Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
Back in the 1990s, it still wasn’t the age of the internet.
These days, late-night anime and VOD subscriptions are the norm, but when you think of 90s anime, it was all about those early evening broadcasts.
Many of you probably spent your grade-school days rushing home after classes and turning on the TV right away.
This time, we’re featuring anime songs from that nostalgic 90s era!
Be sure to look for tracks from the shows you were obsessed with.
They’re great picks to keep in mind for karaoke, too!
- [Nostalgic] Classic and Popular Anime Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s
- Anime songs recommended for people in their 40s, from nostalgic classics to the latest hits.
- [Nostalgic] A roundup of anime songs and theme songs that were hits in the 1980s
- Anisongs that were hits in the 2000s: a nostalgic collection of legendary tracks
- Recommended anime songs for people in their 50s. Classic and popular anime theme songs.
- A coming-of-age song that was a hit in the ’90s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
- [Nostalgic] A special feature on legendary anime theme songs: revisiting those classic tracks
- [Top 20] Anime Song Sales Ranking of the Heisei 30 Years!
- [Nostalgic Songs] A compilation of classic anime themes that hit home for those born in the Showa and Heisei eras
- Including global smash hits! Anime songs recommended for Gen Z
- [Nostalgic & Latest] A Special Feature on Anime Songs Recommended for People in Their 20s
- 1990s J-Pop to listen to in summer: classic and hit summer songs
- [Hot & Cool] Up-tempo, hype-inducing anime song
Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s: Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (31–40)
I want to shout that I love you.BAAD
Slam Dunk is an anime based on the manga by Takehiko Inoue that sparked a basketball boom.
Its theme song is Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai, the third single by the rock band BAAD, which peaked at No.
16 on the Oricon chart.
Turn the roulette of fateZARD
The opening theme of Detective Conan.
As expected, Izumi Sakai’s clear, straightforward vocals really strike a chord, don’t they? In particular, the chorus is very catchy, and many people probably still think of it as the theme song of Detective Conan.
Even those who used to watch Detective Conan but don’t anymore will likely be reminded of their childhood if they give it another listen.
Driver’s HighL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
It was the opening theme for episodes 1 through 16 of GTO, which aired from June 30, 1999 to September 2000, and the ending theme for the final episode.
The engine sound in the intro is so cool, and I remember getting totally hooked on L’Arc at the time because of this song.
The track matches perfectly with the protagonist, Eikichi Onizuka—he’s a hopeless guy, but he always ends up looking awesome—and I looked forward to it every week.
WinnersG・GRIP
Set against the backdrop of a fictional auto race, the TV anime Future GPX Cyber Formula aired in 1991.
Riding the wave of the F1 racing boom at the time, it became popular for its authentic, high-octane racing scenes.
4人組女性バンドのG・GRIPが本作のオープニングとエンディングの両テーマを担当し、このオープニング曲は作品の世界観に完璧にマッチしたテンポの速い楽曲である。
Aim to be a Pokémon MasterMatsumoto Rika
It’s the well-known opening theme of the anime Pokémon.
The series began airing in 1997, and this song was used as the very first theme, becoming a huge hit.
Since it’s been remade several times, some of you might know it from one of those versions.
Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (41–50)
Parched CryFIELD OF VIEW
Yu-Gi-Oh!, a card game with worldwide popularity, originally began as a manga and was adapted into an anime in 1998.
“A Cry for the Dry” was its opening theme.
Incidentally, the original Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, which focuses on the card game, are different works; the latter depicts stories of characters playing various games with different settings, as in the early parts of the original series.
Wind Climbing ~Played by the Wind~Okui Aki
The popular manga Magical Circle Guru-Guru, serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan, was adapted into an anime in 1994 and later became a major hit with a film version as well.
The ending theme for the TV anime was Aki Okui’s “Wind Climbing ~Kaze ni Asobarete~.” She later handled the ending theme as well, and has gone on to produce many other anime theme songs.