The word "anthem" is commonly used to describe any celebratory song or composition for a distinct group, as in
national anthems. Further, some songs are artistically styled as anthems, whether or not they are used as such, including
Marilyn Manson's "
Irresponsible Hate Anthem",
Silverchair's "
Anthem for the Year 2000", and
Toto's "Child's Anthem".
National anthem A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song, etc.) is generally a
patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, and struggles of a
country's people, recognized either by that state's
government as the official national
song, or by
convention through use by the people. The majority of national anthems are
marches or
hymns in style. The countries of
Latin America,
Central Asia, and
Europe tend towards more ornate and
operatic pieces, while those in the
Middle East,
Oceania,
Africa, and the
Caribbean use a simpler
fanfare. Some
countries that are devolved into multiple constituent states have their own official musical compositions for them (such as with the United Kingdom, Russian Federation, and the former Soviet Union); their constituencies' songs are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not
sovereign states.
Flag anthem {{Listen A
flag anthem is generally a
patriotic musical composition that extols and praises a flag, typically one of a country, in which case it is sometimes called a national flag anthem. It is often either sung or performed during or immediately before the raising or lowering of a flag during a ceremony. Most countries use their respective national anthems or some other patriotic song for this purpose. However, some countries, particularly in South America, use a separate flag anthem for such purposes. Not all countries have flag anthems. Some used them in the past but no longer do so, such as Iran, China, and South Africa. Flag anthems can be officially codified in law, or unofficially recognized by custom and convention. In some countries, the flag anthem may be just another song, and in others, it may be an official symbol of the state akin to a second national anthem, such as in Taiwan.
Sports anthem Many
pop songs are used as
sports anthems, notably including
Queen's "
We Are the Champions" and "
We Will Rock You", and some sporting events have their own anthems, most notably including
UEFA Champions League.
Corporate anthem Since the 20th century, corporations' senior management have written and performed corporate anthems in an attempt to motivate workers and explain company values. They are most often screened during private conferences, intended only to be heard by workers and sometimes company sponsors. In 1937, IBM released a collection of 100 "happy songs" for IBM corporate gatherings. Each song borrowed tunes from existing music, with lyrics altered to fit the goals and personages of IBM. For example, an ode to IBM president
Thomas J. Watson was sung to the tune of
Auld Lang Syne:T. J. Watson - you're our leader fine, the greatest in the land, We sing your praises from our hearts - we're here to shake your hand. You're I. B. M.'s bright guiding star throughout the hemispheres, No matter what the future brings, we all will persevere. the
Polydor Orchestra performed the "Song of
Fujitsu". It was screened during a corporate presentation, intended to be viewed only by authorized Apple dealers and retailers. When the audience failed to dance, the emcee "berated them", and the employees "half-heartedly got up and just stood there". Although footage of the event is presumed to be lost, a recording was uploaded to YouTube in 2018, which alleged that a souvenir CD with the MP3 was gifted to attendees. "
Hymn to Liberty" is the longest national anthem in the world by length of text. In 1865, the first three stanzas and later the first two officially became the national anthem of
Greece and later also that of the
Republic of Cyprus. "
Forged from the Love of Liberty" was composed as the national anthem for the short-lived
West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and was adopted by
Trinidad and Tobago when it became independent in 1962. "
Esta É a Nossa Pátria Amada" is the national anthem of
Guinea-Bissau and was also the national anthem of
Cape Verde until 1996. "
Oben am jungen Rhein", the national anthem of
Liechtenstein, is set to the tune of "God Save the King/Queen". Other anthems that have used the same melody include "
Heil dir im Siegerkranz" (Germany), "
Kongesangen" (Norway), "
My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (United States), "
Rufst du, mein Vaterland" (Switzerland), "
E Ola Ke Alii Ke Akua" (Hawaii), and "
The Prayer of Russians". The
Estonian anthem "
Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" is set to a melody composed in 1848 by
Fredrik (Friedrich) Pacius which is also that of the national anthem of
Finland: "" ("" in Swedish). It is also considered to be the ethnic anthem for the
Livonian people with lyrics "
Min izāmō, min sindimō" ("My Fatherland, my native land"). "
Hey, Slavs" is dedicated to
Slavic peoples. Its first lyrics were written in 1834 under the title "Hey, Slovaks" ("Hej, Slováci") by
Samuel Tomášik and it has since served as the ethnic anthem of the
Pan-Slavic movement, the organizational anthem of the
Sokol physical education and political movement, the national anthem of
Yugoslavia and the transitional anthem of the State Union of
Serbia and Montenegro. The song is also considered to be the second, unofficial anthem of the Slovaks. Its melody is based on
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, which has also been the anthem of
Poland since 1926, but the Yugoslav variation is much slower and more accentuated. Between 1991 and 1994 "
Deșteaptă-te, române!" was the national anthem of both
Romania (which adopted it in 1990) and
Moldova, but in the case of the latter it was replaced by the current Moldovan national anthem, "
Limba noastră". Between 1975 and 1977, the national anthem of Romania "
E scris pe tricolor Unire" shared the same melody as the national anthem of
Albania "
Himni i Flamurit", which is the melody of a Romanian patriotic song "
Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire". The modern national anthem of
Germany, "
Das Lied der Deutschen", uses the same tune as the 19th- and early 20th-century
Austro-Hungarian imperial anthem "
Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser". The "
Hymn of the Soviet Union", was used until its dissolution in 1991, and was given new words and
adopted by the
Russian Federation in 2000 to replace an instrumental national anthem that had been introduced in 1990. "
Bro Gozh ma Zadoù", the regional anthem of
Brittany and, "
Bro Goth Agan Tasow", the
Cornish regional anthem, are sung to the same tune as that of the Welsh
de-facto national anthem "
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", with similar words.
For parts of countries {{listen {{listen {{listen {{listen {{listen Some countries, such as the former
Soviet Union,
Spain, and the
United Kingdom, among others, are held to be unions of several "nations" by various definitions. Each of the different "nations" may have their own anthem and these songs may or may not be officially recognized; these compositions are typically referred to as regional anthems though may be known by other names as well (e.g. "state songs" in the
United States).
Austria In
Austria, the situation is similar to that in Germany. The regional anthem of
Upper Austria, the "Hoamatgsang" (), is notable as the only (official) German-language anthem written and sung entirely in dialect.
Belgium In
Belgium,
Wallonia uses "
Le Chant des Wallons" and Flanders uses "
De Vlaamse Leeuw".
Brazil Most of the Brazilian
states have official anthems.
Minas Gerais uses an adapted version of the traditional Italian song "Vieni sul mar" as its unofficial anthem. During the
Vargas Era (1937–1945) all regional symbols including anthems were banned, but they were legalized again by the
Eurico Gaspar Dutra government.
Canada The Canadian province of
Newfoundland and Labrador, having been the independent
Dominion of Newfoundland before 1949, also has its own regional anthem from its days as a dominion and colony of the UK, the "
Ode to Newfoundland". It was the only Canadian province with its own anthem until 2010, when
Prince Edward Island adopted the 1908 song "
The Island Hymn" as its provincial anthem.
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia had a national anthem composed of two parts, the first verses of the
Czech and
Slovak anthems. After the
dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the anthem split as well, but Slovakia added an extra verse.
Germany In
Germany, many of the
Länder (states) have their own anthems, some of which predate the
unification of Germany in 1871. A prominent example is the
Hymn of Bavaria, which also has the status of an official anthem (and thus enjoys legal protection). There are also several unofficial regional anthems, like the "
Badnerlied" and the "
Niedersachsenlied".
India Some of the
states and union territories of India have officially adopted their own
state anthem for use during state government functions.
Japan As of 2025, forty-four of the forty-seven
prefectures of Japan have one or more official prefectural songs. The only prefectures that do not have a prefectural song are
Osaka,
Hiroshima and
Ōita. However, all except Ōita have unofficial prefectural songs, and all three have official prefectural sports songs. It is sometimes believed that
Hyōgo does not have an official prefectural song, but the song was adopted in 1947. In many prefectures, an official , or , is played alongside the raising of the
prefectural flag at government-hosted events. In addition to the official prefectural song, several other songs that symbolize the prefecture—such as sports-themed songs or image songs representing the local identity—have often been adopted. Regarding official prefectural songs, there are a variety of cases: some songs trace their origins to
shōka (school songs) used in education during the mid-
Meiji period; others were created after the end of World War II under encouragement from the
General Headquarters of the Allied Forces (GHQ/SCAP); still others were composed in or after the 1980s. However, the most common pattern—seen in prefectures like
Toyama and
Aichi—is songs that were established in conjunction with the
National Sports Festival, just like their prefectural flags. Some songs, such as
Nagano Prefecture's , are so well-known that it is considered natural for residents to be able to sing them. However, there are also many examples where even local residents are not very familiar with their prefecture's song. Prefectural songs are mainly performed at events hosted by the prefectural government or during the National Sports Festival, but in some cases, they are also used as internal chimes to signal the start and end of work at prefectural offices, or as telephone hold music or ringtone melodies. In Japan, many
municipalities (cities, towns, and villages) under each prefecture also have their own official . In addition, many of the
special wards of Tokyo and the administrative wards of
government-designated cities have established their own .
Malaysia All the individual states of
Malaysia have their own anthems.
Mexico In
Mexico, after the national anthem was established in 1854, most of the states of the federation adopted their own regional anthems, which often emphasize heroes, virtues or particular landscapes. In particular, the regional anthem of
Zacatecas, the "
Marcha de Zacatecas", is one of the more well-known of Mexico's various regional anthems.
Serbia and Montenegro In 2004 and 2005 respectively, the
Montenegrin and
Serbian regions of
Serbia and Montenegro adopted their own regional anthems. When the two regions both became independent
sovereign states in mid-2006, their regional anthems became their national anthems.
Soviet Union Fourteen of the fifteen
constituent states of the Soviet Union had their own official song which was used at events connected to that region, and also written and sung in that region's own language. The
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic used the Soviet Union's national anthem as its regional anthem ("
The Internationale" from 1917 to 1944 and the "
National Anthem of the Soviet Union" from 1944 to 1990) until 1990, the last of the Soviet constituent states to do so. After the Soviet Union disbanded in the early 1990s, some of its former constituent states, now sovereign nations in their own right, retained the melodies of their old Soviet-era regional anthems until replacing them or, in some cases, still use them today. Unlike most national anthems, few of which were composed by renowned composers, the Soviet Union's various regional anthems were composed by some of the best Soviet composers, including world-renowned
Gustav Ernesaks (Estonia),
Aram Khachaturian (Armenia),
Otar Taktakishvili (Georgia), and
Uzeyir Hajibeyov (Azerbaijan). The lyrics present great similarities, all having mentions to
Vladimir Lenin (and most, in their initial versions, to
Joseph Stalin, the Armenian and Uzbek anthems being exceptions), to the guiding role of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and to the brotherhood of the Soviet peoples, including a specific reference to the friendship of the
Russian people (the Estonian, Georgian and Karelo-Finnish anthems were apparently an exception to this last rule). Some of the Soviet regional anthems' melodies can be sung in the
Soviet Union anthem lyrics (Ukrainian and Belarus are the most fitted in this case). Most of these regional anthems were replaced with new national ones during or after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union;
Belarus,
Kazakhstan (until 2006),
Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan (until 1997), and
Uzbekistan kept the melodies, but with different lyrics.
Russia itself had abandoned the Soviet hymn, replacing it with
a tune by
Glinka. However, with
Vladimir Putin coming to power, the old Soviet tune was restored, with
new lyrics written to it. Like the
hammer and sickle and
red star, the public performance of the anthems of the Soviet Union's various regional anthems the national anthem of the Soviet Union itself are considered as occupation symbols as well as symbols of
totalitarianism and
state terror by several countries formerly either members of or occupied by the
Soviet Union. Accordingly, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, and
Ukraine have banned those anthems amongst other things deemed to be symbols of fascism, socialism, communism, and the Soviet Union and its republics. In
Poland, dissemination of items which are “media of fascist, communist, or other totalitarian symbolism” was criminalized in 1997. However, in 2011 the
Constitutional Tribunal found this sanction to be unconstitutional. In contrast to this treatment of the
symbolism, promotion of fascist, communist and other totalitarian
ideology remains illegal. Those laws do not apply to the anthems of
Russia,
Belarus,
Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, and
Tajikistan which used the melody with different lyrics.
Spain In
Spain, the situation is similar to that in Austria and Germany. Unlike the national anthem, most of the
anthems of the autonomous communities have words. All are official. Three prominent examples are "
Els Segadors" of
Catalonia, "
Eusko Abendaren Ereserkia" of the
Basque Country, and "
Os Pinos" of
Galicia, all written and sung in the local languages.
United Kingdom The United Kingdom's national anthem is "
God Save the King" but
its constituent countries and
Crown Dependencies also have their own equivalent songs which have varying degrees of official recognition.
England,
Scotland,
Wales, and
Northern Ireland each have anthems which are played at occasions such as sports matches and official events. • England - "
God Save the King" is usually presumed to be, and often played as, the
English regional anthem; but "
Jerusalem", "
I Vow To Thee, My Country" and "
Land of Hope and Glory" are also sung. "
Jerusalem" is used as England's anthem at the
Commonwealth Games. • Scotland variously uses "
Flower of Scotland", "
Auld Lang Syne", and "
Scotland the Brave" as its unofficial national anthems. "Flower of Scotland" is used as Scotland's anthem at the
Commonwealth Games and international
football and
rugby matches. • Wales has sung "
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" since 1856 when it was written by father and son
Evan and
James James. The music and a Breton translation, "
Bro Gozh ma Zadoù", were adopted by
Brittany as its anthem; and there is also a Cornish version, "
Bro Goth agan Tasow", sung alongside "
Trelawney" as an unofficial Cornish anthem. In Wales, "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" is sometimes accompanied by the hymn, "
Guide Me, O thou Great Redeemer" (also referred to as "Bread of Heaven" from repeated words in its first verse), especially at rugby matches. • Northern Ireland currently uses "God Save the King" as its anthem at international
football matches and uses "
Danny Boy/Londonderry Air" at the
Commonwealth Games. The
Isle of Man, a Crown dependency, uses "God Save the King" as a Royal anthem, but also has its own local anthem,
"O Land of Our Birth" (Manx: "
O Halloo Nyn Ghooie").
United States Although the United States has "
The Star-Spangled Banner" as its official national anthem, all except two of its constituent states and territories also have their own regional anthem (referred to by most US states as a "
state song"), along with
Washington, DC. The two exceptions are
New Jersey, which has never had an official state song, and
Maryland, which rescinded "
Maryland, My Maryland" in 2021 due to its racist language and has yet to adopt a replacement.
Virginia's previous state song, "
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny", adopted in 1940, was later rescinded in 1997 due to its racist language by the
Virginia General Assembly. In 2015, "
Our Great Virginia" was made the new state song of Virginia. The state songs are selected by each
state legislature, and/or state governor, as a symbol (or emblem) of that particular US state. Some US states have more than one official state song, and may refer to some of their official songs by other names; for example,
Arkansas officially has two state songs, plus a state anthem, and a state historical song.
Tennessee has the most state songs, with 12 official state songs and an official bicentennial
rap.
Arizona has a song that was written specifically as a state anthem in 1915, as well as the 1981 country hit "Arizona", which it adopted as the alternate state anthem in 1982. On March 7, 2014, the West Virginia Legislature approved a resolution to make Denver's "
Take Me Home, Country Roads" one of four official state songs of West Virginia. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed the resolution into law on March 8, 2014. Additionally,
Woody Guthrie wrote or co-wrote two state
folk songs –
Roll On, Columbia, Roll On and
Oklahoma Hills – but they have separate status from the official state
songs of Washington and Oklahoma, respectively.
Yugoslavia In
Yugoslavia, each of the country's constituent states (except for
Bosnia and Herzegovina) had the right to have its own anthem, but only the
Croatian one actually did so initially, later joined by the
Slovene one on the brink of the
breakup of Yugoslavia. Before 1989,
Macedonia did not officially use a regional anthem, even though one was proclaimed during
World War II by the
Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM).
International organizations Larger entities also sometimes have anthems, in some cases known as 'international anthems'.
Lullaby is the official anthem of
UNICEF composed by
Steve Barakatt. "
The Internationale" is the organizational anthem of various
socialist movements. Before March 1944, it was also the anthem of the Soviet Union and the
Comintern.
ASEAN Way is the official anthem of
ASEAN. The tune of the "
Ode to Joy" from
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is the official
anthem of the European Union and of the
Council of Europe. "
Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together" is the official anthem of the African Union The Olympic Movement also has its own
organizational anthem.
Esperanto speakers at meetings often use the song "
La Espero" as their linguistic anthem. The first
South Asian Anthem by poet-diplomat
Abhay K may inspire
SAARC to come up with an official
SAARC Anthem. "
Ireland's Call" was commissioned as the sporting anthem of both the
Ireland national rugby union team and the
Ireland national rugby league team, which are composed of players from both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, in response to dissatisfaction among Northern Ireland
unionists with the use of the
Irish national anthem. "Ireland's Call" has since been used by some other all-island bodies. An international anthem also unifies a group of organizations sharing the same appellation such as the International Anthem of the Royal Golf Clubs composed by
Steve Barakatt. Same applies to the
European Broadcasting Union: the prelude of
Te Deum in D Major by
Marc-Antoine Charpentier is played before each official
Eurovision and
Euroradio broadcast. The prelude's first bars are heavily associated with the
Eurovision Song Contest.
Global anthem Various artists have created "
Earth anthems" for the entire planet, typically extolling the ideas of
planetary consciousness. Though
UNESCO have praised the idea of a global anthem, the
United Nations has never adopted an official song. ==See also==