Singing The National Anthem Is Hard, Y’all

I am not a singer. I have never sang live and I wouldn’t want to. Even if I was a singer, I’m not sure I’d ever want to try to tackle the national anthem of the United States of America. Not because I’m not patriotic, but because it’s not an easy task.

There’s probably not a more scrutinized performance in our country than the singing of our national anthem. And, the bigger the event, the bigger the scrutiny. I blame Whitney Houston. In my opinion, there was never and never will be a better performance than hers at Super Bowl XXV. She set the bar so high that she kinda ruined it for everyone else.

Of course you know what I’m leading up to: Ingrid Andress’s performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby. She tanked it. There’s no way around it. Her performance has been compared to some of the worst we’ve had over the years and, to be honest, I feel bad for her. Performing is what she does. Like most of us in our own profession, she probably doesn’t need to be told that she screwed it up. But, ohhhhh, she’s hearing it.

I’d venture to guess that most people have never sang in front of a crowd, and, no, karaoke doesn’t count. I mean, REALLY singing. Of those people, I’d guess an even smaller number have sang the national anthem, much less sang it solo in front of millions of people. I’ve certainly never done it but, I’d imagine it brings on a bit of anxiety. So, I decided to ask someone who has.

Local singer & musician Jaycie Ward has been singing our national anthem at events for about 20 years. She’s said that, having sang it probably 1000 times, she still gets nervous about starting in the right key: “if you start too low or too high, it can get messy quick!” She also said that she once sang at a football stadium and said it was very difficult to get through with the way her voice was echoing back to her.

Even the most experienced singers can have trouble with the song, when you factor in nerves, unexpected echoes and, in Ingrid’s situation, a bunch of alcohol. Jaycie said that Luke Bryan even once got caught with the words to the anthem written on his hand.

Ingrid, for her part, has apologized and confessed to being drunk when she performed. I can’t say I blame her. I have used booze to calm my nerves a time or two, myself. Not so much that I can’t perform and need rehab but, hey, I’m not one to judge. But, for what it’s worth, she says she’s seeking the help she needs to address an apparent problem.

Looking back over some of her previous live performances, she’s definitely got the voice and the skill to pull it off. Here’s hoping she bounces back.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the National Anthem of the United States. To celebrate their victory over British forces during the War of 1812, US soldiers raised a large American flag at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1814. Poet Francis Scott Key was inspired by seeing the flag after witnessing the fort’s bombardment and wrote a poem called "Defence of Fort M'Henry." This eventually became the Star-Spangled Banner and the United States of America's National Anthem. Set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a men's social club in London, this became the version that we know today.

Musicians over the years have honored our nation's National Anthem by singing it at sporting events, Presidential Inaugurations and other major events. Requiring a wide vocal range, it is known for being very difficult to sing. Professional and amateur singers have been known to forget the words, which is one reason the song is sometimes pre-recorded and lip-synced. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today. Many artists have done it justice, with a few performances being lack-luster or overly done. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was first recognized for official use by the U.S. Navy in 1889. On March 3, 1931, the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution making the song the official national anthem of the United States.

See how we ranked eight performances done by pop stars over the years below in celebration of the Fourth of July.

One of the worst renditions of the "Star-Spangled Banner." This is so hilariously cringe. We did not expect Fergie to be this bad. You can skim through any part of this performance and find yourself shuddering or laughing at her singing or the reactions from the basketball players.

Beyonce has performed the National Anthem a few times. Though her voice is flawless, her performances are a little bit lackluster. It's quite slow and in the moments her voice is powerful, we don't feel that energy while watching her sing.

Fresh off her 2010 American Idol win, Clarkson performed the National Anthem before Game 3 of the 2010 World Series. This performance was a great rendition that helped to launch her post-Idol career.

The Backstreet Boys had a really creative acapella rendition during this 2008 performance at the start of Game 1 of the World Series. They harmonized beautifully as a quartet, and though their microphones popped a few times during this performance, that didn't take away from their singing power.

X-Tina showed off her powerful voice while performing at the NBA Finals in 2010. The screaming crowd couldn't get enough of it. The woman sure can hold a note and then some!

We loved this diva's rendition of the National Anthem. She started it out in her signature deep voice, but as she continued singing, her voice gained power. It made for a touching, powerful performance that you can see the crowd and the players were moved by.

Gaga showed off her vocal chops with her rendition of the National Anthem during her 2016 Super Bowl 50 performance. Starting off in a light, dainty voice, the musician's powerful voice pushed through in perfect moments, giving us so much drama.

This is Lovato's rawest performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner." The musician didn't overdo the song in this acapella rendition before Game 4 of the World Series, paying humble respect to the National Anthem. She gave us chills.

Not everyone remembers who played in Super Bowl XXV, but everyone who watched the game remembers this rendition, which has become the gold standard. There have been many great versions, but none are as good as this one.