed over the years and find the ones that stand out either for the good and some for the bad. So I went to work researching recorded performances, available across a multitude of Internet platforms and here are my results.
In my opinion, there are five truly memorable renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The bronze medal of national anthems goes to Whitney Houston’s Super Bowl XXV performance. Shortly after the United State’s Persian Gulf War involvement, Houston sang on stage before the Giants and the Bills took the field. While the game itself is often forgotten, the Giants triumphing 20-19, Houston’s singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” lives as one of the greatest of all time. Her jazzy, blues-ish rendition coupled with her powerful vocals served to deliver a performance that has lived in memory long after Super Bowl XXV’s clock hit zero.
Just missing out on the top spot as the best national anthem ever is Chris Stapleton’s Super Bowl LVII performance. Sunday, February 13, 2023, was an identical match-up to the most recent Super Bowl. The Eagles, under coach Nick Sirianni, were playing for the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since they won it back in 2017 and the Chiefs, coached by Andy Reid, were the favorites. Stapleton accompanied by his American Vintage II ’77 Telecaster Custom guitar took the field and began to sing. His iconic voice over the beautiful sounds of the guitar drew many tears, including Sirianni’s and, yes, Chris Jones, too.
I remember sitting on my couch and hearing the performance live. When he finished, he was met with thunderous applause. His raw vocals combined with the guitar blew me away and was the first rendition that came to mind when I was compiling this list.
My gold medal goes to Marc Anthony and his performance at Shea Stadium ten days after 9/11. After our nation was devastated by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the country was in shock and life was turned upside down.
The first sporting event in New York after the attacks was at Shea Stadium between the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves. Marc Anthony was asked to sing that September 21 game and he delivered the powerful lyrics with emotion dripping from his voice. The crowd felt the lyrics to their core and thunderous clapping followed his performance. In that moment, it was so much more than the national anthem and a non-divisional game between the Yankees and the Braves. It was a symbol that our country could come together and weather tragedies. The lyrics “And the rockets’ red glare; The bombs bursting in air; Gave proof through the night; That our flag was still there” meant something extra that night.
I wasn’t alive during the 9/11 tragedy but I know the stories and know how it left our nation. This game, and Anthony’s national anthem, gave me chills the first time I watched the video. He sang with a whole nation behind him, rallying around a sport to show the word that NYC and the United States as a whole had withstood the terrorist attacks and our flag was still flying. Yes, we were saddened and enraged but we weren’t crumbling.
On the other hand, some national anthems are memorable for the opposite reason. On Sunday, February 18, 2018, Stacy Ann Ferguson, also known as the American singer and songwriter Fergie, took the court at the Staples Center for the NBA All-Star Game to sing the national anthem.
Fergie proceeded to give the worst performance to date. She attempted to draw out nearly every word she sang, fluctuating her voice up and down because she “wanted to try something special for the NBA.” During the performance, the cameras panned to players, Steph Curry and Draymond Green, both Gold State Warriors stars, and both men visibly held back laughs. Near the end of the song, even the crowd burst out laughing.
Fergie later came out with a statement a day later saying, “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
While Americans appreciated her statement, it doesn’t erase the tape and her performance of the national anthem will live in infamy.
The worst national anthem of all time goes to Ingrid Andress and her 2024 MLB Home Run Derby performance in Arlington, Texas. Andress is a four-time Grammy-nominated country singer with hit songs such as “Wishful Drinking” and “More Hearts than Mine.” Andress began to sing and started out mediocre. But her voice quickly began to break. She was visibly checked out during the performance, swaying back and forth and by the end her vocals weren’t much more than listless and hoarse. Unfortunately, it came to light that Andress has struggled with alcohol addiction and came out publicly the day after the home run derby saying, “I was drunk last night.”
Immediately after watching her performance live I texted one of my friends (Conner Shelton) who is on staff here at the Sentinel), and we were in agreement about the performance: not the prettiest start to the Home Run Derby.
Andress later wrote, “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need…That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans and this country I love so much for that rendition.”
The news of her struggles saddened many and pity was taken on her by America, but unfortunately, her national anthem will forever be on video.
The playing of the national anthem before a game can have an even longer and deeper impact than that of the game itself. Honoring America can be done in so many ways and these five are merely a scratch on the surface of all the different interpretations artists have made of “The Star-Spangled Banner” over the years.
I am a baseball player and for me, before a baseball game begins, as the national anthem begins to play, I take the time to settle my nerves and lock in on the game. Standing on the foul line, hat over my heart, it’s the calm before the storm; the last minute before the game starts.
