list of national anthems

Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, the composer of the French national anthem "La Marseillaise", sings it for the first time. The anthem is one of the earliest to be adopted by a modern state, in 1795. Most nation states have an anthem, defined as "a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism"; most anthems are either marches or hymns in style. A song or hymn can become a national anthem under the state's constitution, by a law enacted by its legislature, or simply by tradition. A royal anthem is a patriotic song similar to a national anthem, but it specifically praises or prays for a monarch or royal dynasty. Such anthems are usually performed at public appearances by the monarch or during other events of royal importance. Some states use their royal anthem as the national anthem, such as the state anthem of Jordan.

Anthems became increasingly popular among European states in the 18th century. In 1795, the French First Republic adopted "La Marseillaise" as its national anthem by decree, making France the first country in history to have an official national anthem. Some anthems are older in origin but were not officially adopted until the 19th or 20th century. For example, the Japanese anthem, "Kimigayo", employs the oldest lyrics of any national anthem, taking its words from the "Kokin Wakashū", which was first published in 905, yet these words were not set to music until 1880. The national anthem of the Netherlands, the "Wilhelmus", contains a melody and lyrics dating back to the 16th century, but it was not officially adopted as the country's national anthem until 1932.