3 best anthem performances in Super Bowl history
Idina Menzel of "Frozen" fame is tabbed to perform the national anthem ahead of Super Bowl XLIX, and the "Let It Go" singer is set to step into some awfully big shoes.
Though the anthem performance comprises only a few moments in an hours-long event, it can set the tone for the evening. Nothing gets the heart pumping faster than a little collective patriotism - and nothing is more cringe-worthy than an anthem flub.
Below, we recall the best anthem performances in Super Bowl history.
3. Dixie Chicks
Super Bowl XXXVII, 2003
The go-to move for anthem performers is to belt out every note like it's the last note that will ever be sung by anyone. The Dixie Chicks took a more restrained approach, centering their performance around their trademark sweet harmonies. The plan worked.
2. Jennifer Hudson
Super Bowl XLIII, 2009
The Oscar-winning "Dreamgirls" star gets bonus marks for degree of difficulty and originality. There's only so much you can do with "The Star-Spangled Banner" before it starts to sound overwrought, but Hudson managed to make it her own without sacrificing the song's core beauty.
1. Whitney Houston
Super Bowl XXV, 1991
With the U.S. embroiled in the Gulf War at the time, the stage was set for Houston to deliver the most rousing rendition of anthem in television history. She certainly delivered. The response to the performance was so strong a recording was released as a single and reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 - easily the highest-charting position for a national anthem.