10 Most Cringeworthy National Anthem Performances of All Time
Moments before the stage is set for the audience, artists are reserved to perform the national anthem. And things rarely go wrong, but when they do, the result can be both cringe-worthy and unforgettable.
Performing the national anthem at a major event is undoubtedly the highest honor an artist can ever receive.
However, with this moment comes immense pressure to perform flawlessly, while a single-off-key can overshadow it completely.
Professional singers have even higher stakes, and their reputations are on the line. A slip in words can haunt their careers.
The following list highlights singers like Ingrid Andress & Carl Lewis when the pressure proved too much.
Here is the list of the top 10 most infamous anthem performances of all time:
| Artist | Performance |
| Fergie | NBA All-Star Game |
| Roseanne Barr | San Diego Padres Game |
| Ingrid Andress | Home Run Derby |
| Keri Hilson | NBA Lakers vs. Hawks Game |
| Kat DeLuna | Dallas Cowboys game |
| Scott Stapp | NASCAR Ford 400 |
| Michael Bolton | Red Sox vs. Yankees Baseball |
| Jesse McCartney | NASCAR Sprint Cup Race |
| Steven Tyler | Indianapolis 500 |
| Christina Aguilera | Super Bowl |
10. Christina Aguilera (2011)
Christina Aguilera’s performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XLV in 2011 is infamous for all the wrong reasons.
Aguilera got stuck while singing when she mistakenly repeated a line and omitted others.
Instead of singing one line, she sang the other, blending two lines and forming whole new yet disputable lyrics.
This high-profile blunder was immediately noticeable, and the audience took it in an overwhelmingly negative way.
9. Steven Tyler (2001)
Steven Tylor’s 2001 Indianapolis 500 national anthem is remembered as one of the most criticized renditions of all time.
Tyler altered the traditional melody in an attempt to bring his unique style into the anthem, which many found jarring.
Most of all, the audience was blown away by his audacity in altering the last line of the lyrics.
He sang his version from ‘…the home of the brave’ to ‘…the home of the Indianapolis 500.’ instead of “the home of the brave.”
8. Jesse McCartney (2009)
McCartney’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Race anthem performance became infamous for its lyrical blunder.
The artist forgot the lyrics and omitted a line, which was immediately noticeable to the audience, both live and on TV.
Despite his pitchy national anthem performance, the error overshadowed his efforts to carry on without quitting.
7. Michael Bolton (2003)
Viewers shall always remember Michael Bolton’s national anthem at the ALCS game for its embarrassing failure.
The beginning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees didn’t go well, as Bolton stumbled while singing.
To maintain the flow, the artist looked over his hand for lyrics, which didn’t go unnoticed by the cameras.
The embarrassing incident soon made the headlines, and people marked it as one of the most poorly performed anthems ever.
6. Scott Stapp (2005)
Scott Stapp‘s 2005 NASCAR Ford 400 has several notable flaws and the subsequent fallout.
Creed’s lead ruined the rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” because his knowledge of the anthem was unclear.
Stapp struggled with pitch, often sang off-key and missing critical notes, for which he later faced backlashes and criticism.
5. Kat DeLuna (2008)
Kat DeLuna’s national anthem performance is a prime example of how not to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The Dominican singer never recovered once her notes began to be disrupted during the 2008 Dallas Cowboys game.
She tried to hit the notes too hard, resulting in a series of off-key and strained high notes.
4. Keri Hilson (2010)
The 2010 LA Lakers Vs. the Atlanta Hawks NBA game national anthem performance is one of few lyrical missteps.
The ‘Knock You Down’ superstar singer for creative with the American national anthem, which resulted in bad for her.
As Keri Hilson began to sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ her obvious discomfort & unfamiliarity with the lyrics was exposed.
The audience expressed dissatisfaction in the arena and later on social media, tagging her performance as one of the worst.
3. Ingrid Andress (2024)
The audience recently got to witness the cringe-worthy national anthem singing in the 2024 Home Run Derby Texas.
The officials’ expectations were not met, and the rendition was heavily criticized. The next day, Ingrid apologized.
Viewers immediately showed dissatisfaction. Later, she wrote, “I’m not gonna bulls—y’ll, I was drunk last night.”
Ingrid’s apology further escalated the case as people asked her about her responsibility towards the national anthem.
2. Roseanne Barr (1990)
Every American got goosebumps as Roseanne Barr shouted the national anthem off-key at the 1990 San Diego Padres game.
The infamous incident has its reputation for screeching, off-pitch singing followed by tons of mocking gestures.
Barr ended her performance by spitting to light further the fire, which most people found disrespectful and negative.
The lady faced public outrage and even had to apologize for her mocking action toward the American anthem.
1. Fergie (2018)
For 2018’s NBA All-Star game, officials invited Fergie and got the worst of all anthem performance of all time.
The former Black Eyed Peas singer gave the worst interpretation of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ yet was creative in his interpretation.
Fergie’s legacy through creativity was visible, and even celebrities in the stands laughed as it was happening.
