Before this Sunday’s big game in New Orleans, and the big song that levels the playing field, let’s take a look back at some of C&I’s favorite Star-Spangled Banners.
Two years ago, at the Super Bowl LVII, Chris Stapleton became the very epitome of a tough act to follow. He made “The Star-Spangled Banner” his own, he nailed it, and everybody felt it. So much so that some of the football players themselves were caught crying on camera, like Jason Kelce and coach Nick Sirianni.
And while the invitation to sing our anthem at the Super Bowl is always an honor, some artists are reluctant to accept it. Perhaps because of the a cappella nature of the performance. Or the potential to forget the words. Or the difficulty of singing it – being mindful about starting low enough so you can get high enough at the end. But eventually, every year, the NFL finds a willing participant.
So naturally, before this year’s game on February 9 — when the Kansas City Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles — we wanted to look back at some of our most treasured anthems. In the past 30 years, there have been a handful of anthems that were worthy of Old Glory. Some of those invitations came early in an artist’s career, some came much later. But whenever the call came, these eight artists said yes and they came to play.
(All of that said, best of luck to this year’s performer Jon Baptiste. He’s got some big shoes to fill.)
Garth Brooks
Pasadena, California
1993
Even in this video that looks like it was filmed with your mom’s camcorder, Brooks knew just how to make the song feel as timeless as it should. And he did it with his cowboy hat off, and in his hands, which showcased how much respect he had for the song and the invitation to sing it. It was a stand-out moment for him and his mounting fanbase.
Faith Hill
Atlanta
2000
She sure didn’t look nervous. Or like she’d forgotten with words. But in 2022, Hill told Stephen Colbert she had felt “the most extraordinary amount of pressure ever” to sing the national anthem in 2000. So terrifying that she was rehearsing with a boom box in the stadium’s public restroom right up until the minute she took the stage.
The Chicks
San Diego
2003
Country harmonies have never sounded this patriotic. Lead singer Natalie Maines of The Chicks was joined by her bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer for this one-mic-three-voices opening number about five years into their country career, at the same time their major label debut album Wide Open Spaces had sold a record 13 million units.
Carrie Underwood
Miami
2010
If you closed your eyes, you’d never believe this was Underwood singing our national anthem 15 years ago. She sounded then – like she does now – like she is using her God-given talent for good. (Much like she did when she performed “America the Beautiful” all by herself at the Presidential Inauguration in January.)
Lady Gaga
Santa Clara
2016
You never know what to expect from a Lady Gaga performance. Will she wear a meat dress? Will she arrive in an embryonic egg? Is her bra capable of shooting off fireworks? But for this solo production, she chose an understated red pantsuit and a royal blue manicure. Backed by a grand piano by her side, she gave the all-American song her most earnest effort.
Luke Bryan
Houston
2017
Remember in 2012 when Luke Bryan performed the anthem at an MLB game and was criticized for having a couple lyrics written on his hand? Well five years after that, you can be damn sure he knew that song by heart. And not only did he know the song, he nailed the song. It was a cappella proof of what kind of bona fide vocalist Bryan is and always has been.
Chris Stapleton
Glendale, Arizona
2023
This was sheer perfection. Just Stapleton, his voice and his guitar. Like he told C&I just a year ago, his job is to capture the most magic you can, if it’s indeed there to be had. So, mission accomplished. “I never had a burning desire inside me to make that kind of spectacle. The spectacle was never the point to me,” he’d told us. And yet, what a spectacle this viral moment became. You can’t say “Super Bowl Anthem” and not immediately think of this one.
Reba McEntire
Paradise, Nevada
2024
Never has a twang sounded so thoroughly American than this. The only thing more emotional than the song itself was the buckle Reba was wearing during her performance. It was her father’s steer roping championship belt buckle from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1957.
Honorable mentions go to Charley Pride who sang the anthem in 1974 in Houston just as he was beginning to gain some momentum on the country charts with “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’.” Pride’s performance was the first year the NFL had a country singer do the honors. And 1982, in Detroit, for Diana Ross’ flawless take on the song that she encouraged the crowd to sing with her “with authority.”
PHOTOGRAPHY: ESPN