10 Best Anime Songs of All Time
10 Greatest Anime Songs Familiar to Every Anime Fans from the Classic and Recent Anime Series
Every contents including movies and anime is never completed without music, and it makes many people conjure up an image of the productions. Especially, Japanese animations are partly characterized by their opening and ending songs. Not only anime fans but also musically inclined person love listening to the anime songs.
Then, which anime song has stood out in their memories ever? For all anime fans, here is a list of 10 best anime songs of all time with briefings on those anime. Let’s bring back fond memories or catch up with modern anime trends.
If you developed a fascination for Japan via anime and are planning a trip, begin with this Ultimate Japan Guide: 30 Best Things to Do in Japan.
10. Moonlight Densetsu (Sailor Moon)
Moonlight Densetsu (ムーンライト伝説) is one of the most famous classic anime songs in Japan, playing as the opening of Sailor Moon from 1992. The whole series of Sailor Moon consisting of 200 episodes broadcasted between 1992 and 1997, which has lots of girls fans all over the world. The famous Moonlight Densetsu was released as a single by a female idol group Dali.
▶︎Watch Moonlight Densetsu with the episode 1 of Sailor Moon!
9. Theme from Lupin The Third (Lupin The Third)
Theme from Lupin The Third (ルパン三世のテーマ) is a music for the Lupin the Third anime series, which sounds familiar to every Japanese people and anime fans overseas. Theme from Lupin The Third has been used in the Lupin The Third series since it was featured as the opening of Lupin the Third Part II aired in 1977-1978. A jazz musician named Yuji Ohno did the songwriting for the legendary music.
8. Tank! (Cowboy Bebop)
Tank! is one of the most well-known anime songs all over the world since you have heard it in the cyberpunk Cowboy Bebop series. Cowboy Bebop had been especially popular among foreign anime fans since it was aired in 1998. Tank! played as the opening of all episodes in the series. The jazz anime song is written by Yoko Kanno and performed by a Japanese band Seatbelts.
7. Pokémon Theme (Pokémon)
For many kids and adults, Pokémon Theme is one of the most familiar anime songs of all time. It is the theme song of the first season of the English version of Pokémon. The anime series of Pokémon began in the end of the 1990s worldwide, which has been followed by new titles. While Pokémon Theme, written by John Siegler and John Loeffler and performed by Jason Paige, is known overseas, Japanese fans have loved the theme song for the Japanese version titled Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (めざせポケモンマスター ).
6. Cha-La Head-Cha-La (Dragon Ball Z)
Cha-La Head-Cha-La is the most popular Dragon Ball song of all time, which has been watched by all age groups for a long time. It played as the opening of Dragon Ball Z for over 4 years from 1989. In addition to the original anime series, Cha-La Head-Cha-La was used for lots of Dragon Ball Z anime films. The hugely popular anime song is performed by a Japanese musician named Hironobu Kageyama.
5. We Are! (One Piece)
We Are! (ウィーアー!) is the first opening song of One Piece, one of the best manga and anime series in this modern age. The first single of a Japanese singer Hiroshi Kitadani played from the 1st to the 47th episodes in the adventure anime series, who has released a few songs for One Piece until today. One Piece has been aired since 1999 and is reaching the 1000th episode within 2021.
▶︎Watch We Are! with the episode 1 of One Piece!
4. God knows… (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
God knows… is a well-known anime song to anime freaks, performed by characters in the modern anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Its protagonist Haruhi Suzumiya takes lead vocal and Yuki Nagato, one of the main characters, plays the guitar in the 12th episode in the first season. The singer is actually Aya Hirano, the voice actor of Haruhi Suzumiya. The ending song of the anime series Hare Hare Yukai is also quite famous.
3. Butter-Fly (Digimon Adventure)
Butter-Fly has been loved and sung by many Japanese people since it was released in 1999. The popular classic anime song is the first opening of Digimon Adventure airing 1999-2000. Butter-Fly is performed a Japanese artist Koji Wada, and remakes Butter-Fly -Strong Version- and Butter-Fly -tri.Version- were released in 2009 and 2015.
▶︎Watch Butter-Fly with the episode 1 of Digimon Adventure!
2. A Cruel Angel’s Thesis (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
For not only anime fans but also other people, A Cruel Angel’s Thesis (残酷な天使のテーゼ) is one of the best anime songs of all time. The live legend was used as the opening of the famous mecha anime franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion broadcasted 1995-1996. It has been known familiarly to all generations for a long time even after the anime series ended. A Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi sings A Cruel Angel’s Thesis, which is adapted into several different versions until now.
1. Gurenge (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)
Numerous people not only in Japan but also all over the world have enjoyed the catchy tune Gurenge (紅蓮華) since the recent hit anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was aired in 2019. The modern popular anime song is familiar to various anime fans from kids to adults as the opening in the first season of the anime series. Gurenge is performed by the renowned anime song singer LiSA, who also released Homura, the theme song of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train in 2020.
My collection of Japanese destinations for anime fans includes everything from real-life settings seen in anime, specialty stores with limited edition items, to museums dedicated to anime themes. I trust this compilation will enhance your experience: 10 Best Anime Spots in Japan.
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I'm writing by my motto: helping travelers spend their limited time experiencing something priceless in Japan. My articles won't let you down! Living in Tokyo and traveling many popular and hidden sites all over Japan, I deliver well-selected and latest tourist information to you from the perspective of “100% Japanese local”. My specific interests are island hopping, eating countless bowls of ramen, watching anime and reading manga. Enjoy Japan Web Magazine for recommended food spots, hidden gems Japanese Otaku (geek) culture, and everything about Japan :)