A compilation of jazz insert songs and covers from anime
Looking for anime songs you can enjoy in a jazz style?
Theme songs, insert songs, and ending themes from Japanese anime have now established themselves as a major genre known worldwide as “anisong.”
At first glance, anime and jazz might not seem like they go together.
But once you listen, you’ll find that many famous anime tracks actually have a strong jazz flavor.
For those who love both anime and jazz, here are some songs you should definitely hear, including notable cover versions.
Give them a listen!
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- Summary of theme songs and insert songs from HUNTER×HUNTER
Anime Jazz Insert Songs and Covers Compilation (1–10)
Moanin’Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
This piece plays an important role in the anime Kids on the Slope, which is centered around jazz.
It’s also frequently used as background music on TV shows, so many of you might think, “I’ve heard this before!” For jazz musicians, it’s a classic you can’t avoid.
Just as the protagonist, Kaoru Nishimi, awakens to jazz, why not dive into jazz yourself through this song?
Fly Me to the MoonBart Howard
When you hear “Fly Me to the Moon,” you think of a classic jazz standard.
It’s also widely known as the ending theme of the TV anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it wasn’t written as an anime song—it was first recorded by American singer Felicia Sanders.
The original title was “In Other Words,” and it was a gentle waltz in 3/4 time rather than in 4/4.
It became famous after composer-arranger Joe Harnell gave it a bossa nova-style arrangement in 1962, which boosted its popularity.
Incidentally, for the Evangelion ending theme, the piano is performed by Japanese jazz pianist Makoto Kuriya.
Be sure to compare it with the original as well.
The Galaxy Express 999Platina Jazz
If you’re an adult in Japan, you’ve probably seen Galaxy Express 999 at least once, right? This video features a jazz arrangement of the theme song from the film Galaxy Express 999, originally by Godiego.
It’s amazing how simply changing the rhythm and harmony can turn it into such a stylish jazz piece.
It’s a different song from the TV anime version—the TV version had a very Showa-era kayōkyoku feel, while the movie version is a bright tune about traveling through space, which likely resonated with modern audiences and made it famous.
Listening to the swing jazz version makes me want to drink wine on a train.
Anime Jazz: Insert Songs and Covers Collection (11–20)
Cutie HoneyTakeo Watanabe
Cutie Honey is a popular series that aired as a TV anime in the 1970s and has since been remade and adapted into live-action many times.
This is a jazz arrangement of that famous theme song, performed by a piano trio of piano, bass, and drums.
Even in a jazz setting, the drive of that intro is still very much alive.
The ad-lib solos in the middle are super cool and stylish—something that would fit right into a jazz bar—and the arrangement is one you’ll want to listen to over and over again.
Over the LimitROUTE85
This is a captivating track with a driving rock sound filled with passion.
It brilliantly captures the world of the anime Yowamushi Pedal: GLORY LINE, weaving the characters’ growth and inner struggles into the lyrics.
Released in May 2018, it was used as the ending theme for the anime’s second cour.
Performed by ROUTE85, a unit of six voice actors, the song also comes with individual character versions, making it irresistible for fans.
Listening to it while picturing the youths devoted to competitive cycling makes it resonate even more deeply.
N.E.W.Hitomi Uehara
This is an insert track from the animated film BLUE GIANT, crafted by world-renowned jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara.
The piece captures the passion of Dai Miyamoto and his fellow young jazz musicians, featuring a powerful, high-energy performance by piano, saxophone, and drums.
Released as a soundtrack in February 2023, it has been widely embraced by jazz fans.
The free, improvisational interplay of Uehara’s piano, Tomoaki Baba’s saxophone, and Shun Ishiwaka’s drums seems to call on listeners to pursue their dreams.
Listening to this piece, which colors the film’s climax, may inspire you to take on something new yourself.
Lupin the Third 'Theme of Love'Yuji Ohno
This theme song that you hear casually when you enter the shop is a masterpiece created by Yuji Ohno.
The intro begins with an elegant atmosphere infused with jazz elements and unfolds into a ballad marked by a wistful melody.
Used as the ending theme for an anime that aired starting in 1977, it became a piece that remained in the hearts of many.
Ohno’s distinctive sound, influenced by jazz and fusion, exudes a sophisticated vibe.
The work portrays a powerful longing for a loved one far away, and its lyrics are characterized by a sense of nostalgia and poignancy.