It has to be a singers dream come true to be asked to sing the National Anthem.
To their management – it must seem like a great idea.
How else would you explain why so many artists try just about anything - whether it’s fiddling with the classic arrangement or striving for notes of glory that only divas can hit - to put their own stamp on the national anthem?
An artist getting booked to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a major event can make or break an artists career so why not try to make it memorable, like [lastfm]Whitney Houston’s [/lastfm]epic take in 1991 or [lastfm]Marvin Gaye’s [/lastfm]eminently soulful ’83 version?
With that in mind, Billboard brings you the 10 worst national anthem performances ever, after which you’re welcome to purge your ears by listening to the five all-time best. Here’s to U.S. of A.
10) Josh Groban and Flea, 2010
Back in January, we asked whether this unlikely coupling at the BCS championship game was the “weirdest national anthem ever,” and with good reason. [lastfm]Josh Groban[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Flea [/lastfm]may be friends in real life, but their musical inclinations — he’s a popera star who cameos on “Glee,” he’s a funk-punk bassist who plays with [lastfm]Thom Yorke [/lastfm]– don’t exactly scream “hot collabo.”
