The Best Instrumental Patriotic Music to Listen to

Looking for the best patriotic music to listen to? Look no further than our list of the top 10 instrumental patriotic songs. From anthems to ballads, these pieces of music will fill you with pride and patriotism.

The Star-Spangled Banner

The “Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from “Defence of Fort M’Henry”, a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large American flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the American victory.

America the Beautiful

“America the Beautiful” is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates, and the music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never met. The poem was first published in The Congregationalist on July 4, 1895, with the title “Pikes Peak”.[4] At that time, the poem was titled “America” for publication.[5] Ward had originally written the music for his own church service on July 4, 1891, which he titled “Materna”, scoring it for four part harmony,[1][6] without lyrics.

The first known public performance of “America the Beautiful” was at Carnegie Hall in October 1900 by the Oratorio Society of New York conducted by Walter Damrosch. Bates originally wrote her poem as a tribute to her hometown of Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak,[7][8] but it quickly caught on as a popular patriotic anthem throughout the United States.[9]

The poem was set to music and retitled “America the Beautiful” by Katherine Lee Bates during a hike to the top of Pikes Peak in August 1893.[10][11] Ward’s music combined with Bates’s poem were first published together in 1910 and titled “America the Beautiful”.[12] The song quickly became popular, especially at patriotic events.[13][14]

The first known recording of “America the Beautiful” was made by baritone De marketplace singing under the pseudonym Charles Graveline in May 1915 as part of Columbia Records’ series Songs That Won The War To End All Wars;[15][16][17] this recording is now lost. The second known recording was made by baritone Richard Jose singing under the pseudonym Richard Wayne in August 1917 as part of Emerson Records’ series Songs That Won World War I;[18][19] this recording is also now lost. A third recording was made by soprano Elizabeth Wheeler Wiley on September 16, 1917 as part of Victor Records’ series Songs For America;[20][21]- this is likely the first commercially released recording of any version of “America”.

God Bless America

This popular patriotic song was written by Irving Berlin during World War I in 1918. He originally intended to write a song that would lift the spirits of the soldiers fighting overseas. The song’s first performance was by Kate Smith on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938.

The lyrics of “God Bless America” express confidence in America and a desire for peace. The phrase “God bless America” has been used in speeches by American presidents, both Republican and Democrat, including Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. In 2001, following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, the New York Yankees played “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch of all their home games.

The song has been recorded by many artists over the years including Bing Crosby, Leonard Bernstein, Marlon Brando, Patti LaBelle, Celine Dion, Garth Brooks, and Christina Aguilera.

Battle Hymn of the Republic

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, also known as “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861 and sung during the American Civil War. The melody was originally written by William Steffe in 1855 and was popular among Union soldiers during the war. The lyrics of the “Battle Hymn” are a direct adaptation of the Biblical Book of Exodus, specifically Exodus 15:3-4, which describes theallelujahs sung by Moses and the Israelites after defeating their enemies at the Red Sea.

The song became popular after being published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862 and was soon adopted as a rallying cry by Union forces. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Mahalia Jackson, Marlene Dietrich, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen.

This Land Is Your Land

This land is your land, This land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and Me

As I was walking a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me