Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesThis Sunday, country superstar Luke Bryan will take the stage to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. He’ll be the first male artist to sing the anthem since Billy Joel did it in 2007. He’s also the first male country artist to do the honors since Garth Brooks in 1993.
This year’s halftime performer, Lady Gaga, sang the anthem last year, and the NFL claims she’s the only artist who scored the halftime performance slot a year after singing the anthem.
There are only two artists who’ve ever sung the national anthem at the Super Bowl twice. One is Billy Joel: he sang it at Super Bowl 41 in 2007, and at Super Bowl 23 back in 1989. The other is Aaron Neville, in 1990 and in 2006.
The very first real, chart-certified pop star to sing the anthem at the Super Bowl was Diana Ross, in 1982. Prior to that, the anthem was performed by marching bands, instrumentalists, choirs, country star Charley Pride and middle-of-the-road female singers and actresses, including former Charlie’s Angel Cheryl Ladd. The first male pop singer to do the honors was Barry Manilow in 1984.
Most cite the late Whitney Houston‘s performance of the national anthem in 1991 as one of the best. It made a big impact, not just because she sang so well, but because it came during the Gulf War. Her rendition was so popular it was released as a single, was included on her greatest hits album, and was re-released to capture the patriotic spirit after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
For a historical perspective, here’s a list of everyone who’s ever performed or sung the national anthem at the Super Bowl:
1 — Universities of Arizona & Michigan Bands (1967)
2 — Grambling University Band (1968)
3 — Anita Bryant (1969)
4 — Al Hirt (trumpeter) (1970)
5 — Tommy Loy (trumpeter) (1971)
6 — U.S. Air Force Academy Chorale (1972)
7 — Little Angels of Holy Angels Church (Chicago) (1973)
8 — Charley Pride (1974)
9 — Grambling University Band (1975)
10 — Tom Sullivan (1976)
11 — Vicki Carr (sang “America the Beautiful”) (1977)
12 — Phyllis Kelly of NE Louisiana State University (1978)
13 — The Colgate Thirteen (1979)
14 — Cheryl Ladd (1980)
15 — Helen O’Connell (1981)
16 — Diana Ross (1982)
17 — Leslie Easterbrook (1983)
18 — Barry Manilow (1984)
19 — Children’s Choir of San Francisco (1985)
20 — Wynton Marsalis (1986)
21 — Neil Diamond (1987)
22 — Herb Alpert (1988)
23 — Billy Joel (1989)
24 — Aaron Neville (1990)
25 — Whitney Houston (1991)
26 — Harry Connick Jr. (1992)
27 — Garth Brooks (1993)
28 — Natalie Cole (1994)
29 — Kathie Lee Gifford (1995)
30 — Vanessa Williams (1996)
31 — Luther Vandross (1997)
32 — Jewel (1998)
33 — Cher (1999)
34 — Faith Hill (2000)
35 — Backstreet Boys; “America the Beautiful” performed by Ray Charles (2001)
36 — Mariah Carey (2002)
37 — Dixie Chicks (2003)
38 — Beyoncé Knowles (2004)
39 — Combined Choirs of the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Coast Guard Academy and U.S. Army Herald Trumpets (2005)
40 — Aaron Neville with Dr. John and Aretha Franklin (2006)
41 — Billy Joel (2007)
42 — Jordin Sparks (2008)
43 — Jennifer Hudson (2009)
44 — Carrie Underwood (2010)
45 — Christina Aguilera (2011)
46 — Kelly Clarkson (2012)
47 — Alicia Keys (2013)
48 — Renee Fleming (2014)
49 — Idina Menzel (2015)
50 — Lady Gaga (2016)
51 — Luke Bryan (2017)
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