For more than a century, “The Star-Spangled Banner” has been played or sung before sporting events across the nation. And while numerous singers both acclaimed and unknown have taken on this heralded song, country artists seem to do it best.
It’s no surprise the Super Bowl has selected a singer from country music to sing our nation’s anthem the last four years in a row. Our artists belt out those words with authority and authenticity.
The History of the National Anthem
According to the Smithsonian, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written in 1814 by a poet named Francis Scott Key.
After seeing the American flag flying over Fort McHenry the morning after an attack from the British, he penned one verse. Later, Key wrote three more verses, which were printed in the paper.
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The poem picked up steam and was printed in numerous papers up and down the East Coast, using the title “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”
According to The Kennedy Center, the poem was set to the tune of an old drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by John Stafford Smith. Eventually one paper would take creative liberty and rename the song “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
It wasn’t until 1931 that the song became the national anthem, when President Herbert Hoover signed it into law. Despite there being four verses, only one is generally sung.
Why Do We Play the National Anthem at Sporting Events?
Some of the earliest records of “The Star-Spangled Banner” being played before a sporting event were in the 19th century at a baseball game or two.
It was in 1918 — in the midst of World War I — during Game 1 the World Series that the U.S. Navy band played the song during the seventh-inning stretch. When the recently drafted Red Sox infielder, Fred Thomas, turned toward the flag and saluted it, the crowd followed suit. The stadium began to sing and put their hands over their hearts.
The moment was so special, and it stuck. From then on, every game in the series featured the song. At the end of World War II, NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden made the song mandatory for every football game. From there, more events started incorporating it into their routine.
Keep scrolling to see which country artists have kept this tradition going and have sung “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a sporting event.
Zach Top
Carrie Underwood
Charley Pride
Chris Stapleton
Eric Church
Faith Hill
LeAnn Rimes
Luke Bryan
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Vince Gill
Cody Johnson
15 Country Artists Primed to Headline a Super Bowl Halftime Show
Any way you slice it, country music is long overdue for its time in the spotlight at the Super Bowl. Although several artists have sung the National Anthem at the game, the coveted halftime show has been anything but country for over three decades.
The last time anyone from the genre headlined the performance was in 1994, when Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd did a medley of their biggest hits. With country music gaining in popularity, there’s no better time than now to put one of our own in the spotlight. Here are 15 artists who are already primed to take on the task.
Gallery Credit: Jess
