The National Anthem (track)
by Radiohead
The National Anthem appears on the following album(s) by Radiohead:
- Kid A (track #3) (this album) (2000)
- Kid A Mnesia (track #3) (compilation) (2021)
- 5 Album Set (Box Set) (track #39) (compilation) (2012)
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The National Anthem ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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Showing latest 3 ratings for this track. | Show all 1,292 ratings for this track.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Track ratings | Avg. track rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/17/2026 14:09 | Mafedere | 11,636 | 74/100 |
| ! | 08/03/2026 14:44 | Leginlists | 615 | 84/100 |
| ! | 06/06/2026 10:46 | libbyshuss | 963 | 78/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 1% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 91.2/100, a mean average of 89.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.3/100. The standard deviation for this track is 14.3.
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The National Anthem forum mentions
The National Anthem comments
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A steady bass groove and trip-hop drums provide a solid groundwork for The National Anthem, only for it to descend into a cacophony of free-jazz madness amidst wailing trombones and screaming trumpets, all while the ondes martenot weaves its way around the song like a UFO. This track shouldn't have worked as well as it does. Not only is it a testament to Radiohead's creativity, but it's also a testament to their razor-sharp focus as well. (Edited)
When those trumpets kick in with their boompapab padabapab padoobedoompapap tadadata, that's the moment this song becomes a 10/10
Space-Dementia 11/19/2015 03:32 | #153130
I love this song so much! That bass. Not even the bass line, which is perfectly simple, but the tone. It sounds raw but a bit fuzzy and I absolutely adore it. The jazz elements add a lot too, and by the end there is so much tension. I'm rocking out, but I'm also a little uneasy. The whole album really gives me that uneasy feeling, which is why it's so interesting and I keep coming back to it. Great stuff. (Edited)
I know that this comment is likely going to get voted down a ton, but I do not care: In my opinion, this may be the best song ever.
Franz-Aussie 03/31/2017 17:52 | #188482
always been impressed that Jonny wrote the brass section of this song to sound like a traffic jam (Edited)
