“Stars and Stripes Forever” was first played at Willow Grove Park in 1897. ”Stars and Stripes Forever" uses the basic American military march format. All of his life, Sousa loved music and loved America, so it would only make sense that he wrote this patriotic classic.This caused "Stars and Stripes Forever" was a rapid success. Starting 1897 until the band retired performing, whenever they would play, the audience would expect to hear”Stars and Stripes Forever." As it was played,
the audience would stand up and applaud. In the beginning phases, it was not rare for the band to play it several times in a performance, which in effect every time receiving louder praise than before. Sousa last performed it on the day he died, March 6, 1932.
As the years passed, the march withheld itself to the American people. To see Sousa conducting his own amazing band, his most famous composition, always had an emotional effect on people. The piece was expected, and most of the time demanded, at every performance of the Sousa Band. Most of the time it was played unexpectedly as an encore. The audience highly anticipated the performance of this song. Joy, pride, and thrill are just a few of the emotions the American people would experience when hearing this march.
Almost anyone would say that “Stars and Stripes Forever” is a masterpiece, even if it had no patriotic importance. But because of that patriotic significance, it is by far the most popular march ever written, and its popularity is not restricted to the United States. It symbolizes America. It has been played more than practically any other composition ever written.