My favorite is the US one, as i am sure a lot of you will agree!

Followed by Russia and japan.

What are yours?

Well, just considered as a piece of music, I can't say I care for the anthem of the USA at all. It's in waltz time, for crying out loud, and it's got weird jumps in pitch.

The Internationale is stirring, as is the Marseilles. I don't think I know very many other national anthems.

I love the US Nat anthem for the music! I aint no patriot of my own country, nevermind the US!!!

Claim to fame time, the current Scottish national anthem was written by the Corries, a Scots folk band of which my great uncle (Ronnie Browne) was a member

Anyway, I'm a big sports fan so thats where I hear most national anthems. Must say I've grown attached to the German national anthem over the many years Michael Schumacher has insisted on winning every grand prix he can. For much the same reasons, the Italian national anthem sticks in my head as he drives for Ferrari.

The anthem of the EU, whilst strictly not a national anthem, is Beethovens Ode to Joy, which is fab

Don't get too comfortable with the USA's anthem. As reported by Paul O'Neill, but left on the CBS cutting room floor, the Bush Administration is secretly looking at changing it from the "Star Spangled Banner" to Queen's "We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions" stadium anthems. The Administration is currently looking for ways to reconcile their desire for this new anthem with Queen's lead singer's sexual orientation.

It's coming. It's coming.

Weee willll weee willll rock you!
(sing it!)
Weee willll weee willll rock you!
(everybody!)
Weee willll weee willll rock you!

Here's a good page where you can listen to lots of them: National Anthems Link You need Windows Media Player or similar to hear them. They are all pretty ropey MIDI versions - in my opinion, the best way to hear any national anthem is as sung by the crowds at an international rugby match.

As music, I think Weiss Heim, La Marseillaise, and Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika are about the best. Scotland the Brave is a good one, too, although I'm never sure if that's the official anthem. It's a better song than Flower of Scotland anway.

Some of the English patrotic songs are good - stuff like Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem. They are a bazillion times better than the tuneless dirge of the official anthem, whose wording I hate also (being an atheist and a republican, why the heck would I want God to save the Queen anyway?). I'm with Billy Connolly - the theme music from "The Archers" (a long-running BBC Radio soap about farmers) would be better, but then, almost anything would.

But the only that I like as music, AND which makes my hairs stand on end and my eyes mist up is my own - Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau or Land Of My Fathers to non-Cambriophones like me. (Which might explain the rugby crowd references earlier to those in the know.)

Men Of Harlech - the song the soldiers sing in the film Zulu, comes a close second.

The national anthem of Scotland is 'God Save the Queen'.

Get it right UK people! We're one country, you might not like it, but thats the sorry truth. We all have the same national anthem, even the Welsh.

Flower o' Scotland and Scotland the Brave are both songs which are strongly associated with Scotland, but aren't national anthems. Its a common misconception - but the national anthem is an officially recognised song and they aint it.

Personally I'd like to ditch God Save the Queen, its a dirge. We should just sing Rule Britannia. Its fun (although the imperialist overtones aren't very non-pc I guess).

America should replaces theirs with the Hawai 5-0 tune...

I've never come across a national anthem I actually liked, they always tend to be a little dull. And Ode to Joy (the EU one) is good, but doens't have any proper words (although something along the lines of 'How I hate my EU neighbours, hate them, hate them, every one' scans well and would probably befit the mood of most memebr states).