List of National Anthem Singers at the Super Bowl

Nate Cunningham | 17 Hours Ago

The national anthem performance kicks things off at the Super Bowl each year. / James Lang-Imagn Images

Before the whistle blows and the opening kickoff arcs over the field, the Super Bowl starts with a moment that cuts to the core of what it means to be an American: The national anthem. This time-honored tradition can be a defining moment when done right, where pop culture superstardom crosses over with sports, Americana and patriotism. 

Over the years “The Star-Spangled Banner” has been performed by a wide array of artists at the Super Bowl, from country music icons to pop superstars. Some have delivered memorable renditions in good ways, while others have (unfortunately) delivered some less-than-stellar performances. 

In this post, we’re taking a look at every national anthem performance in Super Bowl history. 

The History of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl

According to a report from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the anthem was played at a baseball game to open the Union Grounds Ballpark in Brooklyn. Of course, at that time “The Star-Spangled Banner” wasn’t the national anthem. 

The U.S. Congress didn’t pass H.R. 14 until 1931, which officially adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem. 

But by then, it was already a huge part of baseball in America. The song was sung during the seventh-inning stretch of the 1918 World Series (with the backdrop of World War I), which drastically boosted its popularity. 

After World War II, the anthem has been performed at the start of NFL games. Elmer Layden, who served as NFL cCommissioner from 1941–46, ordered the anthem be performed before kickoff. By this point it was already tradition in baseball. 

Fast forward 20 years or so and the UCLA choir, Pride of Arizona and Michigan Marching Band performed the national anthem at Super Bowl I. 

Complete List of National Anthem Singers by Year

Super Bowl	Year	Performer(s)
I	1967	The Pride of Arizona, Michigan Marching Band and UCLA choir
II	1968	GSU Tiger Marching Band
III	1969	Lloyd Geisler
IV	1970	Pat O'Brien, Doc Severinsen, Southern University Band
V	1971	Tommy Loy
VI	1972	U.S. Air Force Academy Chorale
VII	1973	Little Angels of Chicago's Holy Angels Church
VIII	1974	Charley Pride
IX	1975	New Orleans Chapter of the Society for the Preservation of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America
X	1976	Tom Sullivan
XI	1977	None
XII	1978	Phyllis Kelly of Northeast Louisiana University (now Univeristy of Louisiana at Monroe)
XIII	1979	The Colgate Thirteen
XIV	1980	Cheryl Ladd
XV	1981	Helen O'Connell
XVI	1982	Diana Ross
XVII	1983	Leslie Easterbrook
XVIII	1984	Barry Manilow
XIX	1985	San Francisco Boys Chorus, San Francisco Girls Chorus, Piedmont Children's Chorus, San Francisco Children's Chorus
XX	1986	Wynton Marsalis
XXI	1987	Neil Diamond
XXII	1988	Herb Alpert
XXIII	1989	Billy Joel
XXIV	1990	Aaron Neville
XXV	1991	Whitney Houston
XXVI	1992	Harry Connick Jr.
XXVII	1993	Garth Brooks
XXVIII	1994	Natalie Cole
XXIX	1995	Kathie Lee Gifford
XXX	1996	Vanessa Williams
XXXI	1997	Luther Vandross
XXXII	1998	Jewel
XXXIII	1999	Cher
XXXIV	2000	Faith Hill
XXXV	2001	Backstreet Boys
XXXVI	2002	Mariah Carey
XXXVII	2003	Dixie Chicks
XXXVIII	2004	Beyonce
XXXIX	2005	The combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy and U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
XL	2006	Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin
XLI	2007	Billy Joel
XLII	2008	Jordin Sparks
XLIII	2009	Jennifer Hudson
XLIV	2010	Carrie Underwood
XLV	2011	Christina Aguilera
XLVI	2012	Kelly Clarkson
XLVII	2013	Alicia Keys
XLVIII	2014	Renee Fleming
XLIX	2015	Idina Menzel
50	2016	Lady Gaga
LI	2017	Luke Bryan
LII	2018	Pink
LIII	2019	Gladys Knight
LIV	2020	Demi Lovato
LV	2021	Eric Church, Jazmine Sullivan
LVI	2022	Mickey Guyton
LVII	2023	Chris Stapleton
LVIII	2024	Reba McEntire
LIX	2025	Jon Baptiste

Most Memorable National Anthem Performances

There are a handful of performers who clearly were head-and-shoulders above their contemporaries. Many of these performers earned rave reviews at the time, but their efforts still hold up today. 

A history-making performance came in 2005 at Super Bowl XXXIX. After Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction during the halftime show in 2004, the NFL was extra careful when selecting performers for the next season. So the league opted for the choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, Air Force Academy, Naval Academy and Coast Guard Academy. It was the first time all four service academy choirs performed together since the second inauguration of Richard Nixon in 1973. 

Faith Hill (2000), Beyoncé (2004), Carrie Underwood (2010) and Demi Lovato (2020) are all considered to have given some of the greatest performances ever. But, not quite the best. 

It’s hard to get people to agree on just about anything nowadays, but seemingly everyone has reached the conclusion that Witney Houston’s masterful rendition in 1991 is the greatest anthem performance ever. It even made the Billboard Hot 100. 

For what it’s worth, Hill’s rendition was rereleased after 9/11 in New York and also made the Billboard country chart. 

Controversies and Criticisms of Super Bowl National Anthem Performances

Sometimes, headlines are made for all the wrong reasons. Christina Aguilera unfortunately botched the lyrics in 2011 and was forced to issue an apology afterward. 

Jennifer Hudson sang the anthem at Super Bowl XLIII, with many loving her performance. But two days later it was revealed she lip-synced. 

A bad performance is one thing, but a full on meltdown is another. In 1993, Garth Brooks was nearing the height of his popularity and was booked to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXVII. 

But with less than an hour to go before kick off, Brooks was refusing to take the stage. Brooks wanted NBC to premiere his new music video before the game began, but NBC wasn’t interested in doing so. 

So Brooks just walked out of the stadium. He hadn’t pre-recorded anything, so the network was left scrambling. Producers spotted Jon Bon Jovi in the stands and were moving forward with a plan for him to perform when an agreement was reached with Brooks. 

Ever since, the NFL requires the artists to record a backup track. Just in case.

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