Patch Picks: 7 Most Memorable Super Bowl National Anthems

When Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would become "The Star-Spangled Banner" while watching the Battle of Baltimore in 1814, he probably wasn't thinking, "I can't wait until they start singing this before football games." But the performance of the national anthem has become a mainstay pregame ritual that precedes essentially every athletic event in the U.S., from small scholastic contests to major professional games like the Super Bowl. (Check out our compilation video of the most memorable Super Bowl anthems below.)

When country music superstar Luke Bryan takes the mic for his rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the kickoff of Super Bowl LI on Sunday, Feb. 5, he'll be doing something performers have done since Super Bowl I in 1967 (besides that one year without an anthem — more on that later). Here are seven of the most memorable anthems in Super Bowl History.

Super Bowl XLV (2011): Christina Aguilera

It goes without saying that one of the keys to nailing "The Star-Spangled Banner" is to remember the lyrics (or at least read them accurately from the teleprompter). But when it came time for pop diva Christina Aguilera to deliver the line "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming" before Super Bowl XLV kicked off, she instead sang, "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming," repeating — a bit incorrectly, to boot — an earlier line from the song.

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Super Bowl XLVII (2013): Alicia Keys

While "Xtina" has the dubious distinction of flubbing the anthem, fellow pop star Alicia Keys holds the record for the longest Super Bowl rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" — 156.4 seconds, to be exact. Keys' version of Key's song beat out Natalie Cole's 1994 performance by 4.4 seconds.

Super Bowl I (1967): University of Arizona and University of Michigan marching bands

What's more American than the "Star-Spangled Banner"? How about college marching bands playing the national anthem before the first-ever Super Bowl, 50 years ago?

Super Bowl XI (1977): No one

The most memorable thing about the Super Bowl XI national anthem is that it never happened — the only time in the history of the big game that "The Star-Spangled Banner" was not sung. Instead, Vikki Carr sang "America The Beautiful." The song chosen by Carr has since been performed by other artists, such as Ray Charles, before the Super Bowl, but in addition to, not instead of, the anthem.

Super Bowl XXXIV (2000): Faith Hill

The Tennessee Titans' only appearance in the Super Bowl might have ended in a 23-16 loss to the Rams, but Tennessean Faith Hill's delivery of the national anthem was a big win. Widely considered one of the best Super Bowl anthems, "Hill’s performance itself was breathtaking, as a compilation of drummers and bagpipe players acted as the live band and played in the background while her voice soared, hitting those difficult notes again and again," as Taste Of Country eloquently put it.

Super Bowl XLVII (2014): Renée Fleming

Renée Fleming's performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in New Orleans wasn't just breathtaking, it was history-making, as she became the first opera singer to belt out the song before the big game.

Super Bowl XXV (1991): Whitney Houston

While Faith Hill's rendition is known as one of the best Super Bowl national anthems, the late Whitney Houston's is held up by many to be the best. She abandoned the song's waltz tempo, adding an additional beat per measure to let the song "breathe" in a jazzier fashion. Tweaking the national anthem, especially during a time of heightened patriotism due to the first Gulf War, was a controversial move — a bit like scribbling on The Mona Lisa, to some — but it paid off for the renowned singer. It's worth noting that Houston did lip-sync the song, but she was pantomiming to a version she specifically recorded for the event.

What do you think is the most memorable Super Bowl national anthem? Let us know in the comments.

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