What march has been the official National March of the United States since 1987?

The Stars and Stripes Forever has been the official National March of the United States since 1987.

John Philip Sousa wrote the march in 1896, and the John Church Company published it in 1897. Sousa was already famous as a conductor and composer of military and patriotic music, and this piece became one of his best-known works. Its bright brass melodies, driving rhythm, and prominent piccolo passages helped make it a staple of American ceremonies and parades.

Congress gave the march its official status through 36 U.S. Code § 304 in 1987. That title is distinct from “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is the national anthem, and “America the Beautiful,” which is a patriotic song but not the national march. The march’s title refers to the American flag and expresses the patriotic symbolism associated with Sousa’s music.