Since the Super Bowl took flight back in 1967, audiences have patiently waited each year for more than just the game matchup. The event is full of entertainment, starting with the national anthem, leading into the halftime show, and of course, the advertisements!
As the formal kickoff of the Super Bowl experience, the national anthem has a special role in setting the tone for the night. As the Eagles take on the Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 12, we will see this honorary tradition once again.
Since the first Super Bowl, the song has been performed by some of the most iconic chart-toppers in pop music history. Ranging from Whitney Houston to Gladys Knight, all the way to P!nk and Beyonce, straight to Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato – there is no doubt that this year has a lot to live up to.
Check out what we have to say about this year’s performance, past performances, and the real duration of the song.
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Who will be performing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVII?
Chris Stapleton, an American country music singer, will perform the national anthem prior to Super Bowl LVII.
Who has performed the national anthem?
Sports
Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and more
Mickey Guyton sang the national anthem for Super Bowl LVI, Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan sang the national anthem for Super Bowl LV, Demi Lovato for Super Bowl LIV and Gladys Knight for Super Bowl LIII.
Here’s the complete list of national anthem singers (in reverse chronological order):
Super Bowl LVI: Mickey Guyton
Super Bowl LV: Eric Church, Jazmine Sullivan
Super Bowl LIV: Demi Lovato
Super Bowl LIII: Gladys Knight
Super Bowl LII: P!nk
Super Bowl LI: Luke Bryan
Super Bowl 50: Lady Gaga
Super Bowl XLIX: Idina Menzel
Super Bowl XLVIII: Renee Fleming
Super Bowl XLVII: Alicia Keys
Super Bowl XLVI: Kelly Clarkson
Super Bowl XLV: Christina Aguilera
Super Bowl XLIV: Carrie Underwood
Super Bowl XLIII: Jennifer Hudson:
Super Bowl XLII: Jordin Sparks
Super Bowl XLI: Billy Joel
Super Bowl XL: Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin
Super Bowl XXXIX: Combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Beyonce
Super Bowl XXXVII: The Chicks
Super Bowl XXXVI: Mariah Carey
Super Bowl XXXV: The Backstreet Boys
Super Bowl XXXIV: Faith Hill
Super Bowl XXXIII: Cher
Super Bowl XXXII: Jewel
Super Bowl XXXI: Luther Vandross
Super Bowl XXX: Vanessa Williams
Super Bowl XXIX: Kathie Lee Gifford
Super Bowl XXVIII: Natalie Cole
Super Bowl XXVII: Garth Brooks
Super Bowl XXVI: Harry Connick Jr.
Super Bowl XXV: Whitney Houston, Florida Orchestra
Super Bowl XXIV: Aaron Neville
Super Bowl XXIII: Billy Joel
Super Bowl XXII: Herb Alpert (trumpet)
Super Bowl XXI: Neil Diamond
Super Bowl XX: Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)
Super Bowl XIX: San Francisco Boys Chorus, San Francisco Girls Chorus, Piedmont Children’s Chorus, San Francisco Children’s Chorus
Super Bowl XVIII: Barry Manilow
Super Bowl XVII: Leslie Easterbrook
Super Bowl XVI: Diana Ross
Super Bowl XV: Helen O’Connell
Super Bowl XIV: Cheryl Ladd
Super Bowl XIII: The Colgate Thirteen
Super Bowl XII: Phyllis Kelly of Northeast Louisiana University
Super Bowl XI: None. Vikki Carr sang “America the Beautiful”
Super Bowl X: Tom Sullivan
Super Bowl IX: New Orleans Chapter of the Society for the Preservation of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America Chorus
Super Bowl VIII: Charley Pride
Super Bowl VII: Little Angels of Chicago’s Holy Angels Church (children’s choir)
Super Bowl VI: U.S. Air Force Academy Chorale
Super Bowl V: Tommy Loy (trumpet)
Super Bowl IV: Doc Severinsen, Pat O’Brien and The Southern University Band
Super Bowl III: Lloyd Geisler of the Washington National Symphony Orchestra (trumpet)
Super Bowl II: GSU Tiger Marching Band
Super Bowl I: The Pride of Arizona, Michigan Marching Band and UCLA choir
What are some of the best national anthem performances in Super Bowl history?
All of the past national anthem performances have been ones to remember. However, these stood out as some of the very greatest:
Whitney Houston (1991)
Mariah Carey (2002)
Demi Lovato (2020)
What’s the longest national anthem at the Super Bowl?
Interestingly enough, people actually place bets on the length of the national anthem. It really just depends on the over or the under.
The average duration of the song extends from about 1:50 seconds to about 1:55 seconds, which is what the sportsbook allots. However, there have been various exceptions in the past years. For instance, Alicia Keys’ performance lasted 2 minutes and 35 seconds at Super Bowl XLVII. In 2021, Eric Church and Jazime Sullivan’s performance lasted 2 minutes and 16 seconds. While on the other hand, Billy Joel belted out the iconic tune in only 1 minute and 30 seconds at Super Bowl XLI.
If Ariana Grande took the mic and graced us with her long vocal runs, the sportsbook might be in for a bit of a longer presentation, whereas Eminem would lay down the lyrics quickly and efficiently. At the end of the day, the song’s length can vary and it really all depends on who performs it.
