Marvin Gaye Popularizes The Expressive Anthem

1983

Marvin Gaye performs a very memorable national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, doing a sultry version with a beat.

Gaye's rendition is an early example of an artist putting his own spin on the song, which becomes commonplace in the following years. Gaye, a huge sports fan, has done straightforward performances at many big events, including the World Series in 1968 and the Super Bowl in 1971. He isn't the first to vary the melody (Jose Feliciano did it before Game 5 of that 1968 World Series - Gaye sang Game 4), but after his performance, the crowd goes crazy and his career gets a boost with little backlash. Expressive anthems are soon the norm before sporting events, where they come to be seen as part of the entertainment.