It was absolutely disgraceful! He should be ashamed of himself.

I don't see the fuss. I don't think he was disrespectful. That is how he sings. His voice is aging and I think that showed. He sang the song true to form and didn't add extra syllables, etc. Rosanne was disrespectful because she was trying to make fun.

I don't think they are saying he is more important than the National Anthem, Dotmom, but I agree with the news reporters. That is the way that Steven Tyler sings so he stayed true to his form of singing, such as it is. I don't care for his singing, nor do I care for him, in fact because of his presence, I don't watch Idol any longer. (I'm not an Aerosmith fan either.) I agree with Wanda, he could have done the song differently, but frankly I don't think he has the voice to do so. That said, I think whoever's idea it was to ask him should be ashamed.

Personally, I don't think the National Anthem should be up for individual interpretation. JMO.

I heard it, he kept the tune, didn't add any notes,
he sounded just like Stephen Tyler. People shouldn't have
expected Josh Groban or Caruso. He hit the notes, AND
he even remembered the words! lol It certainly isn't
the worst or even second worst performance. I don't know what the big deal is either.

He was better than many, and he sounded just like himself. He knew all the words!

The singers I particularly dislike are the ones who overuse melismatic vocal runs on the anthem. How many notes do you need to hang onto a one syllable word? They sound like bad sirens.

Tyler would have sounded better backed up by an electric guitar!

He was fine, I've heard much worse too. So many add as Mary C said- much more annoying. And I think plenty of people think he's pretty current.

Sounded just like Stephen Tyler singing in Aerosmith, who I grew up listening to. Not my style of music nowadays, but he sounded like himself. Hard to change what your voice sounds like. I don't see what all the fuss is.

I thought Kristen Chenowith's interpretration (during the second game) was interesting. She really added a lot of stuff, but I never realized she had such a range.

I am a fan of both Steven Tyler and Kristen Chenoweth. I loved her version of the anthem. Steven, not so much, but what did anyone expect when they hired him to sing it? Did they think they were getting Michael Buble?

Remember Roseanne Barr's version, with the crotch grabbling?

He was being who he is. He wasn't the best nor the worst.
He sang from his heart...good or bad!

He was being himself. He is from the area, he knew the words, he showed no disrespect, I don't see a problem.

Roseanne was not and has never been a singer. I don't know why she was chosen to sing. But Steven Tyler is another matter. He sang the way he sings. I don't understand why some of the headlines said he messed up. As others in this thread said better than I, he is what he is, and people shouldn't expect something different. I thought he did a decent job.

Never been an Aerosmith fan but I love Steven Tyler since he was on Idol last year. He's funny and sincere. I didn't hear him sing so I can't comment on that. I do hate when they put all those little "twiddly-bits" on every word and drag it out. So kudos to Stephen if he didn't do that. Let's face it folks, it's a hard song to sing. I wish we would change the NA to America the Beautiful.

Linda

Anybody who can sing that song without any musical backup has my respect, that's a hard song and I thought he did better than a lot of people do. He sounded exactly like what I thought he would, being who he is.

Wish I had heard Kristin Chenoweth.

No way Tyler would have been invited to Hollywood on American Idol; he's be booted out and used for a bad-singer demo.

I never listened to Aerosmith, so I didn't know that that
"was the way he sings". Well, if that's so, then I think he's a sad excuse for a singer. His screeching of the National Anthem was like fingernails on a chalkboard.
It was a painful rendition.

Long time fan here, I thought he did a good job.
And like a lot of you said, he got all the words right, and he actually sang it "live".

I saw the clip, it's just the way he sings. Screeching. At least he remembered all the words. My niece, a trained (but unemployed) opera singer, says The National Anthem is very difficult to sing because of the high notes. He did okay. Critics, what were you expecting?

Loved it. He is Steven Tyler and that's exactly who he sounded like. I have always been a fan of his. I'm an even bigger fan now than I was when I was a teen.

If people want something to gripe about, maybe they will ask me to sing it for the Superbowl. I'll use my own voice, just for the critics.

Big difference between his performance and Rosanne's, she was totally disrespectful (grabbing her crotch), He was totally respectful.

I thought it was horrible, but only because he just doesn't sing that well without back up instruments and band. He didn't screw it up though, just didn't sound good, IMO. I don't think it was shamefull, they just should have picked someone with a better voice.

I grew up with Elvis, Pat Boone and Frankie Avalon, so when I heard that Steven Tyler was going to be a judge on Idol, I was prepared to hate him. I have totally changed my mind. Well, almost totally. I wish he would clean up his language. I thought he did a wonderful job on the National Anthem. He knew every word and hit every note right on. So his voice is gravelly --- so was Louis Armstrong's. BTW, I think Christen Chenowith butchered it.

I just listened to Kristen chenoweth's version. Beautiful voice, but I didn't like her version. That's not the melody of the song.