Sheet Music

The Library of Congress holds a wide variety of musical arrangements of the Star-Spangled Banner that document changes throughout its history. The Library of Congress call number for historically significant editions of the Star-Spangled Banner is M1630.3 S7. Editions of "The Anacreontic Song" by John Stafford Smith (the tune used for the Star-Spangled Banner) are cataloged under the call number M1630.3 S68. Settings of Francis Scott Key's poem using music other than that of John Stafford Smith can be found under the call number M1630.3 S78. Settings of texts other than Key's on the tune of "The Anacreontic Song" can be found under the call number M1630.3 S76.

Below is a selected list of historically significant editions of the Star-Spangled Banner and its precursors. A larger selection of sheet music can be found on the Library's website by searching for "Notated Music" or using the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

1779 - "The Anacreontic Song"
The first edition of "The Anacreontic Song" by John Stafford Smith, lyrics by Ralph Tomlinson. The tune of this song was later used for The Star-Spangled Banner.
1798 - "Adams and Liberty"
Published in "The American musical miscellany," pages 211-218, "Adams and Liberty" is written to the tune of the Anacreontic song, and this is believed to be the first American book publication of the music of that song.
1814 - The first edition of the music and lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner, A "Pariotic" Song
This edition is identified by the misprinted subtitle. Printed and sold at Carr's music store, 36 Baltimore Street, Baltimore: Printed and sold at Carr's music store, 36 Baltimore Street, 1814.
1815 - First publication with flag pictured on sheet music
Published by A. Bacon and Co., Philadelphia, PA, [ca. 1815].
1821 - Picture of the Battle of Fort McHenry on sheet music. Lyrics erroneously attributed to "B. Key," date of the battle is incorrect.
Published by T. Carr Music Store, Baltimore, MD, 1821.
1825 - Picture of soldiers firing a cannon on sheet music. Even rhythm in first full measure of vocal line.
Published by John Cole, Baltimore, [ca. 1825].
1843 - Arrangement by Francis H. Brown. First version with descending triad at the beginning of the vocal line.
Jollie's Edition of the National Songs of America Arranged for the Pianoforte by Francis H. Brown. Published by Jollie's Music Repository, New York, 1843.
1861 (approx.) - The Southern Cross - Air: The Star-Spangled Banner
New lyrics, sympathetic to the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, written to fit the tune of the Star-Spangled Banner.
1861 - "The Stripes and the Stars: new version of the melody of Star-Spangled Banner"
New lyrics written by Edna Dean Proctor and a musical arrangement by William Dressler. The new lyrics were writtten to inspire patriotic fervor in the Union side during the Civil War. The refrain reads, "Here's welcome to wounding and combat and scars, And the glory of death for the stripes and the stars."
1918 - "Service Version" prepared for Army and Navy song and band books during World War I
The "Service Version" was prepared by a committee of twelve people for the Army and Navy song and band books and for school and community singing. The committee members were John Alden Carpenter, Frederick Converse, Wallace Goodrich, and Walter R. Spalding, representing the War Department Commission on Training Camp Activities; Peter W. Dykema, Hollis Dann, and Osbourne McConathy, representing the Music Supervisors' National Conference; C.C. Birchard, Carl Engel, William Arms Fisher, Arthur Edward Johnstone, and E.W. Newton, representing music publishers.
1918 - Harmonized by Walter Damrosch
This version was prepared at the request of the U.S. Board of Education by a committee of distinguished scholars and musicians in order to establish a standardized version of the melody. The members of the committee were William Earhart, Walter Damrosch, John Philip Sousa, Oscar Sonneck, and Arnold Gantvoort.

The Star-Spangled Banner: A Guide to Resources

Performing Arts: Ask a Librarian

Sheet Music