Which country has the best national anthem?

[Ken Cheng]

Which country has the best national anthem?

Most people are likely to pick their own country's, but setting that aside, which anthem is the most tuneful and memorable?

[pannonian]

Soviet Union. Far better than the crappy British anthem. IMHO the unofficial English anthem is even better though.

[Lady Zhuge]

For me it's the Chinese National Anthem. I also like the anthems of France, Russia, Canada, and the United States. I'm sure there are other goods ones I've yet to discover.

[PJ]

France.

Always hated the American national anthem.

[soccerfeva]

Germany!

Really solid anthem.

[Cesare]

Slovakia. "Nad Tatrou sa blyska" (Lightning over the Tatras) has always been my fave. When Czechoslovakia split, my only regret was that the cooler part of Czechoslovakian anthem remained with the folks on the other side of the border.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0dDz8O1qGs
(The melody is actually most probably Hungarian but if you ever happen to meet a Slovak, don't mention that to him/her. )

[odbayarb2000]

Have you ever heard National Anthem of Mongolia?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YY6dXPGbL4&feature=fvw

[kidd]

Isreal's one is nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsxIiiGjsR4

Arab's one is cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBNlnteMXso

[seventhfairy]

The Chinese anthem is pretty strong!!

lyrics:
起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！
把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！
中华民族到了最危险的时候，
每个人被迫着发出最后的吼声。
起来！起来！起来！
我们万众一心，
冒着敌人的炮火，前进！
冒着敌人的炮火，前进！
前进！前进！进！

english:
Arise! All who refuse to be slaves!
Let our flesh and blood forge into our new [COLOR=#0645ad]Great Wall[/COLOR]!
As the [COLOR=#0645ad]Chinese nation[/COLOR] faces its greatest [COLOR=#0645ad]peril[/COLOR],
All forcefully expend their last cries.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Our million hearts beat as one,
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
March on! March on! On!

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_national_anthem

[Dragon Heiress]

Yeah, China's anthem is awesome. The Soviet anthem (posted above) is pretty awesome too. I don't like Canada's anthem; the melody doesn't appeal to me.

Is that really Israel's anthem? It's a common Czech folk song that the composer Smetana based his piece "Vltava" on.

[Canuck21]

My idea of a good national anthem is one that should by its music alone, regardless of lyrics, give the impression that its country is grand and powerful and the anthem that matches this criteria the most is the National Anthem of the Russian Federation/Soviet Union. To me, it's the "perfect" national anthem.

My personal favourite anthem beside that of my country is Horst-Wessel-Lied, also known as Die Fahne hoch. It was the anthem of the Nazi Party and the Nazis made it a co-national anthem of Germany from 1933 to 1945. I got hooked to this anthem years ago whilst playing Wolfenstein 3-D.

Now I like this next national anthem very much partly because it is the anthem of my homeland, but it's not the sole reason. I'm talking about O Canada which I consider to be the people's anthem. It has a good melody that represents the country very well. It sounds grand but homely instead of powerful which is exactly what Canada is. What makes it good for the people is that its melody and lyrics, both in English and in French, are rather easy for everyone to sing. That is why it is at its best when sung by the crowd.

To continue... maybe...

[Guo Xiang]

I like a couple of western national anthems (don't remember which ones now). Japan's is very memorable... but feels so deathly, as if it's a funeral song. @[email protected];

[Cesare]

My idea of a good national anthem is one that should by its music alone, regardless of lyrics, give the impression that its country is grand and powerful...

I dunno...
With big, powerful nations that makes sense, but I don't think it's a universally applicable criterion...
One thing I've always liked about our anthem was the fact that it has never been about grandeur or power, but simply about strong and deep love for one's homeland...
(The Slovakian anthem is still cooler, though...;-) I love the lyrics of Czech anthem but the melody is somehow too Bohemian for my Moravian tastes...:-))

Dragon Heiress: Well, the said folk song and the melody of Israeli anthem have a common source of origin.

[geesun]

Which country has the best national anthem?

Most people are likely to pick their own country's, but setting that aside, which anthem is the most tuneful and memorable?

For mE Its the Philippine Anthem...It HAs a good lyrics and very meaning full.

[forgot password]

The national anthem of the USSR is the best ever hands down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLcc19mt4eA

[Canuck21]

I think every country has unique and good national anthem and the people of that country will like it. i don't think there will be one particular to choose..

That's very politically correct and I strongly disagree. There are some national anthems I find very boring and I know a few who do not like the national anthem of their country.

[Irwirka]

I agree with those, who consider the USSR/Russia national anthem as the best ever. I also like Polish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQKks...eature=related (not only because it’s mine) and Turkish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYihc...eature=related anthems.

[Laboomsikashod]

Australia's anthem has a very nice tune and is accompanied by beautiful lyrics.
Chinese anthem's tune is great too, but it's lyrics is written as a war song, which imo doesn't sound very appropriate when China is not fighting any wars.

The USSR anthem sounds really good, I've never heard it before, is it different from the Russian one? I heard the Russian anthem at the Vancouver olympics closing ceremony, and it just dragged on and on and didn't sound very majestic.

[pannonian]

Australia's anthem has a very nice tune and is accompanied by beautiful lyrics.
Chinese anthem's tune is great too, but it's lyrics is written as a war song, which imo doesn't sound very appropriate when China is not fighting any wars.

The USSR anthem sounds really good, I've never heard it before, is it different from the Russian one? I heard the Russian anthem at the Vancouver olympics closing ceremony, and it just dragged on and on and didn't sound very majestic.

The Soviet anthem sounds that much more majestic with its praise for sovietsky (I love the sound of that word) and soyuz.

[milKBoi]

USA and New Zealand.