National Anthem, your favorite version

Hell Yea!! Ben Harper is the man!! Gotten to see him twice in concert, puts on a good show.

 

I really didn't like that version. Watched it before the game.

As for my favorite? hmmmm....I guess the original.

 

R.Kelly during Hopkins Taylor II

he turned into a concert

 

The greatest ever, just about by consensus:

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Second best ever, in my opinion:

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(Yeah, the beginning's cut off. She does better in another with a Titans jersey on, but I couldn't bring myself to post that one.)

 

No idea. I really don't have a favorite performer. I just like it when it's done the "classic" way. Not sure what else to say about it. I'll try to find a version.

The Harper one wasn't bad, but after a min or so I wasn't too entertained anymore. Good ones usually almost get a frog in my throat.


EDIT: That post by Weslinder was what I meant. That gave me goosebumps. Loved it.

 

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you gotta love how he gets booed at the end

 

I really did like that. Has a great gospel vibe to it.

 

Carl Lewis?

But seriously...

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I am such a huge fan of Mo Cheeks now.

And who can argue with Marvin Gaye? He's so frickin' great.

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Drunk Britons

 

LOL! How cool are we?

 

Looks like a young, Taxi Driver-era Jodie Foster. I'd hit it.

But yeah, that was great. Though I think Mo could have stepped away and averted his tone def ass from the mic. I think she had it after he guided her initially.

 

From the ones I've heard, it's a toss-up between 2 :

1) Whitney Houston's Super Bowl rendition posted above : that just was beautiful and powerful. Goosebumps. It's like every word she wanted to hit in a verse felt like it was pounding you - you felt the power and emotion.

2) Marvin Gaye's version posted above : the first time I ever saw this being performed, I realized the man's genius. I listened to it and said to myself "this is unreal". He took an unsingable song and turned it into something beautiful and a possible top 40 song. lol. It's like he turned the ugly duckling into a swan.

I'm more of a fan of people who take the song and put their touch on it tastefully without mindless yelling in an attempt to "do what Whitney did". It's even more amazing when you listen Gaye's version and realize he did the exact opposite - went softspoken and understated and still put the hammer to it. I could listen to Gaye's version forever because it's so different, but still so beautiful.

 

This guy?

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Or more seriously, Jimi Hendrix? (well for you hippies out there)

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That's the first time women started taking off their tops during an anthem.

 

Whitney Houston is disqualified because it was prerecorded.

 

So? Every song you hear on the radio is pre-recorded. It was still great. Let everyone else pre-record the anthem and see what they can do. I don't know about sound and acoustics for performers, but I'm guessing it must be murder to stand in the middle of a stadium and sing live while hearing yourself bouncing off every corner. I think they probably did it so there wouldn't be any screw-ups. I don't mind that one bit.