And the winning anthem is ... It took a month to track down every one of the 205 national anthems that might be heard at this year's Olympic games - and Alex Marshall sat through all four and a half hours of them. It's time to reveal the handful that actually do their countries proud Be Upstanding: The ten best national anthems Uruguay: National anthem One of the most euphoric pieces of classical music I've ever heard. Banks of trumpets play crescendos to false endings - for five minutes. But somehow it works. Bangladesh: My Golden Bengal A wonderful anthem that sounds like it was written for a stroll along the Seine. It really needs Jacques Brel. Which is probably not what the Bangladeshi composer had in mind. Tajikistan: National anthem Written when the country was part of the USSR, it sounds like the music that plays in James Bond films when a Russian spy is about to cut off Bond's manhood. It doesn't try to soar, but frighten, and it's all the better for it. Mauritania: National anthem A trip into the heart of the souk, albeit a menacing one. The melody is so unusual that most Mauritanian's can't sing along to it, so pretend it doesn't have any words. Dominica: Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour A simple, spiralling melody stuck on repeat for 47 seconds, but there's such movement and elegance to it. Don't confuse with the Dominican Republic's, which is wretched. US Virgin Isles: Virgin Islands March It's Mary Poppins! One of the few anthems to literally pull out all the bells and whistles. This should be a soundtrack to a kid's film. Senegal: Strum Your Koras, Strike Your Balafons How can an anthem that name checks two local instruments in its title - a harp and a xylophone - be any less than brilliant? It's really two tunes - the first twinkles, the second strolls. But both are amazing. Nigeria: Arise O Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey Written in 1978 by the Nigerian Police Band, this should be an awful march. Fortunately it features relentless afrobeat percussion, which makes any tune outstanding. Nepal: Hundreds of Flowers Adopted last year, when Nepal's House of Representatives threw out the old, western-style anthem. This folk melody on strings and hand drums sounds like slowed-down bhangra. Shame it's probably unplayable by brass, so unlikely to be heard outside Nepal. Japan: May Your Reign Last Forever Solemn. So much so, it'll have you thinking of everyone you've lost for its duration. Rarely does an anthem carry such weight. More read the source. Source : Guardian