The 30 greatest national anthem performances of all time, ranked
In honor of July 4th, we count down the best "Star-Spangled Banner" renditions by Whitney Houston, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Lady Gaga, and more
Music Lists Bruce Kulick
“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.
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What? No Bill Bailey?
The 30 greatest national* anthem performances of all time, ranked* U.S.
From the way most Americans tell it, America is the only country and all these other places are weird pretenders getting everything wrong.
Here’s what I’ve learned:Americans on the internet: “Assume everyone else on the internet is American unless proven otherwise, but even if proven otherwise, just continue acting as if they’re in America anyway – and, better yet, assume they’re from the exact same part of America as you are. Because if they aren’t, fuck ‘em.”Non-Americans on the internet: “Assume that anyone on the internet is from a different country, and may act differently or require different advice. Be sure to ask if you’re unsure.”
Well, if all national anthems are in the running…
“Well, that was borderline treasonous and a disgrace to our nation and its proud and storied history. My father didn’t kick the Nazis- AND THE PUCK DROPS!”
Yeah, make this list international
and Valya Balkanska performing Мила Родино is easily top 5.
I mean, give them a break , its for the fourth of July , which is like America’s St Patricks day,(except other countries dont celebrate it , even if its just an excuse for daydrinking )
Switch numbers 1 and 2 and that jingoist reactionary Charlie Daniels should burn in the Hell he wished upon so many. His music was okay, for country, but his political views were pure 1860’s Confederacy. People like he was do not understand what makes America great. That makes them disqualified from singing about it.
I assume he’s burning in hell for implying that the Devil is so incompetent that he would lose a fiddle competition in which he is the only judge.
Even the Devil knows better than to go to Georgia.
Neil’s version was also the shortest in super bowl history.
Sadly it didn’t end with him singing about people coming to America TODAY!
Well you got to go to the Neil show for that!
You missed the best one!
Honorable Mention (when they were choosing our national anthem, this one came in second – by one vote):
It’s such a better song. It should have been the anthem. But then again, there’s something fitting about the US choosing a song about battles and explosions over a song that extols the beauty and bounty of the land. The Star Spangled Banner better fits our American hubris and self-importance.
Australia has something similar.You know what my test is? “Whichever song sounds better sung off-key by a bunch of primary school kids in an assembly hall is a better national anthem.” Australia has “Advance Australia Fair” as the anthem, and fucking hell, it is the most painfully, dentist drill-like sibiliance, screeching, nails on a chalkboard song when sung by kids. I’ll spare you the pain of linking to a clip.You know what does sound awesome sung by pretty much anyone? “I Am Australian” by Bruce Woodley and Dobe Newton:…of course, the real true-blue dinkum national anthem also mentions a battle (that, oddly, we didn’t fight in), but it doesn’t have a chorus, so maybe that’s why:
This is my National Anthem:
I clearly remember when my dad called my brother and I down to the family room because Marvin Gaye was about to sing the National Anthem. That’s the top one for me.
Amen. Smooth, understated, no schmaltz and groovy as all get out. Proof you can sing an anthem without maximum bombast.
Pretty sure it’s the only rendition on this list that was followed nine months later by an anthem-inspired Baby Boom.
Houston’s performance is undeniably virtuosic. Some of the best lip-syncing you’ll ever see.
I’m not sure exactly she performed this, but she did it live around the same time as the Super Bowl and still knocks it out of the park.
Not lip-synching exactly, but singing into a dead mic. It was pre-recorded. Although Houston was singing live, she was singing into a dead microphone, and television viewers were hearing a non-live pre-recorded version of the anthem due to her musical director making her aware of the risks of performing live, including the sound of the crowd, jets flying overhead, and other such distractions from pregame activities.
Whitney certainly gave the best lip-synched performance of the bunch.
How can you snub Aretha Franklin’s 2009 rendition at Barak Obama’s inauguration? The hat alone should put her on this list.
Two reasons for the snub:1. Franklin sang “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” not the national anthem.2. Even if it were the national anthem, the performance is…not great. And not by any fault of Franklin, necessarily. It was cold out, and it’s hard to stay in tune under those conditions. And Franklin is most decidedly not in tune for much of the song.
Thanks, I mis-remembered and because I am at work, did not actually watch the linked video before posting.Counterpoint: that hat!
For my money, the best performers of the anthems – American and Canadian – were the OG Barenaked Ladies. Here they are in 2002 singing both:
They suck and always sucked. Why didn’t the just call themselves “Aren’t we just adorable?”
I feel like for many of us (at least those of us growing up in the 90s), this list will feel like: 1: Whitney Houston. 2-30: Somebody else. Whitney Houston’s version was so ubiquitous, it’s hard to explain to people who were too young to remember it. I feel like it was the only anthem tape/CD owned by most municipalities, so it got played before every PeeWee football, Little League baseball, and rec softball game of my youth. I must have heard it hundreds of times a year growing up.
How depressing
I used to motorcycle roadrace at Willow Springs International Raceway in southern California. Every other month before the races on Sunday, instead of a standard instrumental version of the national anthem, they played the Jimi Hendrix version. That always brought a smile to my face.Also: I figured out why the national anthem sometimes causes me to tear up. It’s because we have yet to achieve the true promise of America. That makes me sad.Also: I completely understand why you’ll see athletes at national and international championships cry either before the competition or on the victory stand. That really touches my heart.
It’s the 21st century. Y’all need to upgrade to this.
I agree.And eff you.
I mean …it’s catchier than your current one .
Actually it was used for anti drink driving ad in Britain and Ireland in the 90s , Some legend taped it back in the day , sound seems to have been recorded underwater on this …but its ok because….It got its own full length single! .(complete with alternative lyrics )
The best rendition I’ve ever seen was when Maurice Cheeks stepped in to help a very freaked out young girl who had forgotten the words. That said, the best national anthem rendition ever is without a doubt the rendering of “La Marseillaise” in the film “Casablanca”.
The Cheeks rescue of that singer was amazing.
I love Jimi Hendrix’s rendition. The Vietnam War was at its height, and you could hear explosions in his guitar riffs. The best anti-war Star Spangled Banner ever. Made my hair stand on end.
Gaga also did a pretty fantastic job at Biden’s inauguration. The outfit with the matching gold microphone alone should have gotten it on the list!
And…
In the context of the Vietnam War, Hendrix’s is the most shattering, emotional and best version.
National anthems by and large a terrible. Advance Australia Fair is notoriously silly and dumb.On a purely musical level, the Soviet one fucking rocks though.
On a purely musical level, the Soviet one fucking rocks though.Amen. Both majestic and yet somehow absolutely doom-filled with nihilism. It manages to be both uplifting yet lets you know things are only gonna get worse. Also, it has anvils, and zero mention of girt. I think Russia chose like a weird new anthem in the early 90s. Then they had a brief moment of sanity and just re-wrote the lyrics to the Soviet anthem. Advance Australia Fair is notoriously silly and dumb.If you ever meet a supposed Aussie who knows the second verse report his arse to ASIO because he’s definitely a foreign agent.
The only person I’ve ever met who claims to know the whole thing and at least knows one line of the second verse is a hardcore tory and card-carrying LNP member. Make of that what you will.
That absolutely tracks. Seriously, fuck anyone who makes us sing the second verse. I was at a function where they did that, and oh sweet merciful Christ, the music kept going. And I just looked around the hall to see dozens of panic-stricken faces. For those of you who are wondering what we’re talking about, allow me to sing the second verse of “Advance Australia Fair”, as is traditionally and properly sung an actual Australian: Mmm-mmm mmmm-mmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmm mm mmm mmmm
Mm mm mm mm-m-mmm
Mmmm-mmmmm mmm mmm mm-mmm
Mmmm-mmmm mmm mm mm mm
Mmm mmmm-mm mmm mm mmmm
Mmmm mm-mmm mm mmm mmm-mm
Mmm-VANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR.
Oh god that function sounds like ducking torture. We were never taught more than the first verse when I was at school 30 years ago.
Hendrix.
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Marvin Gaye at 6? Yeah you need to redo this.
Excuse me, but where is Carl Lewis?
Billy Joel’s rendition leaves a lot to be desired. Woof.Marvin Gaye’s version is fucking incredible.
You missed Meatloaf, you fucking idiots.
Wrestling fan chime in – Lilian Garcia in front of 10-20,000ish people 2 days after 9/11 on Smackdown. I just re-watched it after typing that last sentence and it still puts tears in my eyes.
The top choices were excellent, though my favorite was not on the list. If you have never attended a Chicago Blackhawk’s hockey game, the national anthem will shake you to the core. I promise you that you will never be so moved. Goosebumps will cover your body!
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