The most cringeworthy celebrity performances of the American national anthem

Jewel took a crack at it at the Indy 500 to open the marathon car race, but her slow, acoustic spin on the 'The Star-Spangled Banner' appeared to both delight and confuse those in attendance. Fans were similarly split online, with some claiming it was the best rendition they'd ever heard and that the slowness of it gave them a chance to really appreciate the words, while others said it was the worst rendition they'd ever heard and that changing the melody and rhythm even displayed a lack of respect.

1 / 30 Fotos

Christina Aguilera -

The singer-songwriter's performance at Super Bowl XLV in 2011 was very memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

2 / 30 Fotos

Christina Aguilera - Even her amazing voice couldn't save her when she accidentally repeated the verse, "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," twice in a row...

3 / 30 Fotos

Fergie - The former Black Eyed Peas singer performed her jazzy rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' during the NBA's All Star Weekend in 2018.

4 / 30 Fotos

Fergie - Players, celebrities, and audience members alike laughed openly during the bluesy performance, and it has been mocked on social media ever since.

5 / 30 Fotos

Steven Tyler - Aerosmith's lead singer did not give the greatest rendition of the anthem at the 2012 AFC Championship game.

6 / 30 Fotos

Steven Tyler - He was criticized for his screechy vocals and even messed up the lyrics at one point, singing “as bombs bursting” instead of “the bombs bursting.”

7 / 30 Fotos

Lady A - The Grammy-winning country group were opening the Stanley Cup Playoff game between the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets in 2018, when all of a sudden Charles Kelley (left) began singing the wrong lyrics.

8 / 30 Fotos

Lady A - Luckily, Hillary Scott brought them back on track. The group later posted a tweet with an abashed-looking Kelley, stating: "Welp. We're human too y'all."

9 / 30 Fotos

Cyndi Lauper - The singer botched the national anthem during the U.S. Open's 9/11 memorial.

10 / 30 Fotos

Cyndi Lauper - She sang "O'er the ramparts we watched, as our flag was still streaming." The correct words are "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming." Lauper later posted on Twitter saying she got choked up thinking about 9/11 during her performance.

11 / 30 Fotos

Rachel Platten - The 'Fight Song' singer botched the national anthem at a 2018 NWSL match between the Utah Royals and the Chicago Red Stars.

12 / 30 Fotos

Rachel Platten - She couldn't remember the lyrics and had to start over several times before getting through it.

13 / 30 Fotos

Keri Hilson - In 2010, the singer gave 'The Star-Spangled Banner' a go at a Lakers vs. Hawks game.

14 / 30 Fotos

Keri Hilson - She accidentally sang "what so proudly we hail'd" twice in a row before hurriedly switching to the correct lyrics.

15 / 30 Fotos

Michael Bolton - The singer was invited to perform the national anthem at the fourth game of the 2003 ALCS.

16 / 30 Fotos

Michael Bolton - It was so bad that he had to continuously look down at his hand as he sang, where he had apparently written the lyrics in case he forgot them.

17 / 30 Fotos

Vince Neil - The Mötley Crüe front man sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in 2015 at the Las Vegas Outlaws inaugural game.

18 / 30 Fotos

Vince Neil -

The most favorable reviews said his voice was off-putting, while the worst suggested that audiences members may have suffered irreparable ear damage...

19 / 30 Fotos

James Taylor - For Game 2 of the 2013 World Series, the singer actually started off singing the wrong song.

20 / 30 Fotos

James Taylor -

Thankfully, he switched songs after the first few words and finished off without another mishap.

21 / 30 Fotos

Scotty McCreery - The 'American Idol' winner struggled through the song at the World Series in 2011.

22 / 30 Fotos

Scotty McCreery - It all started with his microphone being turned off, forcing him to start over again after singing the beginning of the song, and ended with him singing “No Jose does that star-spangled banner” instead of “Oh say does that star-spangled banner.”

23 / 30 Fotos

Jesse McCartney - At the Pepsi 500 in 2009, the singer gave the national anthem his own makeover.

24 / 30 Fotos

Jesse McCartney - A nervous Jesse McCartney completely skipped the line "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," and continued going as if nothing had happened.

25 / 30 Fotos

Roseanne Barr - During a San Diego Padres game in 1990, Roseanne Barr gave one of the worst-ever performances of the national anthem.

26 / 30 Fotos

Roseanne Barr - She rushed through the lyrics, scream-sang, and burst into laughter halfway through the song. If that wasn't enough, she spit on the ground when she finished before walking off the field.

27 / 30 Fotos

Carl Lewis - Olympian Carl Lewis gave a horrible performance at a 1993 NBA Finals game.

28 / 30 Fotos

Carl Lewis -

Not only was his voice reportedly awful and off-key, he actually screeched "and the rockets' red glare," possibly shattering a window somewhere far away...

Sources: (International Business Times) (Best Life) (ABC News) (CBS Los Angeles)

29 / 30 Fotos

Getty Images

0 / 30 Fotos

Jewel -

1 / 30 Fotos

Christina Aguilera -

The singer-songwriter's performance at Super Bowl XLV in 2011 was very memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

2 / 30 Fotos

Christina Aguilera - Even her amazing voice couldn't save her when she accidentally repeated the verse, "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," twice in a row...

3 / 30 Fotos

Fergie - The former Black Eyed Peas singer performed her jazzy rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' during the NBA's All Star Weekend in 2018.

4 / 30 Fotos

Fergie - Players, celebrities, and audience members alike laughed openly during the bluesy performance, and it has been mocked on social media ever since.

5 / 30 Fotos

Steven Tyler - Aerosmith's lead singer did not give the greatest rendition of the anthem at the 2012 AFC Championship game.

6 / 30 Fotos

Steven Tyler - He was criticized for his screechy vocals and even messed up the lyrics at one point, singing “as bombs bursting” instead of “the bombs bursting.”

7 / 30 Fotos

8 / 30 Fotos

Lady A - Luckily, Hillary Scott brought them back on track. The group later posted a tweet with an abashed-looking Kelley, stating: "Welp. We're human too y'all."

9 / 30 Fotos

Cyndi Lauper - The singer botched the national anthem during the U.S. Open's 9/11 memorial.

10 / 30 Fotos

11 / 30 Fotos

Rachel Platten - The 'Fight Song' singer botched the national anthem at a 2018 NWSL match between the Utah Royals and the Chicago Red Stars.

12 / 30 Fotos

Rachel Platten - She couldn't remember the lyrics and had to start over several times before getting through it.

13 / 30 Fotos

Keri Hilson - In 2010, the singer gave 'The Star-Spangled Banner' a go at a Lakers vs. Hawks game.

14 / 30 Fotos

Keri Hilson - She accidentally sang "what so proudly we hail'd" twice in a row before hurriedly switching to the correct lyrics.

15 / 30 Fotos

Michael Bolton - The singer was invited to perform the national anthem at the fourth game of the 2003 ALCS.

16 / 30 Fotos

Michael Bolton - It was so bad that he had to continuously look down at his hand as he sang, where he had apparently written the lyrics in case he forgot them.

17 / 30 Fotos

Vince Neil - The Mötley Crüe front man sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in 2015 at the Las Vegas Outlaws inaugural game.

18 / 30 Fotos

Vince Neil -

The most favorable reviews said his voice was off-putting, while the worst suggested that audiences members may have suffered irreparable ear damage...

Getty Images

19 / 30 Fotos

James Taylor - For Game 2 of the 2013 World Series, the singer actually started off singing the wrong song.

20 / 30 Fotos

James Taylor -

Thankfully, he switched songs after the first few words and finished off without another mishap.

21 / 30 Fotos

Scotty McCreery - The 'American Idol' winner struggled through the song at the World Series in 2011.

22 / 30 Fotos

23 / 30 Fotos

Jesse McCartney - At the Pepsi 500 in 2009, the singer gave the national anthem his own makeover.

24 / 30 Fotos

Jesse McCartney - A nervous Jesse McCartney completely skipped the line "what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," and continued going as if nothing had happened.

25 / 30 Fotos

Roseanne Barr - During a San Diego Padres game in 1990, Roseanne Barr gave one of the worst-ever performances of the national anthem.

26 / 30 Fotos

27 / 30 Fotos

Carl Lewis - Olympian Carl Lewis gave a horrible performance at a 1993 NBA Finals game.

28 / 30 Fotos

Carl Lewis -

Not only was his voice reportedly awful and off-key, he actually screeched "and the rockets' red glare," possibly shattering a window somewhere far away...

Sources: (International Business Times) (Best Life) (ABC News) (CBS Los Angeles)

29 / 30 Fotos

The most cringeworthy celebrity performances of the American national anthem

Countless famous vocalists have crashed and burned under the pressure

16/09/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Songs

A celebrity's worst nightmare must be singing the national anthem in front of millions of people—and then butchering it! Unfortunately, this has happened to some very unlucky stars. It might seem strange that the anthem has been botched so many times, considering that many school kids sing it every day, but it's actually an incredibly difficult song to perform. It calls for an enormous vocal range that would challenge any singer, and it's always performed live under the watchful gaze of thousands of spectators, plus often millions more watching from home. This nightmarish combination of factors has thrown many seasoned performers off their game.

To give you some context for comparison, click through this gallery to read about some of the most cringeworthy celebrity performances of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'