Today in Music (1897): John Philip Sousa “The Stars and Stripes Forever” first performed publicly

The Stars and Stripes Forever John Philip Sousa

Writer(s): John Philip Sousa (music & lyrics) (see lyrics here) First Performed: May 14, 1897 First Charted: July 3, 1897 Peak: 18 PM (original), 13 (new 1901 version) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 10.0 (sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 32.8 video, 2.38 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: John Philip Sousa was born in 1854 in Washington, D.C. He was the son of a trombonist in the U.S. Marine Band and was himself the director of the Marine Band from 1880-1892. He became “the nation’s most famous bandmaster” because of “his epic march compositions.” PM Marches were the favored musical form of dancers at the turn of the century, as the meter was perfect for the then “widly popular two-step dance.” TY2 After Sousa left the Marine Band, he led an ensemble identified simply as Sousa’s Band. They became “the nation’s most popular concert ensemble” TY2 – “the Elvis or Sinatra of his day.” NRR They made more than a thousand recordings TY2 and performing over 10,000 concerts around the world over the years. PM Interestingly, because of his disdain of what he called “canned music,” he rarely participated in recording, turning over conducting duties to others. The compositions, however, were often by him and “bore his distinctive, full-bodied musical style derived from the military and brass band traditions.” SS “The Stars and Stripes Forever” was not only Sousa’s most successful composition but the most successful march ever written. SS It was, however, inspired by tragedy. On November 8, 1896, he received a telegram that David Blakely, his partner with whom he’d formed Sousa’s Band, was dead. He was in Europe at the time and headed back to America on the ocean liner the SS Teutonic. He fought through his grief by celebrating Blakely’s optimistic spirit and writing a song about how blessed he was to have been born in the United States. By the time the ship docked in New York, he’d composed a fully arranged score in his head of what became “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” NRR He then wrote down the composition on Christmas Day in 1896. He wrote lyrics for it, but it became more popular as an instrumental. SS The first public performance of the song was in Philadelphia on May 14, 1897, for a Washingoton memorial dedication. SS The song became one of the most recorded songs of the pre-rock era with more than 100 versions. TY2 The song charted six times prior to the introduction of the Billboard Hot 100. Sousa’s original version and his 1901 remake both hit #1. He returned to #4 with the song in 1917. That version was recorded on December 13, 1912 and officially called “The Stars and Stripes Forever March.” Horace Heidt (#26, 1940), Frankie Laine (#20, 1950), and Ralph Flanagan (#28, 1950) were the others to chart with the song. PM Resources: NRR National Recording Registry (7/4/2021). “On the Recording Registry: ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ (1897)” by Cary O’Dell SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 157-8. TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Pages 14-5. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Pages 400-1 and 585. Related Links: First posted 1/31/2024; last updated 2/1/2024.