The 30 greatest national anthem performances of all time, ranked

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is so ubiquitous in American public life that it’s difficult to hear the song as a song—a living, breathing entity that thrives when reinterpreted by skilled musicians. Such reinventions happen on a small scale on an everyday basis yet they’re often canceled out by rote, dutiful renditions that reveal how hard it can be to perform Francis Scott Key’s national anthem.

What follows are 30 versions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that excel either due to their execution or imagination. These are the twin tracts of how to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” in modern America, represented by Whitney Houston’s powerhouse vocals and Jimi Hendrix’s galvanizing guitar, respectively. Many musicians followed these respective paths but just as many strayed off course, interpreting the familiar melody with quirky, idiosyncratic flair that’s quintessentially—and thrillingly—American.

30. Kermit Ruffins (2014)

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins played a languid, soulful solo version of the national anthem for the Museum of American History. Performing in front of the statue of Satchmo at Louis Armstrong Park in the Big Easy, Ruffins doesn’t mess with the melody much in this clip posted by TMOAH, choosing to accentuate the elongated lines with the occasional woozy phrase, ending with a flourish that’s thoroughly New Orleans.