Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- Many Americans recall the image of Barack Obama standing on the steps of the Capitol as he was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States in 2009 . But they also remember Aretha Franklin , and how she belted out `` My Country , 'T is of Thee '' wearing an enormous bow that threatened to engulf her entire head . Later that night , Beyonce crooned `` At Last '' while the Obamas took their first spin on the dance floor as POTUS and FLOTUS . This time , Beyonce will perform the national anthem , with Kelly Clarkson singing `` My Country , 'T is of Thee '' and James Taylor doing the honors on `` America the Beautiful . '' Inaugural events have spotlighted the intersection of politics , pop culture and music since the early '60s , said David Gergen , director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University . `` The person that really changed the nature of inaugural music was John Kennedy , because he was a friend with many in Hollywood -- especially Frank Sinatra , '' said Gergen , also a CNN contributor . `` Sinatra came in and co-produced one of the great shows at an inauguration ... and that became sort of the standard . '' Who will be there : Celebrities flock to D.C. for inauguration . Kennedy was 43 when he was elected . Bill Clinton and Obama were also in their 40s for their first terms in the Oval Office . `` The younger the president , the more we see a connection to pop culture and to music , '' said Phil Gallo , senior correspondent for Billboard . `` So Kennedy , you have it . Nixon , you do n't . '' At Richard Nixon 's first inauguration in 1969 , the crowd was treated to `` This is My Country '' performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Salt Lake City , according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies . Gallo believes you can learn a lot about a commander in chief by the musical acts he chooses to spotlight . `` George W. Bush loved to portray himself as a Texas rancher . Therefore , what 's a Texas rancher listen to ? Country . '' So Brooks & Dunn and Clint Black headlined his first inaugural celebration in 2001 . In 1977 , Jimmy Carter looked to his regional roots for inspiration . `` Jimmy Carter , he was a Georgian , '' Gallo explains . `` At that time , that meant the stars of Southern rock . So the Allman Brothers are in the White House . '' Sometimes the musicians are joined on stage by the president himself . In 1989 , George H.W . Bush strummed a guitar with B.B . King at one of his inaugural galas , while in 1993 , Clinton grabbed a saxophone for a duet with the E Street Band 's Clarence Clemons . But even they were upstaged by the five members of Fleetwood Mac , who famously reunited to perform their megahit that became Clinton 's campaign song , `` Do n't Stop . '' Frontman Lindsey Buckingham recalls the mood that night . `` It was extremely exhilarating and exciting to do a song that you 've done a million times , but doing it in a completely different context . As we were going out with the tag , 'Do n't you look back , do n't you look back , ' Bill comes up , and Hillary comes up and shakes our hands . It was just one of those experiences you 'll never forget . '' Lessons in style from Michelle Obama . That one performance caused Fleetwood Mac members to rethink old grievances with each other . `` Oddly enough , it did act as the catalyst for me to sort of reconsider my options , shall we say , and the band got back together , '' Buckingham chuckled . This year 's festivities include a Kids ' Inaugural Concert on Saturday and two official balls on Monday night . Performers for those events include Katy Perry , Brad Paisley , Alicia Keys , Marc Anthony , Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson -- a mix of pop , country , R & B , Latin , rock and old-school hitmakers . Gallo says Obama 's lineup is deliberately inclusive to reflect his campaign agenda -- but it could just as easily reflect the playlist of the first family . `` It almost looks more like they booked it by looking at the iPod of Barack and Michelle , and then looking at the iPod of their daughters . '' Expect Obama 's second-term events to be more celebratory than his first-term functions . `` The first time around , we heard songs that had a message that you would n't have heard in previous inaugurations -- ' A Change is Gon na Come , ' 'We Shall Overcome . ' We had people reflecting on the civil rights movement , the fact that we had our first African-American president , '' said Gallo . `` Now , I think it 'll be a little more up-tempo , a little peppier . People want a bit of a diversion as we start to think about the next four years . '' Gergen does n't disagree . `` Presidents often choose to make statements about who they are , and what their hopes and aspirations are through the music , through the inaugural address , through the people they bring together there . '' Share photos of the inauguration on CNN iReport .
Popular music has been part of the presidential inauguration for decades . John F. Kennedy asked Frank Sinatra to produce his inaugural song in 1961 . Beyonce , James Taylor and others will perform this year at Obama 's inauguration .