It was an old English drinking song, notoriously hard to sing. Francis Scott Key wrote lyrics watching the British shelling Fort McHenry in 1814. Would our flag still be there in the morning? The whole gist is hopeful yet uncertain, a far cry from the bloodthirsty bombast of, say, La Marseillaise. In 1991, days after the Gulf War started, Whitney Houston offered one of the great recordings of our song—not because it’s the most elaborate, but because of its emotional clarity, the disciplined power without excess in her voice. In that moment, she embodied our ideals, reverent and soaring.

Whitney Houston, "The Star-Spangled Banner," performed at the Super Bowl, 1991. Written by Francis Scott Key, 1814.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to early June, 2025.

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