“I bet if it had been Brian May playing this it would have been labeled incredible!” Sam Ryder delivers an electric guitar-driven rendition of the British national anthem – and somehow stirs up controversy

There’s a long history of high-profile guitarists playing the Star-Spangled Banner on electric guitar. Jimi Hendrix’s searing rendition at Woodstock immediately springs to mind, with his take managing to capture the plight of a generation while simultaneously showcasing his virtuosic prowess.

However, when it comes to God Save the King – the British national anthem – well... hearing a player shred a more rock-oriented rendition seems to have stirred up some controversy.

Sure, Brian May did rip out God Save the Queen on the roof of Buckingham Palace back in 2002, but a recent rendition by singer-songwriter and guitarist Sam Ryder at the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final seems to have divided fans.

Brandishing an Ibanez DT155 Destroyer, Ryder delivered an overdriven take on the national anthem. Alas, some didn’t appreciate the less traditional route, with comments like: “We are not American. Just get a good old military band and a good singer. Some things do not need to be played with,” “Felt very SuperBowly,” and, “We were there. Tried to sing along and gave up. Fan base isn't the same as NFL, give up trying to make it so…” flooding social media.

Others stood up for Ryder, complimenting his rendition and appreciating that it served as a nod to May’s iconic take.

“Everyone knocking this is mad! Did you want some operatically trained singer doing it for the millionth time? It was cool to have it on guitar,” commented one fan, while another noted, “I bet if it had been Brian May playing this it would have been labeled incredible!”

This is far from Ryder’s first rodeo – he had previously performed a Strat-driven rendition of the national anthem at the 2022 Lenovo Formula 1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at the Silverstone International Circuit. That year, the singer-songwriter also represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest with his ’70s rock-tinged entry, Space Man – which came complete with a May-esque solo.

He has since gone on to release his debut album, There’s Nothing but Space, Man!, in 2023, and his OH OK EP just last month.

Despite it being more of a tradition in the States, guitarists like Grace Bowers also receive backlash for their renditions of the U.S. national anthem. Last year, the fast-rising guitarist put her wah-laden twist on the Star-Spangled Banner, which received its fair share of criticism despite its originality.