logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2021
21m 39s

Looking back at Whitney Houston's 1991 n...

NPR
About this episode
Happy New Year's Eve, y'all! Before we officially end 2021, we're revisiting on one of our favorite episodes of the year — our deep dive into Whitney Houston's 1991 national anthem. Sam chats with Danyel Smith, host of Black Girl Songbook, about how Whitney Houston captivated the entire nation with her rendition of the national anthem that year and why it still matters more than 30 years later.

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Kids are expensive. Do they have to be?
Can you afford to pay two rents?<br/><br/>Families across the country are asking that same question when it comes to childcare, as the yearly costs for daycare are becoming comparable to a year's rent in many places. How did childcare become so expensive, and how might everyone b ... Show More
18m 53s
Nov 21
Do you want out of The Cult of Homeownership?
When the dream of buying a home seems unattainable, is it time to find a new dream? Or is there another option on the table?<br/><br/>Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or the FHFA, said the administration is “working on” a plan to introduce 50 year m ... Show More
19m 18s
Nov 19
Crime is down. Why don't people feel safe?
What’s the difference between <em>feeling </em>unsafe and <em>being </em>unsafe?<br/><br/>According to Gallup, about half of Americans see crime as being extremely or very serious. And there are a lot of very real threats out there to people’s safety, but there’s also a lot of fe ... Show More
23m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
BONUS: The Lasting Power Of Whitney Houston's National Anthem
Why does Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl national anthem still resonate 30 years later? In this episode of NPR's It's Been A Minute, host Sam Sanders chats with author Danyel Smith about that moment of Black history and what it says about race, patriotism and pop culture. Smith ... Show More
25m 4s
Jul 2019
American Anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for millions of people. This week, we share three stories from NPR Music's American Anthem series that highlight the origins of songs th ... Show More
26m 18s
Dec 2019
Laura Branigan: Death of a Singer, Life of a Song
The St. Louis Blues hockey team had the worst record in the NHL in January 2019, before deciding to adopt the 1982 hit song Gloria as their anthem. They ended up winning the Stanley Cup. But many of their fans didn't even know that the woman who sang that song had died back in 20 ... Show More
43m 44s
Jul 2023
195. VOIX DE L'AMÉRIQUE - Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift... Ces icônes de la musique américaine
BEST OF - Il y a cinquante ans - le 5 janvier 1973 -, Bruce Springsteen sortait son premier album studio "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J"., enregistré avec un budget dérisoire au nord de New York. Un album parfois qualifié d'étrange, mais qui a ouvert la voie à la longue et glor ... Show More
38m 25s
Mar 2021
National Anthem Day
Lee discusses the history of the national anthem on this anniversary of "The Star Spangled Banner" becoming the official national anthem for the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
9m 36s
Sep 2020
Whitney Houston vs. Mariah Carey: Dueling Divas
Whitney Houston ruled the pop world in the late '80s with a string of infectious hits that included seven consecutive number ones. But when Mariah Carey burst onto the scene at the start of the new decade, America's Sweetheart turned bitter and famously shaded the newcomer in a s ... Show More
55m 25s
Feb 2021
Lift Every Voice and Sing
The so-called Black National Anthem was composed in 1900, and it’s provided a soundtrack to Black life ever since. For this special Black History Month episode, CNN’s Don Lemon speaks with Rep. James Clyburn, historian Prof. Imani Perry, and Howard University choir conductor Eric ... Show More
33m 12s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami