You remember where you were. It was February 12, 2023. Super Bowl LVII. Before the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles even stepped into the huddle, a bearded guy in a black denim jacket and shades walked onto the grass at State Farm Stadium. He didn't have a backing track. He didn't have a 50-piece orchestra. He just had a Fender Telecaster and a voice that sounds like it was marinated in bourbon and woodsmoke.
When Chris Stapleton finished the national anthem, the world basically stopped spinning for two minutes.
✨ Don't miss: Fall in Love Chris Isaak: The Truth Behind His Most Famous (and Misunderstood) Lyrics
Honestly, we’ve seen a lot of people mess this song up. It’s a vocal minefield. Too many runs, too much "look at me" energy, or worse—forgetting the lyrics. But Stapleton? He did something different. He turned a massive, echoey stadium into a late-night blues club. It was intimate. It was raw. And yeah, it made grown men sob on national television.
The Viral Moment: Nick Sirianni and the "Cry Heard 'Round the World"
If you search for the national anthem Chris Stapleton performance today, the first thing you’ll likely see isn't even Chris. It's Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
The camera caught Sirianni with tears literally streaming down his face. It wasn't just a "dust in my eye" situation; it was a full-on emotional breakdown. Sirianni later mentioned that the gravity of the moment—the work, the family, the dream—all came crashing down during those notes.
But he wasn't alone. Jason Kelce looked like he was vibrating. Patrick Mahomes was locked in, visibly moved. Even the tough guys in the stands were wiping their eyes. Why? Because Stapleton didn't sing at the flag; he sang for the feeling of it.
✨ Don't miss: Virgil The Turk Sollozzo: What Most People Get Wrong About The Man Who Built Michael Corleone
Why his version hit different
Most singers treat "The Star-Spangled Banner" like a vocal Olympics. They want to hit that high note on "free" so hard that the windows rattle. Stapleton took the opposite approach.
- The Tempo: He slowed it down. Way down.
- The Arrangement: Just him and an electric guitar. No fluff.
- The Key: He played it in C#, which gave his gritty baritone room to grow into those soulful growls.
- The ASL: Academy Award-winner Troy Kotsur performed the anthem in American Sign Language alongside him, adding a layer of visual poetry that was impossible to ignore.
The Secret Technical Details of the Performance
Musicians are still dissecting this one. If you’re a gear head, you might know that Stapleton used a vintage Telecaster through what sounded like a very clean, slightly breaking-up tube amp.
The "vibe" wasn't accidental. He used a dropped Eb tuning with a low D string ($Db-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb$). This specific tuning allows for a deeper, more resonant vibration. It’s why the guitar felt like it was breathing with him. It created a "vocal-like" vibrato that mimicked his own singing style.
It was actually "Live-Live"
Here is a fun fact: a lot of Super Bowl performances are pre-recorded. It’s a safety net. The acoustics in a stadium are a nightmare, and the NFL hates risks.
Stapleton? He refused.
In a 2025 interview on The Dale Jr. Download, Chris admitted he was "genuinely nerve-wracking" because there was no safety net. "I was live-live," he told Dale Earnhardt Jr. "There was no pre-record." He wasn't trying to be a legend; he was just trying not to "insult the national anthem" by messing up the words.
The "Retirement" of the Anthem
Believe it or not, the national anthem Chris Stapleton rendition was likely his last.
He’s gone on record saying he’s "officially retired" from singing it. For years, people asked him to do it at local games or smaller events. He always had a standard joke: "No, I'll just do it when it's time to do it at the Super Bowl."
Then the Super Bowl actually called.
He felt like he had to keep his word. But the pressure of that one performance was so intense that he doesn't want to chase that dragon again. He told the media he hasn't even watched the full replay. He’s a "don't look back" kind of guy.
How It Ranks All-Time
Where does it sit in the pantheon?
Most experts put Whitney Houston (1991) at number one. That’s the gold standard. It’s untouchable. But Stapleton is widely considered the best of the "modern era."
- Whitney Houston (1991): Pure power, orchestral, iconic.
- Chris Stapleton (2023): Soulful, bluesy, stripped-back.
- Lady Gaga (2016): The theater-kid energy done perfectly.
- Marvin Gaye (1983 NBA All-Star): The only version that rivals Stapleton for "cool" factor.
What You Can Learn from Chris
If you’re a performer—or just someone who has to give a big presentation—Stapleton’s approach is a masterclass in E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
💡 You might also like: Why Green Day American Idiot Lyrics Still Hit Hard Decades Later
He didn't try to be Whitney. He didn't try to be a pop star. He leaned into his "Expertise"—which is country-soul. He showed "Experience" by staying calm under the most intense spotlight on earth.
Next Steps to Appreciate the Moment:
- Watch the "Reaction" Videos: Go to YouTube and search for "Vocal Coach reacts to Chris Stapleton." Hearing professionals break down his "arytenoid cartilage vibration" (that gritty rasp) makes you appreciate the physical toll of that performance.
- Listen to the Guitar Tone: If you play guitar, try the dropped Eb tuning mentioned above. It’s a game-changer for solo arrangements.
- Check out Troy Kotsur’s ASL: Don't just watch Chris. Watch Troy. The way he signs "the bombs bursting in air" adds a whole new dimension to the lyrics we’ve heard a thousand times.
Stapleton proved that you don't need fireworks or a backup dance troupe to "win" the Super Bowl. Sometimes, you just need a guitar, a little bit of grit, and the courage to be quiet in a room full of 70,000 screaming fans.