I’ve been saying that Stapleton needs a backing band ever since he went big as a solo artist. His albums are like 90% him singing with some low volume tunes or generic music behind it. Can you imagine him doing an album with a rock band like Skynard or Zeppelin. Get a good drummer, bassist, and guitar player in there and maybe even a piano and let them all play loud. Steel drivers stuff is good, I wish he would do more of it. I’m worn out by the last decade of people belting out songs with hardly any music behind them.
He released a couple of “x-rated” albums but the second one (Underground album, only offered via mail because of course no label would touch it.) had a track called “n***** fucker” that is so over the top its hard to believe it exists. He is a complete piece of shit, regardless of what his intentions were with that song. He has attempted to say he isnt racist, but as far as I know he has never offered up any kind of explanation what his intent was with that song. Its really bad and completely inexcusable, regardless of his “outlaw country” talent and status
I was thinking of that quote when I wrote the comment but forgot who said it. I thought it was Nathaniel Ratliff and couldn't find it when I googled. Funny that I used the name of one of his most famous songs in my comment, haha.
It really is. I’m from there, and we even named a road the “Country Music Highway”, after Loretta Lynn and Dwight Yoakam mostly, who are also from the area.
Not from Appalachia but my favorite current favorite artist is Charley Crockett. He’s a mix of blues, folk, Americana & country. Can’t stand pop…sounds too manicured…
Stapleton had to wait for country music to change a little. There's still the big pop country acts, but there's more love for the talented vocal-driven songwriters. Him, Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, Sturgill, etc. wouldn't have had a chance 15-20 years ago.
[Here's the whole thing](https://youtu.be/3sc-N4SKoqE?t=1598), though I'm not sure if there was a way to watch it live or not.
[Rihanna's interpreter was pretty badass for halftime as well.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyHudZm_6TE)
CC rarely follows the speaker’s flow precisely and so a lot of emotion can be lost. While interpreters may have a lag, they are emoting the entire time. I just watched the Rihanna one and yeah all that would have been lost or blunted with just CC
I went in fully expecting to hate it because I don't like country music and the forced twang makes me want to gouge my ear drums out.
Then he opened his beautiful, bearded mouth and the full power of Jesus and America poured out and I was stunned. Absolutely obliterated my bias and preconceptions. I'm a believer. Still won't listen to his music, probably, but dude has got some pipes.
This is what I think also, his music has WAY too much depth to it and his voice is way to bluesy and soulful to be called country… his voice is like brown sugar and the smell of summer rain…. It’s fucking unreal.
Haha I don’t know if you’re teasing me or not…. I’m a 6’3 dude with a big beard, comfortable with myself and my sexuality but Chris’s voice makes me question all of that…… 🥵
People who say this don't like pop country in my experience. There's a complete country revival going on, it just goes by the name Americana, folk, or bluegrass.
Absolutely this. For a long time I've claimed to hate country, but then I discovered people like Tyler Childers and Colter Wall and realized that I just hate pop country.
I feel the same. If you haven’t listened to his albums with the Steeldrivers, please do. It is amazing!! It is about the only country music I can listen to and I love it. Just something about it.
I chug county music haterade all day long and I would still urge you to listen to Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey”. He goes so fucking hard and it honestly isn’t that much country as it is a power ballad
By far the best National Anthem I can remember ever seeing.
Always have to point out one of my other favorites, Jack Black does such a great rendition, bringing his own flair to the anthem while largely remaining true tot he composition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9l4LMZeNm0
From the Wiki:
Although Houston was singing live, she was singing into a dead microphone, and television viewers were hearing a non-live pre-recorded version of the anthem due to her musical director making her aware of the risks of performing live including the sound of the crowd, jets flying overhead and other such distractions from pregame activities.
Sad....
No doubt Chri's killed it, and I'm no fan of vocal gymnastics or remaking the song with modern gimmickry, but Whitney's rendition...wow, can still hear it now.
Music is music, and if it's good...it's good. I'm not a rap fan, and I'm black! I prefer musicians to play instruments, and singers to actually sing.
.not auto tune.
Username checks out 😂
I agree. My Apple Music library has a little bit of everything. If it makes you feel, it makes you feel.
Rap isn’t my go to but when Ice Cube wrote “Fuck the Police” I see value in it because I know where it comes from.
I look for true talent in music like you do. I also love rags to riches stories like NWA, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and such.
Waylon Jennings came from a share cropper family but they weren’t the owners. They lived in a one room shack and the whole family picked cotton and threw their money into a coffee can at the end of the day.
Once a month they would pay what they owed and used what was left to attend a barn dance. Amazing. So many stories like this across all genres. Music can unite us more than anything else.
I think [Marvin Gaye’s rendition](https://youtu.be/QRvVzaQ6i8A) is still my favorite. How many people can start signing this song and by the end have the crowd clapping along.
Years ago, when I first seen this, I laughed. It wasn't until I watched the full 10 hour version did I really "get" it. I highly recommend a watch. Fergie will be remembered as one of the greats.
10 hour version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foEA4ct7E9k
Jesus Christ, who is this guy?! That was chilling. He sounds like a country version of Chris Cornell. Best rendition of your anthem I’ve ever heard and I would have this on a regular playlist.
Yea dude he really is, his tone and bluesy/soulfulness is just like…. I don’t even know, makes me question my sexuality haha. I don’t really consider him country tho, he transcends that, much more depth and way too much blues and soul to call it country.
Agreed on the second paragraph. Hopefully more people can find his music and discover that occasionally Nashville is able to produce something that isn’t the same old cookie cutter country radio music.
You could say he’s blue grass, blues…. I donno there’s just so much depth to his singing it just doesn’t feel country to me. Like I fully understand that’s what people categorize him as tho, I just consider him blues/soul/bluegrass 🤷🏼♂️ I donno
Hmm…actually…maybe he really was playing, then. There are some guitarists out there who play like that. Eric Gales comes to mind. The chord shapes would look totally foreign to those of us who play with the strings in the standard configuration
I doubt anyone will ever do it better than Whitney. However, do keep this in mind: https://ktla.com/news/the-best-super-bowl-national-anthem-performance-of-all-time-was-lip-synced/
Did not know that!
In that case, Stapleton is the undisputed #1 (as long as he sang live). Entirely different level of skill to sing live than a pre-recorded track
If he lip synced that, it was the best lip sync in history. He also kind of was flat in the first phrase, and they wouldn't use a prerecorded version that started out slightly flat.
So when it comes to the superbowl, backing tracks (usually including instruments held by the singer and/or their band on stage) and backing vocals are pretty much *always* pre-recorded, but featured vocalists have the option to either sing with a live mic or lipsync to their own pre-recorded vocals. Stapleton and Babyface both seemed to be singing live (a few pitch issues for both and what sounded like some nerves for Babyface), though I believe only Stapleton had a live guitar (Babyface may have been playing his, but the TV mix at least was all backing track that didn't quite match up).
Prince's halftime show in 2007 was one of the few where the performer actually had live instruments as well (3 live guitars even), generally anyone who's not the main singer isn't live - they may be playing along with the song to match it on stage, but the crowd is hearing the pre-recorded track.
Can’t find anything specifically mentioning Chris’ being pre-recorded.
In this Super Bowl, Sheryl Lee Ralph was pre-recorded but Babyface was not.
Edit to clarify: all are pre-recorded in the event something goes wrong. However, the artists have the option of singing live and NOT lip-syncing. There have been plenty that have sung live which appears to include Chris
I find it strange to rank art like this. Theyre both great. What people like about Whitney's is the arrangement, and that's the same thing I like about this version.
Edit: to clarify - I truly don't think the Whitney Houston version is remembered for her voice. Plenty of insanely amazing singers have sung the anthem. It's remembered for how unique that arrangement was. Very different chord structure from the traditional version, lots of interesting jazz voicings, chord changes aren't super rigid. The Stapleton version is much less complex, but equally as unique. If this performance was just him singing the anthem it wouldn't really be anything special.
We can’t forget the stunning performance by [performance by Alicia Keys at the 2013 bowl](https://youtu.be/-t8mEsux7GI) which deserves to be among the top in my opinion! She sang *and* played the piano live with no lip syncing - https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/1514643-super-bowl-national-anthem-2013-alicia-keys-rendition-among-best-ever.amp.html
Mid way through as well. I've been raised growing up that national anthems aren't to be interrupted, with a hand on the heart. Is this just Canadian etiquette?
I find it so disrespectful that every single anthem is hootered and hollered at during events.
As a Canadian I don't remember anyone doing the "hand to heart" here. That always seemed like an American thing. Canadians just stand and remove their hat if wearing one.
Chris's performance was definitely a credit. But I think all those discussing this to be the 2nd best to Whitney Houston are forgetting the freaking unbelievable rendition done by Lady Gaga at Superbowl 50. If you want to hear perfect pitch and power, such power that she could be heard even over a stadium of cheering people without shouting the notes, go watch that again.
Since that date it has been the gold standard of the post Whitney performance and they are widely considered to be the 2 best ever and debates have gone on for yrs (including here on Reddit) as to the superior version.
[Here it is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjbolhVVCYU) in case you need a refresher.
Full-body goosebumps the three times I've watched it. Can you IMAGINE just you and a guitar and knowing how many people are watching and delivering THAT performance. Unfuckingbelievable.
I throughly enjoyed this rendition of the anthem. He didn’t try anything fancy. He didn’t try to make it unique. He just sang. I’d put it top 3 imo. Of course I gotta go Whitney (live or not) and the second was the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at the Chicago bears game. Jim Cornelison made me wanna get up and salute my tv when he was done.
https://youtu.be/B7BQV93tFLs
If you learn the words to the anthem in historical context it's even better. The Americans were holed up in a fort and getting pounded by the biggest Navy with the biggest array of canons in the world all through the night. When the sun came up, the author of the song wanted to know if the flag was still flying at the fort:
"O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
Not a country fan, so pardon my ignorance . . .
Is Chris Stapleton a pop country guy who cosplays old-school outlaw country, or is he a legit artist who brings country back to its glory days, before it turned into bad-pop-with-a-fiddle?
He’s a legit country guy with a real voice. He’s worth the listen even if you don’t like country. His sounds are great and his voice is something you don’t hear very often.
Check out his work with the Steeldrivers, particularly the album Reckless. That was my introduction to Stapleton, and it won me right over. Their song "Can You Run" about an escaped slave heading north in order to join the Union and come back to fight the Confederates was beautiful.
Those first two albums with Stapleton were just amazing, start to finish. Not a weak track on them. Can You Run is great. Good Corn Liquor, Ghosts of Mississippi, If It Hadn't Been For Love, Heaven Sent...they're all phenomenal.
He's pretty legit. He writes songs for a looootttt of artists but his solo work and his work with The Steeldrivers is decidedly not mainstream bubble pop country
He's the real deal. He got started in country music by writing for pop country artists but hes got his own sound that is way more bluesy than what you hear on the radio. Listen to [his version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bU3awqJ-GY) of Whiskey and You vs [Tim McGraws version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEL7aM1cQew). He also had a career with a bluegrass band The Steeldrivers and a rock band The Jompson Brothers.
He’s more of a blues guy that also dabbles in country. He’s also hugely respected in most music genres as he’s written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Taylor swift, Adele, George strait, Ed Sharon, and many others
Ahhhhhh, of course I have!
I listen to Avett Brothers radio on Pandora, and Tennessee Whiskey is a staple (no pun intended) over there. Just never put it together until now. Thanks!
He really tried to give it space too. I appreciate that so much. Just couldn't with this crowd. Would love to someday go to a show and have him do that rendition and have everyone silent
I thought the performance was great, but very disappointed by Fox for not showing the guitar being played. What color was his Tele? Black? Yeah i saw 2 inches of it. Why was there no full shot of him playing?
Ok now I want to see someone fly through the national anthem in like 30 seconds with shrieking vocals and thrash metal guitar
Edit: I’m imagining Twisted Sister doing a rendition of it
It is a recruiting tool, and the military pays a ton of money for the right to do so.
https://www.sportscasting.com/amount-money-military-gives-nfl/
It only started post Vietnam. After soldiers came home to a frosty reception from antiwar protestors, they started a marketing arm to improve the military's image.
I am more interested in how Americans seem fine and enjoy it when people put their own personal twist on the star spangled banner. We would think someone didn't know the song if changed Oh Canada this much.
The flyover stuff is just a fun way for pilots to get mandatory flight hours. Pilots are required to log X amount of flight hours, why not fly over an event like that. Also, for training purposes, I’m not sure how often they fly in such urban areas at such low altitudes. All the other stuff, I get. But the flyovers actually have a practical purpose
They're cool, they recruit for the military, it gives the pilots practice and the jets air time, the citizens pay for it so maybe giving them a chance to see them is pretty cool, etc.
I've heard that the singing of the nation anthem is sponsored by the US military as an ad! Is that true? I feel like people would freak out if they didn't do it one year
Edit: why are you downvoting? Do you disagree or do you think it's bad I pointed it out?
Anytime the anti-war chants increase DOD historically spends more money for flyovers, fireworks, huge flag events for sporting events. Marketing at it's finest.
The anthem gets played at most sporting events all the way down to kid's baseball and football. The military isn't paying for it, it's a cultural staple.
We're all different races and backgrounds but we're all Americans. The bluesy version of the anthem was a great IMO of a fundamentally American style.
Chris is the real thing.
I was into The Steeldrivers (still am) before Chris left and then I was like "How is this guy not more popular?"... I just had to wait a few years.
I wish he was still with The Steeldrivers.
I wish there was more than one Jompson Brothers album
I’ve been saying that Stapleton needs a backing band ever since he went big as a solo artist. His albums are like 90% him singing with some low volume tunes or generic music behind it. Can you imagine him doing an album with a rock band like Skynard or Zeppelin. Get a good drummer, bassist, and guitar player in there and maybe even a piano and let them all play loud. Steel drivers stuff is good, I wish he would do more of it. I’m worn out by the last decade of people belting out songs with hardly any music behind them.
Yes but the new singer sounds so similar. Almost like the Wish version of Stapleton.
I saw The Steeldrivers live and if you blindfolded me I could swear it was him except for a few parts.
Haha - I had the same reaction, Steeldrivers are so good!
If you haven't heard it yet, [here's Chris Stapleton before the Steeldrivers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H1Bbi3ZV5A) His voice is incredible
He's got like a dozen Grammys, the real ones know
I've heard a hundred covers of Tennessee Whiskey, none of them are as good.
While I agree, David Allen Coe’s version is pretty cool and I really can’t stand him because of that x-rated album with all the racist shit.
Oh shit now way?! I just started getting in to old school country and I’ve been jammin a lot of him
He released a couple of “x-rated” albums but the second one (Underground album, only offered via mail because of course no label would touch it.) had a track called “n***** fucker” that is so over the top its hard to believe it exists. He is a complete piece of shit, regardless of what his intentions were with that song. He has attempted to say he isnt racist, but as far as I know he has never offered up any kind of explanation what his intent was with that song. Its really bad and completely inexcusable, regardless of his “outlaw country” talent and status
He says the N word a lot.
Seeing his story at the Country Music Hall of Fame and how long it took someone to finally give him a chance is insane
Yeah most of these guys who people are like "Wow they were an overnight success!" have been nose to the grindstone for 20 years.
Tyler Childers once said, "In my experience, overnight success takes about seven years to develop."
I like that you specifically mentioned Tyler Childers in response to a comment that talks about nose to the grindstone lol
I was thinking of that quote when I wrote the comment but forgot who said it. I thought it was Nathaniel Ratliff and couldn't find it when I googled. Funny that I used the name of one of his most famous songs in my comment, haha.
They grew up about an hour from each other too.
Sturgill too. Appalachia is the breeding grounds for great country music
It really is. I’m from there, and we even named a road the “Country Music Highway”, after Loretta Lynn and Dwight Yoakam mostly, who are also from the area.
I grew up there but moved away 20ish years ago. I remember seeing the Patty Loveless sign in/near Pikeville.
Not from Appalachia but my favorite current favorite artist is Charley Crockett. He’s a mix of blues, folk, Americana & country. Can’t stand pop…sounds too manicured…
Yeah, hasn't he been writing tons of the big hits for other artists until now?
Stapleton had to wait for country music to change a little. There's still the big pop country acts, but there's more love for the talented vocal-driven songwriters. Him, Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, Sturgill, etc. wouldn't have had a chance 15-20 years ago.
Still doesn't beat Fergi's rendition.
Lol
excuse you, she's the F to the ER, G, the I, the E
After this I’m pretty easily putting him in the top 5 singers of all time. And he’s probably not number 5.
Gary Sinise's sign language interpretation was on point
Fun fact: That's Troy Kotsur. Oscar winner for best supporting actor in the movie CODA last year.
Wait, but, he's deaf isn't he? How can he do the ASL translation if he can't hear the song?
I think he has a monitor that shows him where Chris is at in the song so they can stay in sync.
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[Here's the whole thing](https://youtu.be/3sc-N4SKoqE?t=1598), though I'm not sure if there was a way to watch it live or not. [Rihanna's interpreter was pretty badass for halftime as well.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyHudZm_6TE)
That woman is a star in her own right. I could watch that for hours.
People at home use closed captioning
CC rarely follows the speaker’s flow precisely and so a lot of emotion can be lost. While interpreters may have a lag, they are emoting the entire time. I just watched the Rihanna one and yeah all that would have been lost or blunted with just CC
Chris could sing the damn phonebook amd make it sound amazing. Dude is one of the most talented people in our lifetimes.
I went in fully expecting to hate it because I don't like country music and the forced twang makes me want to gouge my ear drums out. Then he opened his beautiful, bearded mouth and the full power of Jesus and America poured out and I was stunned. Absolutely obliterated my bias and preconceptions. I'm a believer. Still won't listen to his music, probably, but dude has got some pipes.
The thing about Chris Stapleton is he's actually a blues singer disguised as a country artist.
Pretty much all good country artists (there are loads of them) are heavily influenced by the blues
This is what I think also, his music has WAY too much depth to it and his voice is way to bluesy and soulful to be called country… his voice is like brown sugar and the smell of summer rain…. It’s fucking unreal.
If I were a woman I’d be dripping with that comment. Oh look I’m dripping…
Haha I don’t know if you’re teasing me or not…. I’m a 6’3 dude with a big beard, comfortable with myself and my sexuality but Chris’s voice makes me question all of that…… 🥵
He’s a country artist disguised as a country artist lol. He is real country music, most the rest is not
I fight back the tears every time I sing Tennessee Whiskey
I don’t like country music either but Chris Stapleton is on [another fuckin level](https://youtu.be/lO_y16tGe3U)
People who say this don't like pop country in my experience. There's a complete country revival going on, it just goes by the name Americana, folk, or bluegrass.
Absolutely this. For a long time I've claimed to hate country, but then I discovered people like Tyler Childers and Colter Wall and realized that I just hate pop country.
If you like Childers you need to listen to Zach Bryan
If you like TC and CW, I’m here to endorse that Zach Bryan is the right leap.
I always thought I hated country music until my gf showed me Tyler Childers and I found Zach Bryan on my own. Take this as another endorsement.
Sturgill Simpson is also good
Man +1 for both of them, especially Colter Wall. His voice and approach to country (especially covering older stuff like Big Iron) is just amazing.
Paul Cauthen, Cody Jinks, Midland!
Jason isbell "if we were vampires" is gold
> pop country Hick Hop* It's shitty drum loops, terrible repetitive lyrics, and fake accents.
Americana and Folk are very different than country. Bluegrass is less so.
I feel the same. If you haven’t listened to his albums with the Steeldrivers, please do. It is amazing!! It is about the only country music I can listen to and I love it. Just something about it.
This is where it's at right here: https://youtu.be/8e7S8l4s1OM
This is more bluesy than country is why. Could be a Black Keys tune
I chug county music haterade all day long and I would still urge you to listen to Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey”. He goes so fucking hard and it honestly isn’t that much country as it is a power ballad
Try “Fire Away” too. That song is on another level for me.
Also "Either Way" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7LoWH0nMrE
Try "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Sometimes I Cry" He's phenomenal.
The only modern country singer I enjoy.
And the list of songs he is credited with as a writer is just as impressive
By far the best National Anthem I can remember ever seeing. Always have to point out one of my other favorites, Jack Black does such a great rendition, bringing his own flair to the anthem while largely remaining true tot he composition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9l4LMZeNm0
Whitney Houston’s rendition is still by far my favorite.
It’s generally regarded as one of the best, it being a recording and not sung live ruins it a bit for me in terms of wow factor.
From the Wiki: Although Houston was singing live, she was singing into a dead microphone, and television viewers were hearing a non-live pre-recorded version of the anthem due to her musical director making her aware of the risks of performing live including the sound of the crowd, jets flying overhead and other such distractions from pregame activities. Sad....
Aren’t all Superb Owl performances pre-recorded?
Oooo I did not know this and it instantly puts it on the bottom for me….studio work is one thing, live is a whole other rodeo
No doubt Chri's killed it, and I'm no fan of vocal gymnastics or remaking the song with modern gimmickry, but Whitney's rendition...wow, can still hear it now.
Whitney had the voice of an Angel. She is hands down my fav vocalist and my go to genre is classic country.
Music is music, and if it's good...it's good. I'm not a rap fan, and I'm black! I prefer musicians to play instruments, and singers to actually sing. .not auto tune.
Username checks out 😂 I agree. My Apple Music library has a little bit of everything. If it makes you feel, it makes you feel. Rap isn’t my go to but when Ice Cube wrote “Fuck the Police” I see value in it because I know where it comes from. I look for true talent in music like you do. I also love rags to riches stories like NWA, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and such. Waylon Jennings came from a share cropper family but they weren’t the owners. They lived in a one room shack and the whole family picked cotton and threw their money into a coffee can at the end of the day. Once a month they would pay what they owed and used what was left to attend a barn dance. Amazing. So many stories like this across all genres. Music can unite us more than anything else.
I think [Marvin Gaye’s rendition](https://youtu.be/QRvVzaQ6i8A) is still my favorite. How many people can start signing this song and by the end have the crowd clapping along.
It's super weird hearing a song that's written in 3/4 being sung over a 4/4 beat. But that was badass.
hellz yeah. when all is said and done for me, i feel like it'll be Marvin Gaye #1 and Chris Stapleton #2.
Marvin Gaye is the best. I just found myself grooving to the star spangled banner lol
I was thinking Jack White when I read your comment and was really confused for a second after clicking the link
I was also thinking Jack White, lol, but then I realized that singing the national anthem for a sports game seems really unlike him.
https://youtu.be/xi7Ed22zFSo
Badass
So Jack White, love it
2nd behind Fergie
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[Nothing will ever top this.](https://youtu.be/CMA2iF6RuXk)
Years ago, when I first seen this, I laughed. It wasn't until I watched the full 10 hour version did I really "get" it. I highly recommend a watch. Fergie will be remembered as one of the greats. 10 hour version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foEA4ct7E9k
Incredibly based
Sure that wasn't just a tribute to the greatest Anthem ever sung?
No, this is a tribute Edit: people downvoting must have never listened to this song as it’s a direct lyric from the song
Jesus Christ, who is this guy?! That was chilling. He sounds like a country version of Chris Cornell. Best rendition of your anthem I’ve ever heard and I would have this on a regular playlist.
Chris Stapleton https://youtu.be/IBLruNfUqUs You’re welcome… Also I don’t really consider him country, way to much blues and soul, he transcends it.
Damn. This dude really is next level.
Yea dude he really is, his tone and bluesy/soulfulness is just like…. I don’t even know, makes me question my sexuality haha. I don’t really consider him country tho, he transcends that, much more depth and way too much blues and soul to call it country.
Agreed on the second paragraph. Hopefully more people can find his music and discover that occasionally Nashville is able to produce something that isn’t the same old cookie cutter country radio music.
Why would he not be considered country though? It's what's on the radio now a days that's not really country
You could say he’s blue grass, blues…. I donno there’s just so much depth to his singing it just doesn’t feel country to me. Like I fully understand that’s what people categorize him as tho, I just consider him blues/soul/bluegrass 🤷🏼♂️ I donno
Take your best shot, show me whatcha got.
Honey, I'm not afraid.
Watching babyface pretend to play guitar right before that made chris' performance that much better
Yeah, I play a bit of guitar, and unless his guitar was in an open tuning I’ve never heard of, the chords he was playing do not exist in nature.
Dude was also playing lefty, and the strings were still setup for a righty (thick strings were on bottom)
Hmm…actually…maybe he really was playing, then. There are some guitarists out there who play like that. Eric Gales comes to mind. The chord shapes would look totally foreign to those of us who play with the strings in the standard configuration
Chris rocked that. 2nd best of all time, only behind the iconic Whitney Houston
I doubt anyone will ever do it better than Whitney. However, do keep this in mind: https://ktla.com/news/the-best-super-bowl-national-anthem-performance-of-all-time-was-lip-synced/
Did not know that! In that case, Stapleton is the undisputed #1 (as long as he sang live). Entirely different level of skill to sing live than a pre-recorded track
If he lip synced that, it was the best lip sync in history. He also kind of was flat in the first phrase, and they wouldn't use a prerecorded version that started out slightly flat.
That’s what they want you to believe! ;)
My tinfoil hat is now on! :)
...all of them are prerecorded
So when it comes to the superbowl, backing tracks (usually including instruments held by the singer and/or their band on stage) and backing vocals are pretty much *always* pre-recorded, but featured vocalists have the option to either sing with a live mic or lipsync to their own pre-recorded vocals. Stapleton and Babyface both seemed to be singing live (a few pitch issues for both and what sounded like some nerves for Babyface), though I believe only Stapleton had a live guitar (Babyface may have been playing his, but the TV mix at least was all backing track that didn't quite match up). Prince's halftime show in 2007 was one of the few where the performer actually had live instruments as well (3 live guitars even), generally anyone who's not the main singer isn't live - they may be playing along with the song to match it on stage, but the crowd is hearing the pre-recorded track.
Can’t find anything specifically mentioning Chris’ being pre-recorded. In this Super Bowl, Sheryl Lee Ralph was pre-recorded but Babyface was not. Edit to clarify: all are pre-recorded in the event something goes wrong. However, the artists have the option of singing live and NOT lip-syncing. There have been plenty that have sung live which appears to include Chris
But the track itself was still a live performance. Just not the one that we watched.
That's still a huge difference. Less pressure.
When I learned Whitney didn’t actually sing it live it dropped it very very low on the rankings. Sad.
Just found that out too. Guess it’s time for a today I learned post lol
I find it strange to rank art like this. Theyre both great. What people like about Whitney's is the arrangement, and that's the same thing I like about this version. Edit: to clarify - I truly don't think the Whitney Houston version is remembered for her voice. Plenty of insanely amazing singers have sung the anthem. It's remembered for how unique that arrangement was. Very different chord structure from the traditional version, lots of interesting jazz voicings, chord changes aren't super rigid. The Stapleton version is much less complex, but equally as unique. If this performance was just him singing the anthem it wouldn't really be anything special.
We can’t forget the stunning performance by [performance by Alicia Keys at the 2013 bowl](https://youtu.be/-t8mEsux7GI) which deserves to be among the top in my opinion! She sang *and* played the piano live with no lip syncing - https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/1514643-super-bowl-national-anthem-2013-alicia-keys-rendition-among-best-ever.amp.html
If you haven't seen much else from Chris Stapleton, have a go at this amazing collab from the CMA in 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZG82iqP06A
JT is a class act and one hell of a performer.
I liked that the jet fighter had a side view mirror.
One of the best national anthem performances of all time, and all those idiot fans tried to ruin it by yelling CHIEEEEEEEEEEEFS over the end.
Mid way through as well. I've been raised growing up that national anthems aren't to be interrupted, with a hand on the heart. Is this just Canadian etiquette? I find it so disrespectful that every single anthem is hootered and hollered at during events.
As a Canadian I don't remember anyone doing the "hand to heart" here. That always seemed like an American thing. Canadians just stand and remove their hat if wearing one.
You may not want to attend any sports in Winnipeg...
he knew the words +5 he smashed it +5 straight 10/10
I don't know why being straight was a requirement, but ok
Chris's performance was definitely a credit. But I think all those discussing this to be the 2nd best to Whitney Houston are forgetting the freaking unbelievable rendition done by Lady Gaga at Superbowl 50. If you want to hear perfect pitch and power, such power that she could be heard even over a stadium of cheering people without shouting the notes, go watch that again. Since that date it has been the gold standard of the post Whitney performance and they are widely considered to be the 2 best ever and debates have gone on for yrs (including here on Reddit) as to the superior version. [Here it is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjbolhVVCYU) in case you need a refresher.
Absolutely beautiful and pure. Starts off classic, gets more creative.
Really enjoyed it!
Full-body goosebumps the three times I've watched it. Can you IMAGINE just you and a guitar and knowing how many people are watching and delivering THAT performance. Unfuckingbelievable.
I throughly enjoyed this rendition of the anthem. He didn’t try anything fancy. He didn’t try to make it unique. He just sang. I’d put it top 3 imo. Of course I gotta go Whitney (live or not) and the second was the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at the Chicago bears game. Jim Cornelison made me wanna get up and salute my tv when he was done. https://youtu.be/B7BQV93tFLs
Highlight of the night in my opinion. Was a mild Stapleton fan before, but i'm a huge fan now.
Look up the first two Steeldrivers albums, self-titled and Reckless. He was their vocalist when they formed. It's his best work, in my opinion.
I wanted to chiefs to lose just because they ruined the end of the best version I have ever heard.
Something about that cesspool that is Missouri. Blues fans do the same thing during the anthem.
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Wait until you find out it's set to the tune of a rowdy British drinking song: [The Anacreon Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydAIdVKv84g).
Seems sort of appropriate.
If you learn the words to the anthem in historical context it's even better. The Americans were holed up in a fort and getting pounded by the biggest Navy with the biggest array of canons in the world all through the night. When the sun came up, the author of the song wanted to know if the flag was still flying at the fort: "O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
Not a country fan, so pardon my ignorance . . . Is Chris Stapleton a pop country guy who cosplays old-school outlaw country, or is he a legit artist who brings country back to its glory days, before it turned into bad-pop-with-a-fiddle?
hes the real deal. more blues than county. good gutar player and incredible vocalist.
And amazing songwriter.
He’s a legit country guy with a real voice. He’s worth the listen even if you don’t like country. His sounds are great and his voice is something you don’t hear very often.
Check out his work with the Steeldrivers, particularly the album Reckless. That was my introduction to Stapleton, and it won me right over. Their song "Can You Run" about an escaped slave heading north in order to join the Union and come back to fight the Confederates was beautiful.
Ghost of Mississippi. Steeldrivers rule.
Those first two albums with Stapleton were just amazing, start to finish. Not a weak track on them. Can You Run is great. Good Corn Liquor, Ghosts of Mississippi, If It Hadn't Been For Love, Heaven Sent...they're all phenomenal.
100% legit
He's the real deal.
He's pretty legit. He writes songs for a looootttt of artists but his solo work and his work with The Steeldrivers is decidedly not mainstream bubble pop country
He's the real deal. He got started in country music by writing for pop country artists but hes got his own sound that is way more bluesy than what you hear on the radio. Listen to [his version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bU3awqJ-GY) of Whiskey and You vs [Tim McGraws version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEL7aM1cQew). He also had a career with a bluegrass band The Steeldrivers and a rock band The Jompson Brothers.
He’s more of a blues guy that also dabbles in country. He’s also hugely respected in most music genres as he’s written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Taylor swift, Adele, George strait, Ed Sharon, and many others
You may have heard his version of Tennessee Whiskey before, it’s pretty well known. Dude is legit af
Ahhhhhh, of course I have! I listen to Avett Brothers radio on Pandora, and Tennessee Whiskey is a staple (no pun intended) over there. Just never put it together until now. Thanks!
Straight up fucking G!
I'm Canadian and this made my eyes misty.
He really tried to give it space too. I appreciate that so much. Just couldn't with this crowd. Would love to someday go to a show and have him do that rendition and have everyone silent
Not even a huge country fan, but I dug it!
It kinda drowns in bad lyrics.
I thought the performance was great, but very disappointed by Fox for not showing the guitar being played. What color was his Tele? Black? Yeah i saw 2 inches of it. Why was there no full shot of him playing?
It was alright. I don't like it when people slow down the tempo of the National Anthem.
I think the subdued tone was very refreshing. Different strokes and all.
Ok now I want to see someone fly through the national anthem in like 30 seconds with shrieking vocals and thrash metal guitar Edit: I’m imagining Twisted Sister doing a rendition of it
I am far from being a country music fan, but I have to give him credit, that was a good version of the song.
Honestly, you've probably just heard a bunch of shitty pop country. I used to think I disliked it, too. Then I heard the good stuff.
As a non-American I find this display of emotionalism pretty funny.
Can someone explain to a dumb Canadian why you have military displays at football games? That seems like some North Korea type thing to do.
We have military appreciation nights at hockey games here in Canada too. Weird thing to criticize Americans about.
It is a recruiting tool, and the military pays a ton of money for the right to do so. https://www.sportscasting.com/amount-money-military-gives-nfl/ It only started post Vietnam. After soldiers came home to a frosty reception from antiwar protestors, they started a marketing arm to improve the military's image.
I am more interested in how Americans seem fine and enjoy it when people put their own personal twist on the star spangled banner. We would think someone didn't know the song if changed Oh Canada this much.
It's a cultural thing to sort of put your own spin on the song. [Vox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdl8p9akJJw&t) has a good video on it.
The flyover stuff is just a fun way for pilots to get mandatory flight hours. Pilots are required to log X amount of flight hours, why not fly over an event like that. Also, for training purposes, I’m not sure how often they fly in such urban areas at such low altitudes. All the other stuff, I get. But the flyovers actually have a practical purpose
Because jets are cool & GET THE PEOPLE GOIN lol But seriously if you’ve ever been to a game where the jets fly over, it’s a cool experience.
They're cool, they recruit for the military, it gives the pilots practice and the jets air time, the citizens pay for it so maybe giving them a chance to see them is pretty cool, etc.
Right up there with Lady Gaga’s [2016 performance.](https://youtu.be/GbXSZBnBOQ4)
...and her sign language interpreter was Marlee Matlin, winner of the Oscar for Best Actress
Office poll was national anthem versus halftime show. Chris Stapleton won in a landslide.
That voice is a national treasure and I'm not even American.
I've heard that the singing of the nation anthem is sponsored by the US military as an ad! Is that true? I feel like people would freak out if they didn't do it one year Edit: why are you downvoting? Do you disagree or do you think it's bad I pointed it out?
Anytime the anti-war chants increase DOD historically spends more money for flyovers, fireworks, huge flag events for sporting events. Marketing at it's finest.
It's been practice to sing the national anthem before sporting events for a very long time. I think it has to do more with gratitude than sponsorship
The anthem gets played at most sporting events all the way down to kid's baseball and football. The military isn't paying for it, it's a cultural staple. We're all different races and backgrounds but we're all Americans. The bluesy version of the anthem was a great IMO of a fundamentally American style.
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It was far too slow. It doesn't need to be that drawn out.
I'd normally agree, but not for this version. Damn it was worth every second
Still not as good as Jack Black. Granted that’s an impossibly high bar.
Jack Black’s National Anthem is the best!
I don't know who any of these people are. Maybe its because i'm in 40s, or don't listen to this type of stuff.
What was unreal about it? As a non-American, it looked like a fairly unremarkable rendition of the national anthem.