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The most cringeworthy celebrity performances of the American national anthem
- A celebrity's worst nightmare must be singing the national anthem in front of millions of people—and then butchering it! Unfortunately, this has happened to some very unlucky stars. It might seem strange that the anthem has been botched so many times, considering that many school kids sing it every day, but it's actually an incredibly difficult song to perform. It calls for an enormous vocal range that would challenge any singer, and it's always performed live under the watchful gaze of thousands of spectators, plus often millions more watching from home. This nightmarish combination of factors has thrown many seasoned performers off their game. To give you some context for comparison, click through this gallery to read about some of the most cringeworthy celebrity performances of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Jewel
- Jewel took a crack at it at the Indy 500 to open the marathon car race, but her slow, acoustic spin on the 'The Star-Spangled Banner' appeared to both delight and confuse those in attendance. Fans were similarly split online, with some claiming it was the best rendition they'd ever heard and that the slowness of it gave them a chance to really appreciate the words, while others said it was the worst rendition they'd ever heard and that changing the melody and rhythm even displayed a lack of respect.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Christina Aguilera
- The singer-songwriter's performance at Super Bowl XLV in 2011 was very memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Christina Aguilera - Even her amazing voice couldn't save her when she accidentally repeated the verse, "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," twice in a row...
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Fergie - The former Black Eyed Peas singer performed her jazzy rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' during the NBA's All Star Weekend in 2018.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Fergie - Players, celebrities, and audience members alike laughed openly during the bluesy performance, and it has been mocked on social media ever since.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Steven Tyler - Aerosmith's lead singer did not give the greatest rendition of the anthem at the 2012 AFC Championship game.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Steven Tyler - He was criticized for his screechy vocals and even messed up the lyrics at one point, singing “as bombs bursting” instead of “the bombs bursting.”
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Lady A - The Grammy-winning country group were opening the Stanley Cup Playoff game between the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets in 2018, when all of a sudden Charles Kelley (left) began singing the wrong lyrics.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Lady A - Luckily, Hillary Scott brought them back on track. The group later posted a tweet with an abashed-looking Kelley, stating: "Welp. We're human too y'all."
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Cyndi Lauper - The singer botched the national anthem during the U.S. Open's 9/11 memorial.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Cyndi Lauper - She sang "O'er the ramparts we watched, as our flag was still streaming." The correct words are "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming." Lauper later posted on Twitter saying she got choked up thinking about 9/11 during her performance.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Rachel Platten - The 'Fight Song' singer botched the national anthem at a 2018 NWSL match between the Utah Royals and the Chicago Red Stars.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Rachel Platten - She couldn't remember the lyrics and had to start over several times before getting through it.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Keri Hilson - In 2010, the singer gave 'The Star-Spangled Banner' a go at a Lakers vs. Hawks game.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Keri Hilson - She accidentally sang "what so proudly we hail'd" twice in a row before hurriedly switching to the correct lyrics.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Michael Bolton - The singer was invited to perform the national anthem at the fourth game of the 2003 ALCS.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Michael Bolton - It was so bad that he had to continuously look down at his hand as he sang, where he had apparently written the lyrics in case he forgot them.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Vince Neil - The Mötley Crüe front man sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in 2015 at the Las Vegas Outlaws inaugural game.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Vince Neil
- The most favorable reviews said his voice was off-putting, while the worst suggested that audiences members may have suffered irreparable ear damage...
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
James Taylor - For Game 2 of the 2013 World Series, the singer actually started off singing the wrong song.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
James Taylor
- Thankfully, he switched songs after the first few words and finished off without another mishap.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Scotty McCreery - The 'American Idol' winner struggled through the song at the World Series in 2011.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Scotty McCreery - It all started with his microphone being turned off, forcing him to start over again after singing the beginning of the song, and ended with him singing “No Jose does that star-spangled banner” instead of “Oh say does that star-spangled banner.”
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Jesse McCartney - At the Pepsi 500 in 2009, the singer gave the national anthem his own makeover.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Jesse McCartney - A nervous Jesse McCartney completely skipped the line "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," and continued going as if nothing had happened.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Roseanne Barr - During a San Diego Padres game in 1990, Roseanne Barr gave one of the worst-ever performances of the national anthem.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Roseanne Barr - She rushed through the lyrics, scream-sang, and burst into laughter halfway through the song. If that wasn't enough, she spit on the ground when she finished before walking off the field.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Carl Lewis - Olympian Carl Lewis gave a horrible performance at a 1993 NBA Finals game.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Carl Lewis
- Not only was his voice reportedly awful and off-key, he actually screeched "and the rockets' red glare," possibly shattering a window somewhere far away... Sources: (International Business Times) (Best Life) (ABC News) (CBS Los Angeles)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
The most cringeworthy celebrity performances of the American national anthem
- A celebrity's worst nightmare must be singing the national anthem in front of millions of people—and then butchering it! Unfortunately, this has happened to some very unlucky stars. It might seem strange that the anthem has been botched so many times, considering that many school kids sing it every day, but it's actually an incredibly difficult song to perform. It calls for an enormous vocal range that would challenge any singer, and it's always performed live under the watchful gaze of thousands of spectators, plus often millions more watching from home. This nightmarish combination of factors has thrown many seasoned performers off their game. To give you some context for comparison, click through this gallery to read about some of the most cringeworthy celebrity performances of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Jewel
- Jewel took a crack at it at the Indy 500 to open the marathon car race, but her slow, acoustic spin on the 'The Star-Spangled Banner' appeared to both delight and confuse those in attendance. Fans were similarly split online, with some claiming it was the best rendition they'd ever heard and that the slowness of it gave them a chance to really appreciate the words, while others said it was the worst rendition they'd ever heard and that changing the melody and rhythm even displayed a lack of respect.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Christina Aguilera
- The singer-songwriter's performance at Super Bowl XLV in 2011 was very memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Christina Aguilera - Even her amazing voice couldn't save her when she accidentally repeated the verse, "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," twice in a row...
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Fergie - The former Black Eyed Peas singer performed her jazzy rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' during the NBA's All Star Weekend in 2018.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Fergie - Players, celebrities, and audience members alike laughed openly during the bluesy performance, and it has been mocked on social media ever since.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Steven Tyler - Aerosmith's lead singer did not give the greatest rendition of the anthem at the 2012 AFC Championship game.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Steven Tyler - He was criticized for his screechy vocals and even messed up the lyrics at one point, singing “as bombs bursting” instead of “the bombs bursting.”
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Lady A - The Grammy-winning country group were opening the Stanley Cup Playoff game between the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets in 2018, when all of a sudden Charles Kelley (left) began singing the wrong lyrics.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Lady A - Luckily, Hillary Scott brought them back on track. The group later posted a tweet with an abashed-looking Kelley, stating: "Welp. We're human too y'all."
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Cyndi Lauper - The singer botched the national anthem during the U.S. Open's 9/11 memorial.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Cyndi Lauper - She sang "O'er the ramparts we watched, as our flag was still streaming." The correct words are "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming." Lauper later posted on Twitter saying she got choked up thinking about 9/11 during her performance.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Rachel Platten - The 'Fight Song' singer botched the national anthem at a 2018 NWSL match between the Utah Royals and the Chicago Red Stars.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Rachel Platten - She couldn't remember the lyrics and had to start over several times before getting through it.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Keri Hilson - In 2010, the singer gave 'The Star-Spangled Banner' a go at a Lakers vs. Hawks game.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Keri Hilson - She accidentally sang "what so proudly we hail'd" twice in a row before hurriedly switching to the correct lyrics.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Michael Bolton - The singer was invited to perform the national anthem at the fourth game of the 2003 ALCS.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Michael Bolton - It was so bad that he had to continuously look down at his hand as he sang, where he had apparently written the lyrics in case he forgot them.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Vince Neil - The Mötley Crüe front man sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in 2015 at the Las Vegas Outlaws inaugural game.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Vince Neil
- The most favorable reviews said his voice was off-putting, while the worst suggested that audiences members may have suffered irreparable ear damage...
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
James Taylor - For Game 2 of the 2013 World Series, the singer actually started off singing the wrong song.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
James Taylor
- Thankfully, he switched songs after the first few words and finished off without another mishap.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Scotty McCreery - The 'American Idol' winner struggled through the song at the World Series in 2011.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Scotty McCreery - It all started with his microphone being turned off, forcing him to start over again after singing the beginning of the song, and ended with him singing “No Jose does that star-spangled banner” instead of “Oh say does that star-spangled banner.”
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Jesse McCartney - At the Pepsi 500 in 2009, the singer gave the national anthem his own makeover.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Jesse McCartney - A nervous Jesse McCartney completely skipped the line "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," and continued going as if nothing had happened.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Roseanne Barr - During a San Diego Padres game in 1990, Roseanne Barr gave one of the worst-ever performances of the national anthem.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Roseanne Barr - She rushed through the lyrics, scream-sang, and burst into laughter halfway through the song. If that wasn't enough, she spit on the ground when she finished before walking off the field.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Carl Lewis - Olympian Carl Lewis gave a horrible performance at a 1993 NBA Finals game.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Carl Lewis
- Not only was his voice reportedly awful and off-key, he actually screeched "and the rockets' red glare," possibly shattering a window somewhere far away... Sources: (International Business Times) (Best Life) (ABC News) (CBS Los Angeles)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
The most cringeworthy celebrity performances of the American national anthem
© Getty Images
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