Who composed the melody used for the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

John Stafford Smith composed the melody used for the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Smith was an English composer, organist, and musicologist who wrote the tune for a London gentlemen’s singing club in the late 18th century.

The melody was originally associated with “Anacreon in Heaven,” a song of the Anacreontic Society. Francis Scott Key later wrote the American lyrics after seeing the United States flag flying over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. His poem was first published in 1814 under the title “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”

The song gradually became popular as a patriotic American piece and was adopted as the national anthem in 1931. A common mix-up is to credit Key with the entire anthem: he wrote the words, while Smith is credited with the pre-existing melody. “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” uses the same melody as “God Save the King.”