25 Best Anime Songs – All The Top Openings

“Cat’s Eye” by Anri from “Cat’s Eye”

Song year: 1983

Another nostalgic classic, Anri’s “Cat’s Eye” was the perfect choice for the anime series of the same name (it’s almost as if there was a coordinated effort there). Originally released in 1983, the song was updated by Anri and released as “Cat’s Eye (New Take)” later the same year. The song would also be covered by MAX in 2010.

With shades of Paula Abdul and Madonna, the song has a synthesizer-driven, minor-key, upbeat quality to it that would play very well as an anisong. And, of course, it did.

“Cat’s Eye” is relatively easy to sing, making it another must for late-night karaoke excursions.

Anri, by the way, has had a very prolific music career and has remained relevant in the Japanese musical landscape since 1978.

“WE GOTTA POWER” by Hironobu Kageyama from “Dragon Ball Z”

Song year: 1994

The Kageyama = Dragon Ball association would only grow with time, and in the wake of the success of “Cha-La Head-Cha-La,” his help would be enlisted again on a couple of occasions, including this, “WE GOTTA POWER,” which became Dragon Ball Z’s second opening theme.

And some of you are saying to yourselves, “What? There was a second Dragon Ball Z theme?” Indeed.

The song’s title is gobbledegook, but compositionally “WE GOTTA POWER” is very much in the same vein as “Cha-La Head-Cha-La,” to ensure listening audiences would recognize that trademark voice.

I don’t know if “WE GOTTA POWER” is as good as “Cha-La Head-Cha-La,” but it still makes its way into the top 200 anisong lists without effort.

“the Fourth Avenue Cafe” by L’Arc-en-Ciel from “Rurouni Kenshin”

Song year: 1996

L’Arc-en-Ciel’s 30th single, “the Fourth Avenue Cafe,” saw a very delayed release due to drug charges lodged against L’Arc-en-Ciel drummer Sakura. It rose to number five on the Oricon chart upon its official release in 2006.

The song was supposed to come out in 1997 and was even used as the fourth ending theme for the Rurouni Kenshin series. It was removed after a few episodes due to the previously mentioned drug incident.

Yet, fans remember it as a banger and have perpetuated it as a karaoke essential. Honestly, it’s not hard to see why. The song is just that good.

As for L’Arc-en-Ciel, they remain a staple in J-rock to this day, though their release schedule has slowed somewhat.

“Anata Dake Mitsumeteru” by Maki Ohguro from “Slam Dunk”

Song year: 1993

Maki Ohguro’s “Anata Dake Mitsumeteru” was her sixth single, and it was used as the first ending theme for the basketball anime series Slam Dunk. It became a much bigger deal than that, though, becoming the third best-selling anime theme of all time.

The song itself can only be heard in the first 27 episodes of Slam Dunk, which also speaks to its overall popularity.

Ohguro said she hadn’t read the entire Slam Dunk series before finishing the song and would later say she wished she had so the lyrical content would better mirror the anime’s storyline.

The song is characteristic of elements often found in J-rock at the time, including the heavy use of synthesizers, a funky, Latin-style beat, heavy guitars, and a guitar solo too.

“Iki mo Dekinai” by Zard from “Chūka Ichiban!”

Song year: 1998

Zard’s 24th single, “Iki mo Dekinai,” was used as the opening theme for Chūka Ichiban!, an anime following protagonist Mao’s journey to becoming a Master Chef in the fictitious era of “The Era of the Cooking Wars.”

Japanese pop-rock group Zard had a run lasting over 15 years, from 1991 to 2007. While they will be best remembered for songs like “Makenaide” and “Yureru Omoi,” you certainly can’t underestimate the longevity of “Iki mo Dekinai.”

Fun fact – singer Izumi Sakai (who was the only constant member of the band) was formerly a model who went by the name Sachiko Kamachi. Decisionmakers thought it best to distance the singer from her modeling past (probably because she had some partial nudes in her portfolio), thus the name change.

The name “Zard” would eventually come to refer to Sakai alone, due to her dominance and prominence within the band. Sakai, unfortunately, would pass away in May 2007 after battling cervical cancer.

“Tsubaso wo Hirogete / Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de” by Zard from “Detective Conan”

Song year: 2008

“Tsubasa wo Hirogete / Ai wa Kurayami no Nake de” is Zard’s 44th single, and the second posthumous release following singer Izumi Sakai’s death.

“Tsubasa wo Hirogete” was used as the theme song for the anime movie Detective Conan: Full Score of Fear. Meanwhile, “Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de” was chosen as the opening theme for Detective Conan, becoming the last Zard song to be used in the series.

The song has an upbeat, minor key rock feel to it, and is laden with some great guitar work.

“Boku tachi wa Tenshi Datta” by Hironobu Kageyama from “Dragon Ball Z”

Song year: 1994

“Boku tachi wa Tenshi Datta” (also known as “We Were Angels”), not surprisingly, is another Dragon Ball Z classic. This song was used as the second ending theme for Dragon Ball Z.

Featuring the familiar voice of Kageyama, “Boku tachi wa Tenshi Datta” is probably one of the more upbeat anime ending themes you will find.

The song features a driving guitar rhythm, huge backing vocals, layers of synthesizers, and a guitar solo, complete with modulation.

“My Friend” by Zard from “Slam Dunk”

Song year: 1996

“My Friend” was Zard’s emotive 17th single. Debuting at the top of the charts, it went on to become Zard’s third highest-selling single. It didn’t hurt that it was the fourth ending theme for Slam Dunk. It seems the Zard = Slam Dunk connection stuck, and that is in no small part due to this classic.

If you’ve heard of Zard, it’s unlikely you’ve never heard of “My Friend,” as it is one of a handful of songs that came to epitomize the band.

“Yūki 100%” by Hikaru Genji from “Nintama Rantarō”

Song year: 1993

Japanese boy band Hikaru Genji was a big deal in the late 80s and 90s. In their short run, from 1987 to 1995, the group would win over a dozen Japanese music awards and go on to influence countless artists to follow.

“Yūki 100%” would emerge as their 21st single and it was chosen as the theme song for Nintama Rantarō, an anime about the title character who attends a school for budding ninjas, along with his friends.

Fun fact – Nintama Rantarōis the longest running of any anime on NHK, and the series has been going strong since April 1994.

While the singing is nothing to write home about, the musical composition in “Yūki 100%” is the real deal, as it usually is with Japanese music. And you can see why it was chosen as an anime theme – it’s just so happy sounding!

And yes, “Yūki 100%” is also a karaoke staple.

“Sekai wa Anata no Iro ni Naru” by B’z from “Detective Conan”

Song year: 2016

In the 2010s, rock took a bit of a weird detour in Japan, and “Sekai wa Anata no Iro ni Naru” features an unconventional chord progression from start to finish.

Even with its eccentricities, it’s got a bit of a mysterious spy vibe, which seems appropriate. The song was chosen as the 43rd opening of Detective Conan and was also used for the ending of the film, Case Closed: The Darkest Nightmare.

“Ohayou” by Keno from “Hunter × Hunter”

Song year: 2000

Yoshihiro Togashi made a bit of a splash with YuYu Hakusho in the early 90s. It was a little short-lived, however, and Togashi himself ultimately probably wasn’t happy with it, having been forced to pivot the series from a drama focus to a martial arts focus early in the running.

Either way, the series has demonstrated its enduring power with films, live-action series, video games, and more.

Togashi would follow it up with a series he was very happy with, called Hunter × Hunter. Why do I say that? Because he started it up in March 1998 and continues working on it to this day.

The anime’s opening theme was Keno’s “Ohayou.” It’s effectively laid-back power pop, but the song does have a certain charm to it.

“Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari” by supercell from “Bakemonogatari”

Song year: 2009

supercell’s “Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari” (“The Story You Don’t Know”) is another heavy hitter in the realm of anisongs. It was released as supercell’s debut single and was picked up as the ending theme for Bakemonogatari.

The song is heavy on instrumentation, with piano, electric guitar, electric bass, and drums. The song opens with a lone voice and piano but features multiple timely builds. The lyrics deal primarily with unrequited love, and it is heartbreakingly well-written.

Top Anime Theme Songs, Final Thoughts

Japanese music sometimes follows in the footsteps of North American music, but it has long had a vibe all its own. In Japan, the blending and merging of genres is largely accepted, and more complex music and artistry are appreciated.

This is what makes the world of anisongs well worth watching – today, and well into the future.

What is your favorite anime song?

We hope you found everything you were looking for and more.