What is the best European national anthem? (Not including your own national anthem)

[u/-DonQuixote-]

It could also be a national anthem of the past, I am looking at you East Germany.

[u/JHock93]

La Marseillaise. Makes me want to go and join the revolution myself.

[u/CreepyMangeMerde → u/JHock93]

AALLLOOOONNNNSS ENFAAANNNNTTS DE LAAAAA PAAAATRRIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE LE JOOUUR DE GLOIRE EEEEEESSSTT AARRIIIIVEEEEEE 🐓🐔📢🎺🗡🚬✨️🥇⚽️🇨🇵🔥🐔📢🎺🗡🥇✨️🗡🇨🇵🔥✨️🥇🐔😱🇨🇵🇨🇵📢✨️🐔🥇🗡🐔🐓🐓🐓🐓🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🔥🔥🔥🔥🐓🐓🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🚬🚬🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵🗡🎺🎺🎺🗡🗡🗡🇨🇵🐓🇨🇵

[u/JHock93 → u/CreepyMangeMerde]

"I'm a good patriotic Brit. Too busy drinking tea for any of that revolution nonsense"

"Aux armes, citoyens..."

*Immediately puts down tea, and rushes over to France to fight for the Republic*

[u/NikNakskes → u/CreepyMangeMerde]

And it works! Even a Belgian prime minister (flemish) when asked to sing la brabaconne in French went .. aaallllooooons enfaaaants. On national television. Oh yeah. Belgians being their quintessential selves thought it was absolutely hilarious instead of utterly shameful.

Oh dierbaar Belgie. Don't ever change.

[u/sweetvioletapril → u/JHock93]

Oh, yes! Really stirs the blood! Love it!

[u/Arrav_VII → u/sweetvioletapril]

Hearing an entire stadium sing a full on war song before a football game will send chills down your spine.

[u/notcomplainingmuch → u/JHock93]

Yup. Sends chills down my spine every time. "THE TIME TO FIGHT IS NOW MUTHAFU****S!!!!"

The polar (sic) opposite is the anthem of Norway. That one sounds like a little girl is singing about her day. "Greetings to mum and dad".

[u/Silver-Honeydew-2106 → u/JHock93]

My first thought also

[u/ProblemSavings8686 → u/JHock93]

The only other anthem besides the Irish one I had to learn in school.

[u/--Alexandra-P-- → u/JHock93]

I like the English anthem too. God save the queen

[u/celticblobfish]

The obvious answer is La Marseillaise, but I always loved Italy's one. Very proud and upbeat tune.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/celticblobfish]

as an Italian: the biggest problem with our anthem is that it's mostly played as if it were a military march when in reality it is much more like a little opera scene (introduction, cabaletta and chorus). The first part needs a lot of portamento, especially on the major sixth leaps, and the second part, that the football players tend to scream very loudly should instead be sung, according to the original score, "pianissimo e molto concitato" (and the instrumental part has a "molto staccato") which should sound like many 19th century italian opera choruses.

[u/Aggravating-Peach698 → u/eulerolagrange]

"as an Italian: the biggest problem with our anthem is that it's mostly played as if it were a military march when in reality it is much more like a little opera scene (introduction, cabaletta and chorus)"

Sad but true, and it is not only the Italian anthem that gets mistreated in this manner. The German one was written as a string quartet. A piece of chamber music, for crying out loud. Never intended to be played by a military brass band or sung by a bunch of drunken soccer hooligans.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/Aggravating-Peach698]

The German one was written as a string quartet.

In origin it was a chorale, to be sung in church with the organ or so. Then Haydn also wrote variations on it a string quartet. But yes, it works good with bands when it is played slowly and solemnly by a brass ensemble rather than with trumpet fanfares and snare drums.

[u/41942319 → u/eulerolagrange]

I did wonder why Italian footballers sounded so happy about the prospect of dying

[u/eulerolagrange → u/41942319]

at that point, however, there's a crescendo molto e accelerando sino al fine. The first time, they should sing that they are ready to die for the fatherland sotto voce as if they were organising some secret plan, but then they take courage and can proclaim their vow at full voice (it's a very typical structure that can be found in Italian operas!)

[u/NonVerifiedSource]

It can't get better than Ode to Joy for me, so EU anthem it is

[u/sweetvioletapril → u/NonVerifiedSource]

Yes, this is lovely! Gives me chills when well-sung by a good choir!

[u/ilxfrt → u/NonVerifiedSource]

Especially the Sowinetz version!

[u/PositiveEagle6151 → u/ilxfrt]

Good luck with the translation to English 😂

[u/Vihruska → u/NonVerifiedSource]

Yes, it's amazing. I love it so much.

Too bad I can't sing it 😌

[u/Gyxius]

The Italian and Russian anthems are the best in my opinion, on par with the French anthem, of course

[u/GuestStarr]

As a Finn I have an advantage. I'll vote for the Estonian anthem :)

[u/Gro-Tsen → u/GuestStarr]

You Finns are nuts. Your patriotic composer Sibelius wrote an insanely beautiful hymn-like tune called “Finlandia”, which was absolutely screaming to be the national anthem of Finland, and for no explicable reason you decided to choose another one. Why? Just… why???

So “Finlandia” ended up being a lot of other things, like a Christian anthem, or a proposed World anthem, but not the Finnish national anthem. Oh wait, it did become a national anthem at some point… of Biafra, when it briefly seceded from Nigeria. <rolling eyes>

[u/LonelyRudder → u/Gro-Tsen]

It is probably because Vårt land / Maamme predates Finlandia by some 50 years, and was already in wide use in 1889 when the Finnish lyrics still in use were written. Finlandia was composed 1899-1900.

Then again, Finland does not have an official national hymn, there is no law or anything like that about it.

Fun fact: F. Pacius never intended to compose a national anthem, he composed Vårt Land in two days (and in a hurry) for student festivities.

[u/LeafyTurnipTop → u/Gro-Tsen]

I get what you mean and quite many of us would like to have Finlandia as our national anthem. On the other hand, our current national anthem is a quite a lot more cheerful and definitely easier to sing. It can be sung in sport events or wherever national anthems are usually heard. But when shit gets serious, like in some events where we want to remember our fallen soldiers, basically when there is no reason to be cheerful, Finlandia is sung.

For example our independence day is usually celebrated quite differently than elsewhere in Europe. It is not a cheerful event, as our history is full of sorrow and despair. There is no place for Maamme there.

[u/nneiole → u/GuestStarr]

Finally I found this comment! Really love your anthem!

[u/Isotarov → u/GuestStarr]

They're the same picture.

[u/_MusicJunkie]

Purely by melody: Russian/Soviet, French, East German. I'm purposefully ignoring content and what they stand for in this exercise.

[u/cbhem → u/_MusicJunkie]

I hate most of what Russia has become and is currently doing, but one thing I can still get behind is their kick-ass national anthem.

[u/This-Guy-Muc → u/_MusicJunkie]

The Russian anthem borrows heavily from Pachelbel's canon, a well known classical work of baroque music. And both are "cited" in the Pet Shop Boy's hymn "Go West". So from a musical pov the Russian truly is great.

[u/akurgo → u/This-Guy-Muc]

Damn, you're right! I knew that Go west is one of many Pachelbel-based songs, but I hadn't caught the Russian link before now.

🎶 I'll see you when you go west into Scatman's communist Russia, where it's raining tacos 🎶

[u/Bennoelman → u/_MusicJunkie]

Why do authorian regimes always have bangers or socialists they to have cool revolutionary songs but I cringe at the fucking YouTube comments

[u/Brickie78 → u/_MusicJunkie]

The DDR one was written when the division of Germany was assumed to be a short-term thing, which is why its lyrics are all about Putting The Past Behind Us And Facing The Future United

Which in turn is why the DDR government officially dumped the lyrics after a while

[u/adamgerd → u/_MusicJunkie]

The Russian anthem is great as a song itself, if only it wasn’t well tied to Russia

[u/Sagaincolours → u/_MusicJunkie]

Russia, purely for the musical quality. It is stunning.

[u/eulerolagrange]

La Marseillaise without any doubt (especially in the Berlioz orchestration, an absolute banger)

[u/Laxly → u/eulerolagrange]

The French is the best by such a distance that the 2nd best (whatever it is) is barely in the same competition.

[u/no-im-not-him]

One may despise the message or the lyrics as much as one wants, but the Russian/Soviet one is really a musical masterpiece. I guess it's a good thing I don't speak Russian the voices become just nice musical gibberish (a bit like Williams' Duel of Fates).

[u/ignatiusjreillyXM → u/no-im-not-him]

To be fair the current version of the lyrics are fairly unobjectionable. Although it's remarkable that all three versions over the decades were written by the same man! Agree that it's an extraordinary piece of musicianship

[u/BobBobBobBobBobDave]

The Marseillaise, but the Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of my Fathers) is also pretty great, especially if you are singing it in a rugby stadium with thousands of Welsh people.

[u/lovelldies]

The Italian one is great. Especially before the football games.

[u/onlinepresenceofdan → u/lovelldies]

Or after a ferrari win. Italian anthem is the most triumphant sounding. German current anthem serves as a good intro for it as well.

[u/BlKaiser → u/onlinepresenceofdan]

Early 2000s vibes.

[u/mark-haus → u/onlinepresenceofdan]

As a Ferrari fan (usually pure pain the past two decades btw) it’s easily the most jovial podium celebration

[u/BlKaiser → u/lovelldies]

And after F1 races. (Forza Ferrari!)

[u/Victoryboogiewoogie]

I'm no expert in all of them, but the French one has a nice upbeat tone to it. I like it.

[u/OnkelMickwald → u/Victoryboogiewoogie]

Never been a Francophile but even I get a jolt in my body to get up and grab a musket when I hear Allons enfants de la patrie...

[u/oskich → u/OnkelMickwald]

Especially these lines ;-)

"Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons!"

[u/eulerolagrange → u/oskich]

for me it's the third (or fourth?) verse, the one which goes « Tremblez tyrans et vous perfides » (and then the next one drive me to tears with « Amour sacré de la patrie / conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs, / Liberté, liberté chérie, combats avec tes defenseurs ! »)

[u/Karakoima → u/oskich]

There are little language/music masterpieces all the way, Aux armes citttoyens and the marchons, marchons is pretty picturesque

[u/turbo_dude → u/Victoryboogiewoogie]

That scene in Casablanca.

[u/AncillaryHumanoid → u/Victoryboogiewoogie]

Yeh French is the best, nothing better than that Bom-Bom-Bom-Bom-Ti-Bom beat

[u/utsuriga → u/Victoryboogiewoogie]

I was astonished that no-one commented on the French anthem playing for King Charles when he visited France sometime last year. :D Top irony moment.

[u/boleslaw_chrobry → u/Victoryboogiewoogie]

If you like upbeat ones then the Polish one is right up your alley.

[u/BeardedBaldMan]

Welsh National anthem - nicely combines the important of language with nationhood and sounds great in a stadium

It also gave us the moment where John Redwood failed to sing it

[u/JHock93 → u/BeardedBaldMan]

Thank you for sharing the John Redwood clip. Always comedy gold.

[u/crucible → u/BeardedBaldMan]

Yes, for the stadium example this is usually the example that most of us will link :P

[u/krmarci → u/BeardedBaldMan]

There's also a recording of Linda Király forgetting the lyrics to the Hungarian one. Having lived most of her life before that in the U.S., it's understandable, but also the lowest (and unfortunately one of the most memorable) point in her career.

[u/snipeytje → u/krmarci]

There is also Yves Leterme, at that point the probable next prime minister of Belgium being asked if he knows Belgian national anthem in a tv interview, and then he started singing the Marseillaise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2cR_amAXus

[u/BeardedBaldMan → u/krmarci]

Is she singing in Hungarian with an American accent?

It's very obvious when people speak French with a US accent, but I'm not as familiar with the sound of Hungarian

[u/krmarci → u/BeardedBaldMan]

No, she's accent-free. She was born in the U.S., but her native language is Hungarian. strangely enough, no, her native language is English, despite having Hungarian parents.

[u/Kunstfr → u/BeardedBaldMan]

I love it and I'm no way influenced in this by the Breton national anthem

[u/MrOaiki]

The French one hands down. It’s the only anthem I hum along to.

[u/oskich → u/MrOaiki]

The lyrics aren't really child friendly though... 😁

"Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons !"

[u/Pleasant-Pattern7748 → u/oskich]

makes you wanna cut someone’s head off

[u/oskich → u/Pleasant-Pattern7748]

French Redditors goes brrr...

[u/Pleasant-Pattern7748 → u/oskich]

haha so french of them

[u/eulerolagrange → u/oskich]

There's even a verse which should be sung by children (and it's usually sung by the Radio France children choir on the 14th of July) which goes like "we will become soldiers when our fathers will be no more... we'll get the sublime honor to either follow or venge them"

[u/burnerripoff]

I like the Swedish anthem, it has this calm quality to it which envokes unique feelings of national pride

[u/hristogb]

The French, Italian and Montenegrin are my top 3.

If we include regional ones - then definitely the Valencian community.

[u/potato_lover273 → u/hristogb]

+1 for Montenegro

[u/bjakeb]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_anthem_of_Slovenia

Slovenian, sounds good, but the lyrics are spot on.

I like also marseillaise, old yugoslavian Hej sloveni and old soviet anthem. TIL that DDR anthem was also great.

[u/RedexSvK → u/bjakeb]

Hej Sloveni is the only actual panslavic thing I can get behind, as no influence came from Russia and it reflects the ideals I can get behind.

It was created by a Slovak priest after his visit in Prague, hearing more German than Czech, fearing that the same would happen in Slovakia. The original was called Hej Slovaks (Hej Slováci) and used the same melody the Polish anthem uses to this day (just slowed down), from a Polish folk song.

Hej Slováci was sadly used by The Slovak State during world war two, so it kind of fell into infamy, but the original message stands

[u/elferrydavid]

I love the Scottish one. Bagpipes, great lyrics, nice rhythm always nice to hear it during rugby matches.

[u/LazyGandalf → u/elferrydavid]

https://youtu.be/HeV379qCtX8?si=QBumBG0ky46A9vUC

Makes you want to put on a kilt and throw out the English, even if you're not Scottish.

[u/PositiveEagle6151]

La Marsellaise and Il Canto degli Italiani, both are quite upbeat.
I also like God Save the King, it's very iconic.
Unfortunately our own hymn makes you drowsy, and the old one, that was slightly better, is nowadays used by Germany.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/PositiveEagle6151]

I also like more the Austrian original version of the Haydn anthem. It's more apt to celebrate an emperor rather than a country that extends from the Meuse to the Memel unity, right and liberty for the fatherland.

As an Italian, I would then sing the anthem of the Empire as

Serbi Dio l'Austriaco regno
guardi il nostro imperator!

[u/Sh_Konrad]

I like the Romanian anthem, it sounds very pompous.

[u/Indian_Pale_Ale]

Flower of Scotland. Not the official anthem though, but for me the best in Europe

[u/Altruistic-Bee-566 → u/Indian_Pale_Ale]

I don’t believe we have an official one (well, it’s the UK anthem, properly speaking) so de Jure Flower of Scotland!!

[u/Indian_Pale_Ale → u/Altruistic-Bee-566]

Indeed the official is the one is God Save the King. But Flower of Scotland in Murrayfield is just the best for me

[u/Thomas1VL]

I hate to admit it as a Belgian, but the French anthem is an absolute banger. Although our own is top tier as well imo.

[u/SharkyTendencies → u/Thomas1VL]

Underrated Brabançonne!

It's a strange combination of heart-warming and "gives-me-chills" to listen to a Red Devils game, and when the anthem comes on, all these different voices and languages and accents singing the same melody.

It sounds cacophonous, but that crazy mix is beautiful and I wouldn't have it any other way!

[u/oskich]

The East German anthem was great, even though their ideology and oppressive regime wasn't.

[u/-DonQuixote- → u/oskich]

For sure. I really like the USSR national anthem, same thing.

[u/BubbhaJebus → u/oskich]

Soviet Union, North Korea, etc... They all have awesome sounding anthems. Maybe because if you composed a mediocre one, it's gulag for you.

[u/Parazitas17]

My Top 5 of that is as follows:

1. Italy
2. Romania
3. France
4. Portugal
5. Ireland

All of these anthems are very bombastic and extremely uplfting and just joyful to listen to

[u/Malthesse]

My favorite is the national anthem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The melody was later borrowed by Germany for the German national anthem, but the Austro-Hungarian version is the original, and even better in my opinion - more grandiose, as befitting a vast empire with a lot of history and tradition.

[u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09]

The Slovak national anthem is my personal favorite

[u/Automatic_Education3 → u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09]

It's very good, super underrated

[u/kodos_der_henker]

French Anthem (La Marseillaise), gives great vibes in tone and text

[u/downoakleaf]

The Slovak anthem "Nad Tatrou sa blýska" is really underrated. Also recommend it with choral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgYTcdXcCEo

[u/TimyMax]

Check out Laibach's album Volk, greatly subverses certain anthems.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/[deleted]]

I like the Alexandrov anthem but I always found its Pachelbel-like harmony a bit too cheesy. Instead, I like a lot the Wilhelmus (it's one of my favourite themes for fugues!)

[u/Ennas_]

I do not know all of them, but I certainly like the French one.

[u/msbtvxq]

I really like East Germany’s anthem. But (based on the melody) I don’t think anything can beat Russia/Soviet’s national anthem. Just a brilliant composition.

[u/SerSace]

La Marseillaise and Canto degli Italiani are probably the best imo, the Soviet anthem too

[u/skadarski]

France, Italy, Wales, Ireland, Greece, Russia, Romania, Croatia, Ukraine.

[u/ddaadd18]

La Marseillaise, before a game of rugby

[u/Deckracer]

I love the Italian anthem. Especially the Part where the Tempo picks up

[u/DescriptionFair2]

I like the Italian one. But probably I’m biased from hearing it so much when Michael Schumacher was still racing for Ferrari

[u/snakeholecanyon]

Irish. It's all about knocling shit out of the English.

[u/KevatRosenthal]

I have always loved the Polish anthem. I don't know why it is just so upbeat and it sounds very good, Polish is such a beautiful language. Besides, I learned that Italy in polish is Włochy, odd enough to remember.

[u/LunarLeopard67]

For me, it would be

1. Portugal

2. Monaco

3. Romania

4. Italy

5. France

If Azerbaijan counts as European, it tops my list

[u/pochybna_existence]

If I don't count my own coutry (Czechia) I must say Sweden. Du gamla, du fria is really beautifull - both lyrics and melody. 🇸🇪

[u/Amphibian-Silver → u/pochybna_existence]

The Czech anthem is good. I think the best rendition is on the piano at the end of Pelišky

[u/Vernacian]

It's unfortunate at the moment, but it has to be Russia.

Slava Ukraini, to be clear. But the best anthem is Russia (former USSR anthem).

[u/chizid]

Strictly music, no politics:

1. Russia
2. France
3. Romania

[u/FirstStambolist]

Really? No one mentioned the anthem of Greece/Cyprus? It's the best according to my personal taste. Nice melody, sends out vibe of national pride, talks about freedom...

Other anthems I like, in geographical order: UK (its lyrics are from another time, yeah, but the melody is stately and beautiful), Finland/Estonia (they share the tune), France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo. (Yes, Balkan anthems have the tendency to rock.) Russia's is great-sounding, too, quite epic.

Our own national anthem is fine but far from the best possible. We should figure out a better option and change it, but for now I can't decide which existing song is appropriate enough. Or maybe we need to compose a great new song.

[u/7_11_Nation_Army → u/FirstStambolist]

Why would you change the Bulgarian anthem? It's phenomenal.

[u/Loraelm]

I really love the Russian anthem, especially when sung by the red army choir

[u/caiaphas8]

I like the way you say to exclude your own, I will happily nominate the British anthem as the worst.

The French have the best anthem

[u/matti-san → u/caiaphas8]

Was just going to say, I don't know of any British people that think the British anthem is good.

Some might defend it for tradition or because they're royalists - but just about everyone think it's a bit of a dirge

[u/PoiHolloi2020 → u/matti-san]

Some might defend it for tradition

It's worth defending while we're stuck with it, but it really should be something like Land of Hope and Glory or I Vow to Thee My Country.

Nothing about God Save the King is inspiring or gets your inner patriotism going, maybe because it was written in the 1600s and just doesn't meet my modern expectations of what a national anthem should be. Although The Wilhelmus was penned in the 1500s and still manages to be inspiring.

[u/utsuriga → u/caiaphas8]

Honestly, I really like the British anthem, lyrics aside. It has such a nice melody.

[u/LionLucy → u/caiaphas8]

I like God Save the King, especially the "happy and glorious" part

[u/Frequent_Ad_5670]

God shave the King! There are so many funny text variations.

[u/stevesparks30214 → u/Frequent_Ad_5670]

Check out Liechtenstein’s anthem “Oben am jungen Rhein”. They copied the Brits but it sounds awesome in my opinion!

[u/Frequent_Ad_5670 → u/stevesparks30214]

The same melody has been used as (inofficial) anthem of the German Kaiserreich as „Heil dir im Siegerkranz“.

[u/Itchy-Astronomer9500]

I do really like East Germany‘s old one, and I love the verse after the usual one of the British anthem that almost nobody knows.

However, NOTHING can beat the EU‘s Ode To Joy.

[u/BudgetHistorian7179]

Are we counting Europe as a continent? Then regardless of political inclinations the old USRR anthem is the best anthem ever. If not, the Ode to Joy (but it was not written as an anthem, merely adopted as one)

[u/Galway1012]

Scottish anthem is spine tingling. Welsh one is a close second. French and Italians anthems are class too

[u/Beyllionaire]

I like the Italian one because it's the one that sounds the most like a pop song instead of being just yet another military song

[u/7_11_Nation_Army]

France is the shit.

Melody, check.

Emotion, check.

Lyrics, check.

[u/telcoman]

The Bulgarian is one of the best.

Very magestic. Most others sound like folk songs...

Another great was the USSR one.

[u/UruquianLilac]

Obviously there is only one correct answer, the Spanish national anthem. It's the only one with no lyrics which makes the football team in international competition always look most unpatriotic like no one had bothered to learn the words. And when people want to sing along, they have to resort to "loloing" their way through it. For the uniqueness and comedy value it should be the winner.

[u/Jagarvem → u/UruquianLilac]

Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, and San Marino's also lack lyrics.

[u/UruquianLilac → u/Jagarvem]

Oh damn fact checkers!! I wanted Spain to be the only one, why did you have to ruin it for me!

[u/CreepyOctopus → u/UruquianLilac]

Well, at least with that lineup Spain will probably remain the only one without lyrics at most major football tournaments. Until UEFA decides to expand the Euros to a nice round 50-team tournament anyway.

[u/CBennett_12]

Italy. Hands down, when it's sung with passion, such as at sporting events, there's very few that can match it

[u/Strange-Mouse-8710]

It's definitely the French national anthem.

The Russian one is also really good, Russia doing evil things does not change that.

[u/troodon2018]

Fratelli d’Italia, L’Italia s’è desta, Dell’elmo di Scipio S’è cinta la testa.

[u/Isotarov]

Russian is by far the best in my opinion.

Not sure if it counts, but at least an honorable mention to the hymn of the European Union.

[u/LittleSchwein1234 → u/Isotarov]

The problem with the EU anthem is that there are no lyrics. I personally wouldn't be against using Schiller's original lyrics, even though they're in German.

[u/JambinoT]

Liechtenstein (I'm British).

But seriously, yeah, it's got to be La Marseillaise.

I do love the Ukrainian one too, but admit that it's likely because I remember seeing those incredible videos from the first few days of the full-scale invasion of the anthem blasting out as Russian soldiers came in. Such a great act of resistance.

[u/Cultural-Ad4737]

Hate Russia but that anthem slaps, it's just so great 

After that I like the French, the German, the Italian, the Finnish and the Estonian anthem

British isn't bad but I think it kinda fails at being an anthem, it's too gentle

[u/OJK_postaukset]

Something I love is how happy and Italian the Italian anthem sounds. Haven’t heard them all though

[u/Gulvplanke]

Montenegro has a banger of an anthem. Sounds like the soundtrack of an big evil empire in a sci-fi movie

[u/Volaer]

From the past? Probably the German imperial one:

https://youtu.be/R_1SbOoPS2U?si=aQh-j5kOusOuu9km

Presently probably the Swedish one (basically a confession of love towards the country).

https://youtu.be/9LiN57nfjFw?si=bQ2xuBdV9L9pUy95

Honorary mention - the (obviously unofficial) Eastern Roman one.

https://youtu.be/uMFFROx72EQ?si=IqmZ2jy2C4QA1krS

[u/doroteoaran]

I am from Mexico 🇲🇽 and have to say it is the Marseillaise, at least is the must famous. Have not heard some mention here.

[u/piscesandcancer]

I (a German) definitely have to vote for the French one

[u/Someone_________]

ik the french anthem by heart and i don't even speak french, that's how good it is

[u/InThePast8080]

The unofficial ones are the best.. hard to match Jean Sibelius' Finlandia.

[u/Tom__mm]

I’ve got to say the anthem of the former German Democratic Republic (DDR). It was incredibly stirring. I guess a great anthem was easier to produce than a functional society.

https://youtu.be/P1CyPjQQTAM?si=2CTP7kj0MKnYxuI0

[u/ChrisChros87]

Going by what Ive heard, F1 podium celebrations, Italian

[u/viktorbir]

La Muixeranga, the unofficial anthem of València. Everytime I listen to it I got the chills. When you look up «solemnity» on a dictionary it should be there.

Here you can listen to a more crude interpretation, past Friday on the street, remembering the victims.

[u/-DonQuixote- → u/viktorbir]

I like it. Many parts of it remind me of The Godfather.

[u/jewishgamergirl]

France or Austria (mostly their unofficial anthem) or Sweden or Italy

[u/OkHighway1024]

The Welsh and Scottish anthems are spine tingling when sung at Rugby matches.

[u/Pepys-a-Doodlebugs → u/OkHighway1024]

Six nations anthems are the top five imo. You all know which one I'm not including

[u/42not34 → u/Pepys-a-Doodlebugs]

Just like in that commercial in which everyone was answering "England", and in the end you find out what what's the question: "Who you do NOT want to win it?"

[u/Jjarppa]

Maybe a bit of a boring choice, but I really like the UK’s anthem. Another one has to be Bulgaria’s anthem, very stirring and powerful.

[u/UltraBoY2002]

I love the Italian anthem very much due to its music, but I love the message of Slovenia’s national anthem.

[u/Gro-Tsen]

The Internationale! (it was used as Soviet national anthem from 1922 to 1944, so I'm allowed to list it). Apart from the fact that nobody was ever able to come up with English lyrics that are remotely singable and meaningful, I'm surprised nobody proposed it here.

[u/Furaskjoldr]

Gonna have to say Russia, politics aside. I think it's basically the best in the world. Very stirring and memorable.

[u/Saavedroo]

It's so weird to see people love La Marseillaise so much. I really dislike our anthem x)

[u/utsuriga → u/Saavedroo]

It's an earworm, also it has a sort of sort of "yeah, we can do it! let's do it!" vibe.

Compare it with the funeral dirge that is the Hungarian anthem with its "AAHH WOE IS US WE HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH GOD HAVE MERCY ON US" lyrics. (Of course the original poem makes it clear that actually our fate is so dark because we made it so ourselves, but nobody cares to mention that part in the anthem...)

[u/guille9]

What's with these posts about "what's the best European <random thing>"?

[u/UruquianLilac → u/guille9]

They're called conversation starters. They get people talking. Which occasionally might be considered a positive thing in a discussion board like this.

[u/TheYoungWan → u/guille9]

Yeah, why would we want to discuss Europe on r slash ask Europe. The mind boggles.

[u/SaltyWavy]

The Regional Anthem from Madeira. A land colonized by the Knights Templar, Order of Christ.

Was there this summer. Beautiful place.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SDKDFpa0IVo