Listen "The Star Spangled Banger!"
Episode Synopsis
Who is the biggest Diva of them all? The U.S. National Anthem, which borrows its melody from a historic British drinking song, has undergone enormous musical change in the hands of pop music vocalists. Famously, José Feliciano, Marvin Gaye and Whitney Houston each changed the meaning of "The Star Spangled Banner" by finding new approaches to the performance. Countless others have followed in their footsteps. Now every major sporting event is an excuse for pop divas to make their own creative interpretation. So who does it best? Or worst? Jan Diehm and Michelle McGhee, data journalists at The Pudding, analyzed the pitch fluctuations of over a hundred famous performances to answer these questions and more.
Check out Jan and Michelle's full analysis at pudding.cool
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Check out Jan and Michelle's full analysis at pudding.cool
Sign up for the Switched On Pop Newsletter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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