The clock will be ticking when Reba McEntire sings the national anthem at Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on Sunday (Feb. 11).
One of the most popular prop bets is on the length of the national anthem before the Super Bowl. The current over/under on the length is set at 90.5 seconds. Before we get to where the smart bet may be, let’s take a look at how some other singers have done with the task.
The first country guest performer at a Super Bowl was Charley Pride, in 1974 at Super Bowl VIII in Houston, Texas. Since then, a wide range of artists across all genres have taken on the task. Neil Diamond, Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr. — even the Backstreet Boys gave it their best in 2001. Many believe Whitney Houston’s rendition at Super Bowl XXV in Tampa to be the best of the bunch.
Some of country music’s biggest names have stepped up over the years. Garth Brooks (SB XXVII), Faith Hill (SB XXXIV), The Chicks (SB XXXVII), Carrie Underwood (SB XLIV), Kelly Clarkson (XLVI), Luke Bryan (SB LI), Eric Church (SB LV) and Chris Stapleton (SB LVII) have all done their part.
But back to the bet: Is it over or under for 1 minute and 30.5 seconds?
Well, thanks to YouTube, we have some evidence of Reba belting out the anthem before a charity softball game in 2017, and it checks in at a smoking fast 1 minute and 19 seconds.
She also performed before Game 3 of the 1997 World Series, and that time, she wrapped it up in 1 minute and 23 seconds.
In 2023, Chris Stapleton hit the under, which was set at 2:05, when he finished up in 2 minutes and 1 second. Eric Church went over, and Luke Bryan hit the under side, while Kelly Clarkson landed squarely on her number of 1:34 for a push.
If you are anything like me, I’m going with the under (-140) and leaning on history to be my guide.
15 Country Artists Primed to Headline a Super Bowl Halftime Show
Any way you slice it, country music is long overdue for its time in the spotlight at the Super Bowl. Although several artists have sung the national anthem at the game, the coveted halftime show has been anything but country for nearly three decades. The last time anyone from the genre headline the performance was in 1994, when Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd did a medley of their biggest hits. With country music gaining in popularity, there’s no better time than now to put one of our own in the spotlight. Here are 15 artists who are already primed to take on the task.
Gallery Credit: Jess