It can't be any more beautiful and powerful than this. The greatest rendition of all time. Voice is perfect, powerful, pitch perfect. The song FINALLY found the rightful singer. Thank goodness, the song is finally given justice by josh's superb performance.
BEAUTIFUL! Pitch perfect and so powerful voice. Most amazing version ever. Audience were so lucky to here this most outstanding performance Live , they couldn't help but to applaud. Wish i was there.
I could never find fault with this voice. It (to me) is beautiful and pure...tender and powerful...emotional and meaningful...stress-releasing and uplifting. Listening to Josh sing brings me joy and serenity. I adore him and I adored this.
I am a huge fan of this musical, and Josh Grobin does this song amazing justice. What an incredible performance. I am in tears -- it really is that beautiful.
Most amazing rendition of this song! From beginning to end, it's breathtaking. Can't be any better than this! Standing ovation, unforgettable performance! No other performance can match this. Such a beautiful, powerful voice. Love it!
He's truly outstanding! The crowd can't help but to applaud even before he was even done with the song. That's how powerful, effective and beautiful his performance is to the audience. Greatest rendition ever.
I love how you can tell that the cameraman held it together just long enough for Josh to finish the song, before he clearly stands up and looses his shit applauding!
I was there that night... I haven't listened to it in years, but something made me today. What an incredible show it was. And this was the highlight. You can hear from the audience how moved we were.
This is truly the greatest rendition ever. With Josh's beautiful, clear , rich, majestic, powerful voice, this song is finally given justice and recognition worldwide that it for so long deserved. Thank you so much Josh and it's an honor for me to hear you sing.
I just love this guy. This song is a perfect display of how beautiful and powerful his voice truly is. And it's all so effortless. Those big notes give me chills every time. Amazing. I love this.
He's so great. Incomparable and unmatched. Gorgeous, grand voice that made the song beautiful. Best version and rendition ever. Love hearing his voice as always.
josh groban has the most beautiful voice quality i've ever heard and will hear. Can't have a better rendition than this especially live. He nailed it. Unforgetable and unsurpassable performance. Just perfect.
this song is beautiful regardless of who sings it, it's powerful lyrics and heart wrenching melody transcends the voice. Anyone writing a comment could make this song amazing, because it sort of represents something in all of us. It truly is an anthem.
Absolutely BRILLIANT - you've made some amazing recordings of the concert!! Gives me great hope that the sound quality on the DVD will be a lot better than it was up in the gods on the night!! Again Many Thanks!! xxx
No one else can sing this song as beautiful as Josh did. His voice is big and powerful and yet it sounds soft and gentle to my ears. I love the way he sustained the last note with beautiful vibrato and control. I've heard lots of other professional singers sing this but I wasn't impressed at all. It can't be any better than this.
Oh my God! He is truly the one for this song! Just listen to his rich, powerful, majestic voice and I Love his high notes and how he sustained the last note with such power, ease and beautiful vibrato! It sounds so beautiful to my ears!
Josh is my favorite person in the whole world. He is amazing beyond description. I totally respect if someone doesn't like him all that much - but I just don't understand :) He will always be my number one. And by the way, the song is GREAT!
Our choir sang this a capella-and it's not a kiddie choir or a general choir it's the advanced students in the school- and it was beautiful. It was four part harmony and it was great.
This is such a fantastic rendition. It used to be available from PBS Great Performances. I can't find it anymore. The choir and the soprano harmonies move me to tears every time!!!! Listen to this high notes! The sound quality on the video from the PBS was excellent and you could distinguish all the instruments and voices.
Don't know why people diss this- it's perfect in every way. There is no flat pitch whatsoever and I don't see those people ever getting into the Albert Hall... Josh is The King of Soar.
What an amazing voice! So rich, clear , big and powerful. This song finally found its perfect singer who can do the best rendition. Can't be any better than this.
I wish we could just enjoy pure talent and quit comparing all the time. The truth is, that they are all good.......sheesh......is it a competition? It is all a matter of personal taste! Josh Groban is my favorite male singer along with Andrea Bochelli, but that doesn't mean others aren't great as well. Let's just enjoy these amazing voices.....all of them!
i still think josh groban did the best interpretation of this song than any other performer ever I've listened to every singer who attempted to sing this but only josh groban gave me goosebumps and i was mesmerized because of his very rich, powerful, effortless,most beautiful voice i've ever heard.Others have to compensate by acting while singing this song to convince the audience.Josh didn't have to,his voice draws the audience to listen til the end .Like it or not,song belongs to him now.
Most beautiful voice and the greatest rendition ever. Those who don't think so are in total denial and are just understandably jealous of Josh groban's superb talent.
It may not have the greatest sound quality, but is definitely the best one uploaded to youtube until now... I've favourited this video, watched it a couple milion of times, and always got thrilled when watching it... thank you for posting it... great song, great video and great singer... thx!
I'm not quite sure what you're hearing, but I hear perfect pitch and perfectly in tune. Even if you're not a Josh fan I'm really surprised you think it's out of tune no matter how slightly.
@melarry I performed in this musical. I also went on to produce it and i can only say that those who come on here and comment against Josh Groban are people who have NEVER had to sit during auditions and hear 'singers' destroy this song. He has a tremendous range as well as a god given talent and anyone who wishes to dispute that fact should think again. Musical theatre is open to interpretion just like other branches of the arts, It's about time that people consider this!
Greatest rendition of all time! Finally, this song has finally found the perfect singer who gives such justice to the song. Just listen to the voice! Rich, powerful, majestic, effortless, very good vibrato, captivating. And the ending was so superb. Incomparable and brilliant
I dont like that people keep knocking Josh. He is good in his own right. People cant keep saying he is rubbish based on other peoples performances. Ask yourselves "If this was the only version of this song would you still think it was good?"
Interestingly, the theatre critics columns after his performance didn't agree. The consensus was that Groban's performance was one of the most successful of the show. He was routinely mentioned as outstanding. One critic who did say his acting wasn't at the level of his vocal did so as he pointed out that the superiority of the vocal more than made up for it. Another critic remarked that this performance reminded him that an emotionally powerful vocal was most critical to musical storytelling.
Can't believe people think korberg sang this song best. Josh groban beats him hands down. Jai from bgt sang this very well too. Josh groban is 1 of the worlds best singers, very under-rated singer!!!
my "where would I start" is a LOT more (YES!) but he does the pop inflections on "tear themselves" better oh yeah, that and he's...uh...famous :) he makes me one part superjealous and one part amazed this is excellent. thanks for sharing
@melarry I performed in thismusical. I also went on to produce it and i can only say that those who come on here and comment against Josh Groban are people who have NEVER had to sit during auditions and hear 'singers' destroy this song. He has a tremendous range as well as a god given talent and anyone who wishes to dispute that fact should think again. Musical theatre is open to interpretion just like other branches of the arts, It's about time that people consider this!
You did well Bjorn and your voice is great I agree - the cuts are very strange but its still good. Norway has some great talent - Good luck - you rock!
Yes youre right, all performers are diffrent and thats what makes every version speciall and unique, but if im gonna choose which version I perfer, then I choose the original.
The song was written specifically for Tommy Körberg to sing, and his is the greatest version. In my opinion. But Josh Groban also does a wonderful job with it. :)
Because people who sing legit work (not that Anthem is legit, but it takes a legit singer's voice) need to show a mastery of their voice. "Sounding the most like a certain tune on a piano" is absolutely vital, because it's necessary to produce a pleasing sound, and it shows that one has trained their voice and has developed great control over it. Sure, there's more to music than note accuracy, but it's still a foundational element.
woah! fierce! in the best of ways. he was really pulling out all the guns. i can understand why he got an ovation... the best version I've heard, though I've not heard many.
@acp153 the concert DVD is just spectacular. Netflix, baby. I watched it twice and kind of regret returning it already. lol This song and Pity the Child especially. And all the voices.. It makes me sick thinking about pop music when I watch something this epic in terms of star performers/singers
Will all the people stumping for other singers' versions of this song, please go to that video and leave the Groban fans alone? If their versions or so vastly superior, why are you bothering to come here and comment?
Several different people have now posted the clip of Groban singing "Anthem" from the DVD. For those who really want to get the full effect of his performance, I would urge you to search for those clips. Many of the perceived vocal problems appear to result from the poor quality of the audio on this clip, which I assume was taken with consumer grade camera. Whatever you may think of his voice, Groban is certainly never flat on the DVD.
*sigh* What's wrong with just relaxing and enjoying the music? It's entertainment, not a competition about who sounds the most like a certain tune on a piano.
Well, there is a good deal of passion in his voice. His main problem is he's just standing there. His voice, fantastic though it is, cannot make the performance as good as it could have been if there's no emotion in his face or body language. But, as you said, he's not trained for musicals, and it is good, if not breath taking.
Josh Groban is amazing. I love his style and music. His voice is unmatched. I did record the same song however and would love to hear what Josh Groban fans have to say about my version. I'm not sure if I can even compete with Josh but I would still appreciate the feedback from you all! thank you. Look up "Brad Robins sings anthem" :)
I'm not trying to be mean, it's just that there are a whole bunch of young singers that can sound just as good and maybe even better that they could have had play the role.
If you search for "Bjørn-Erik Ulvatne" or "Bjørn-Erik+Anthem" you can see and hear my version of this beautifull song if it is of any intrest ;) Sadly its not the whole song, made with some strange cuts just so it could fit the program ;) But you will anyways witnes the way I love to perform this song ;) Hope you enjoy
@ebc616 Might depend on which video you saw or w/e but live no one comes near him. TK has a wider range. He still sings without that old voice some singers get when they get older because he sings all the time. He was in his thirties when he sang Chess when it opened in -84. If you have a chance to listen to the original do so.
I think those who think Groban's version is better should check another one out - try writing "chess anthem skellefteå" in the search bar. Groban's Anthem is overall good, but it doesn't even come close to that. IMO
This is a concert version of the musical; it's probably a lousy barometer of the type of performance that Groban might give were it a fully staged show with sets, costumes, etc. Still, Korberg's version is awe-inspiring, though I also admire David Carroll's version from the original Broadway show.
Watch also Lawrence Gray singing this song... just click on the 4th video response here.... Lawrence has a really amazing voice and gives a wonderful interpretation of "Anthem"! .
Watch also Lawrence Gray singing "Anthem".... just click on the 1st video response above...I really love Lawrence's amazing voice and talent....I hope you will too!
My idol and i love all the songs by Josh groban but singing this chess i prefer Jai McDowall in britain Got talent I think Jai is amazing with heart and passion. I hope He will win BGT. God Bless Scothland.
It can't be any more beautiful and powerful than this. The greatest rendition of all time. Voice is perfect, powerful, pitch perfect. The song FINALLY found the rightful singer. Thank goodness, the song is finally given justice by josh's superb performance.
BEAUTIFUL! Pitch perfect and so powerful voice. Most amazing version ever. Audience were so lucky to here this most outstanding performance Live , they couldn't help but to applaud. Wish i was there.
I could never find fault with this voice. It (to me) is beautiful and pure...tender and powerful...emotional and meaningful...stress-releasing and uplifting. Listening to Josh sing brings me joy and serenity. I adore him and I adored this.
I am a huge fan of this musical, and Josh Grobin does this song amazing justice. What an incredible performance. I am in tears -- it really is that beautiful.
Most amazing rendition of this song! From beginning to end, it's breathtaking. Can't be any better than this! Standing ovation, unforgettable performance! No other performance can match this. Such a beautiful, powerful voice. Love it!
He's truly outstanding! The crowd can't help but to applaud even before he was even done with the song. That's how powerful, effective and beautiful his performance is to the audience. Greatest rendition ever.
I love how you can tell that the cameraman held it together just long enough for Josh to finish the song, before he clearly stands up and looses his shit applauding!
I was there that night... I haven't listened to it in years, but something made me today. What an incredible show it was. And this was the highlight. You can hear from the audience how moved we were.
This is truly the greatest rendition ever. With Josh's beautiful, clear , rich, majestic, powerful voice, this song is finally given justice and recognition worldwide that it for so long deserved. Thank you so much Josh and it's an honor for me to hear you sing.
No it was written for Tommy. Björn and Benny from Abba says so,
I just love this guy. This song is a perfect display of how beautiful and powerful his voice truly is. And it's all so effortless. Those big notes give me chills every time. Amazing. I love this.
He's so great. Incomparable and unmatched. Gorgeous, grand voice that made the song beautiful. Best version and rendition ever. Love hearing his voice as always.
josh groban has the most beautiful voice quality i've ever heard and will hear. Can't have a better rendition than this especially live. He nailed it. Unforgetable and unsurpassable performance. Just perfect.
Glad I was there to see this live.
i just ordered the dvd and cd of this concert...this is most definitely the highlight of the show. wow.
As I watched this last night on PBS, I started to bawl uncontrollably, it was absolutely moving!!
Excellent - I love this man!
I love him. His voice is gorgeous!
yaay!! I love him! and this song!!
I just purchased his latest album, his Collection album, and this version of this song is on there!!! I love it!!
Just so beautiful! love the chord progressions, modulations, voicing, all of it! So gorgeous! :')
this song is beautiful regardless of who sings it, it's powerful lyrics and heart wrenching melody transcends the voice. Anyone writing a comment could make this song amazing, because it sort of represents something in all of us. It truly is an anthem.
Absolutely BRILLIANT - you've made some amazing recordings of the concert!! Gives me great hope that the sound quality on the DVD will be a lot better than it was up in the gods on the night!! Again Many Thanks!!
xxx
No one else can sing this song as beautiful as Josh did. His voice is big and powerful and yet it sounds soft and gentle to my ears. I love the way he sustained the last note with beautiful vibrato and control. I've heard lots of other professional singers sing this but I wasn't impressed at all. It can't be any better than this.
Oh my God! He is truly the one for this song! Just listen to his rich, powerful, majestic voice and I Love his high notes and how he sustained the last note with such power, ease and beautiful vibrato! It sounds so beautiful to my ears!
No complaints from me. I was there for both nights, as usual I was totally enchanted by Josh. I thought he did an amazing job!
Wow!
Angel
Excellent! Everything is perfect: timing, pitch, vibrato, control, effortless voice, everything. Simply the BEST.
I can hardly breathe after that. I saw it both nights, live in concert. It was like a religious experience.
Yes, his voice IS good ... then again, he's singing one of the most gorgeous songs ever to come out of musical theater.
Die DVD MUSS man haben. Chess und Josh Groban ist das Beste.
Josh is my favorite person in the whole world. He is amazing beyond description. I totally respect if someone doesn't like him all that much - but I just don't understand :) He will always be my number one. And by the way, the song is GREAT!
Our choir sang this a capella-and it's not a kiddie choir or a general choir it's the advanced students in the school- and it was beautiful. It was four part harmony and it was great.
This is such a fantastic rendition. It used to be available from PBS Great Performances. I can't find it anymore. The choir and the soprano harmonies move me to tears every time!!!! Listen to this high notes! The sound quality on the video from the PBS was excellent and you could distinguish all the instruments and voices.
I do wish they would bring it back to Australia best musical ever. Josh Groban does Anthem perfectly
Every time I listen to this I get shivers because I was there and the memory of that voice fabulous
I was there Josh got standing ovations both nights with this wonderful.
Don't know why people diss this- it's perfect in every way. There is no flat pitch whatsoever and I don't see those people ever getting into the Albert Hall...
Josh is The King of Soar.
What an amazing voice! So rich, clear , big and powerful. This song finally found its perfect singer who can do the best rendition. Can't be any better than this.
I wish we could just enjoy pure talent and quit comparing all the time. The truth is, that they are all good.......sheesh......is it a competition? It is all a matter of personal taste! Josh Groban is my favorite male singer along with Andrea Bochelli, but that doesn't mean others aren't great as well. Let's just enjoy these amazing voices.....all of them!
Wow! I love this man! You got some really good seats! I'm insanely jealous right now! Thanks for posting!
brilliant...Josh is the best...he melts my heart everytime he sings x
Love love love
i still think josh groban did the best interpretation of this song than any other performer ever I've listened to every singer who attempted to sing this but only josh groban gave me goosebumps and i was mesmerized because of his very rich, powerful, effortless,most beautiful voice i've ever heard.Others have to compensate by acting while singing this song to convince the audience.Josh didn't have to,his voice draws the audience to listen til the end .Like it or not,song belongs to him now.
people asked me why i'm obsessed with him and this is why. WOW just WOW.
Most beautiful voice and the greatest rendition ever. Those who don't think so are in total denial and are just understandably jealous of Josh groban's superb talent.
It may not have the greatest sound quality, but is definitely the best one uploaded to youtube until now... I've favourited this video, watched it a couple milion of times, and always got thrilled when watching it... thank you for posting it... great song, great video and great singer... thx!
I loved it. Brilliant performance, incredible voice. This song was made for him.
Brings me to tears. SO beautiful.
wow, what a beautiful voice. i can't even describe it.
love you JOSH GROBAN.
As always Josh is amazing! : )
I'm not quite sure what you're hearing, but I hear perfect pitch and perfectly in tune. Even if you're not a Josh fan I'm really surprised you think it's out of tune no matter how slightly.
Accept it or not, this is the best performance and best rendition of this song.
his voice makes me so happy
@melarry I performed in this musical. I also went on to produce it and i can only say that those who come on here and comment against Josh Groban are people who have NEVER had to sit during auditions and hear 'singers' destroy this song. He has a tremendous range as well as a god given talent and anyone who wishes to dispute that fact should think again. Musical theatre is open to interpretion just like other branches of the arts, It's about time that people consider this!
This song gives me chill. YOU ROCK JOSH!! ;3;
OMG!! WOW!!! What a voice. Can't wait to see him in San Jose on October 7th.
yeah this is amazing. I hope they come out with the Dvd soon because I want it.
he's so AMAZING!!! Pitch perfect! Some people just need to have their hearing checked. JOSH is the ultimate singer ever.
Greatest rendition of all time! Finally, this song has finally found the perfect singer who gives such justice to the song. Just listen to the voice! Rich, powerful, majestic, effortless, very good vibrato, captivating. And the ending was so superb. Incomparable and brilliant
I dont like that people keep knocking Josh. He is good in his own right. People cant keep saying he is rubbish based on other peoples performances. Ask yourselves "If this was the only version of this song would you still think it was good?"
Interestingly, the theatre critics columns after his performance didn't agree. The consensus was that Groban's performance was one of the most successful of the show. He was routinely mentioned as outstanding. One critic who did say his acting wasn't at the level of his vocal did so as he pointed out that the superiority of the vocal more than made up for it. Another critic remarked that this performance reminded him that an emotionally powerful vocal was most critical to musical storytelling.
oh my God... so many memories... when I remember I was there...
Can't believe people think korberg sang this song best. Josh groban beats him hands down. Jai from bgt sang this very well too. Josh groban is 1 of the worlds best singers, very under-rated singer!!!
my "where would I start" is a LOT more (YES!)
but he does the pop inflections on "tear themselves" better
oh yeah, that and he's...uh...famous :)
he makes me one part superjealous and one part amazed
this is excellent. thanks for sharing
Good song choice for auditions. No one on BGT knew what this song was and didn't expect the climax at the end.
2008 for sure :) I have this song in Josh's CD since last Christmas, so it cannot be 2009 at all :)
@melarry I performed in thismusical. I also went on to produce it and i can only say that those who come on here and comment against Josh Groban are people who have NEVER had to sit during auditions and hear 'singers' destroy this song. He has a tremendous range as well as a god given talent and anyone who wishes to dispute that fact should think again. Musical theatre is open to interpretion just like other branches of the arts, It's about time that people consider this!
You did well Bjorn and your voice is great I agree - the cuts are very strange but its still good. Norway has some great talent - Good luck - you rock!
Yes youre right, all performers are diffrent and thats what makes every version speciall and unique, but if im gonna choose which version I perfer, then I choose the original.
Truly amazing
The song was written specifically for Tommy Körberg to sing, and his is the greatest version. In my opinion. But Josh Groban also does a wonderful job with it. :)
Just great each time I hear it I moved
Because people who sing legit work (not that Anthem is legit, but it takes a legit singer's voice) need to show a mastery of their voice. "Sounding the most like a certain tune on a piano" is absolutely vital, because it's necessary to produce a pleasing sound, and it shows that one has trained their voice and has developed great control over it. Sure, there's more to music than note accuracy, but it's still a foundational element.
my high school vocal music did this song... o-o
woah! fierce! in the best of ways. he was really pulling out all the guns. i can understand why he got an ovation... the best version I've heard, though I've not heard many.
@acp153 the concert DVD is just spectacular. Netflix, baby. I watched it twice and kind of regret returning it already. lol This song and Pity the Child especially. And all the voices.. It makes me sick thinking about pop music when I watch something this epic in terms of star performers/singers
brilliant
josh he is a bariton he sings perfekt
tommy is a tenor
people keep that in mind
Will all the people stumping for other singers' versions of this song, please go to that video and leave the Groban fans alone? If their versions or so vastly superior, why are you bothering to come here and comment?
I didn't notice any flat pitch at the end. I think Josh did a good job. I love this song.
Several different people have now posted the clip of Groban singing "Anthem" from the DVD. For those who really want to get the full effect of his performance, I would urge you to search for those clips. Many of the perceived vocal problems appear to result from the poor quality of the audio on this clip, which I assume was taken with consumer grade camera. Whatever you may think of his voice, Groban is certainly never flat on the DVD.
goose bumps: check!
die DVD ist Wunderbar
*sigh* What's wrong with just relaxing and enjoying the music?
It's entertainment, not a competition about who sounds the most like a certain tune on a piano.
Well, there is a good deal of passion in his voice. His main problem is he's just standing there. His voice, fantastic though it is, cannot make the performance as good as it could have been if there's no emotion in his face or body language. But, as you said, he's not trained for musicals, and it is good, if not breath taking.
Josh Groban is amazing. I love his style and music. His voice is unmatched. I did record the same song however and would love to hear what Josh Groban fans have to say about my version. I'm not sure if I can even compete with Josh but I would still appreciate the feedback from you all! thank you. Look up "Brad Robins sings anthem" :)
YES! Warlow all the way!
Well done! Be sure to please also check out and download Brad Robins' version as well! If you love this song I think you will be glad you did.
The concert was recorded, it will be airing next season on PBS' Great Performance ... at least thats the plan.
Wonderful! Enjoy also a talented young man Henry Benson singing Anthem(on youtube)
Powerful.
I'm not trying to be mean, it's just that there are a whole bunch of young singers that can sound just as good and maybe even better that they could have had play the role.
God Chess is effing amazing. Has to be said.
I think his version is moving and musical. Don't get hung up on other versions you have heard and actually listen to HIM sing the song....
@HumansLib
Tommy Körberg was the first to sing this song actually :) i prefer this version .
If you search for "Bjørn-Erik Ulvatne" or "Bjørn-Erik+Anthem" you can see and hear my version of this beautifull song if it is of any intrest ;) Sadly its not the whole song, made with some strange cuts just so it could fit the program ;) But you will anyways witnes the way I love to perform this song ;) Hope you enjoy
not the clearest video out there and to those who doubt him the album version(which i think this is)is perfection...flat notes my arse!!
@ebc616 Might depend on which video you saw or w/e but live no one comes near him. TK has a wider range. He still sings without that old voice some singers get when they get older because he sings all the time. He was in his thirties when he sang Chess when it opened in -84. If you have a chance to listen to the original do so.
I think those who think Groban's version is better should check another one out - try writing "chess anthem skellefteå" in the search bar. Groban's Anthem is overall good, but it doesn't even come close to that. IMO
This is a concert version of the musical; it's probably a lousy barometer of the type of performance that Groban might give were it a fully staged show with sets, costumes, etc. Still, Korberg's version is awe-inspiring, though I also admire David Carroll's version from the original Broadway show.
Watch also Lawrence Gray singing this song... just click on the 4th video response here.... Lawrence has a really amazing voice and gives a wonderful interpretation of "Anthem"!
.
Watch also Lawrence Gray singing "Anthem".... just click on the 1st video response above...I really love Lawrence's amazing voice and talent....I hope you will too!
My idol and i love all the songs by Josh groban but singing this chess i prefer Jai McDowall in britain Got talent I think Jai is amazing with heart and passion. I hope He will win BGT. God Bless Scothland.