Great anime songs that colored the Heisei era
The 1990s…
Riding the wave of Jump’s golden age, the anime world was experiencing a huge surge in excitement.
One of the factors that fueled this anime boom was anime songs, or “anisong.”
In the early Heisei era, unlike today where popular rock bands often perform them, anisong were mostly sung by musicians who specialized in the genre.
This time, we’re spotlighting some of the most popular anisong from that Heisei period!
They’re all famous tracks that people of all ages have likely heard at least once, so be sure to check them out!
- [Nostalgic] Classic and Popular Anime Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s
- [Nostalgic & Latest] A Special Feature on Anime Songs Recommended for People in Their 20s
- Anisongs that were hits in the 2000s: a nostalgic collection of legendary tracks
- Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- [Heisei Songs] Classic hits from the Heisei era that are popular on Instagram Reels
- [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
- Songs from the Heisei retro era that will get any generation excited! Timeless tracks you’ll want to listen to now.
- Iconic scenes overlap! Anime songs recommended for the yutori generation
- [Collection of Epic Songs] A compilation of cool anime songs chosen by anime fans
- Including global smash hits! Anime songs recommended for Gen Z
- [From 2010 onward] A roundup of anime that teenagers feel nostalgic about
- Anime songs recommended for people in their 40s, from nostalgic classics to the latest hits.
Great anime songs that colored the Heisei era (11–20)
Until the world ends…WANDS
This is WANDS’ eighth single, which was used as the second ending theme for the 1994 TV anime Slam Dunk.
It played alongside Mitsui Hisashi’s comeback arc, topped the Oricon weekly chart for two consecutive weeks, and became a million seller.
Show Uesugi’s impassioned vocals and Tetsurō Oda’s masterful composition lyrically portray the sense of loss after heartbreak and the turbulence of shifting emotions, building gradually from the first verse and bursting open in the chorus—thrilling whether you sing it or listen to it.
Also included on the album PIECE OF MY SOUL, it remains an immortal classic loved across generations, continually covered by the reactivated fifth-generation WANDS since 2019 and by Show Uesugi himself.
Crimson Lotus FlowerLiSA
This is a song by LiSA, a leading singer in the anison world, chosen as the opening theme for the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
With powerful rock sounds and piercing high vocals, it expresses the indomitable spirit of the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, as he faces adversity.
Released in 2019, the song achieved the remarkable feat of topping the Oricon charts as both the “last No.
1 of the Heisei era” and the “first No.
1 of the Reiwa era.” In 2020, LiSA also performed at NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen, and the song became a social phenomenon that transcended the anison genre.
It’s a track that gives courage to everyone striving to move forward without being defeated by hardship.
Listen to it on your way to school, and it’s sure to lift your spirits!
peace signYonezu Kenshi
The single released by Kenshi Yonezu in 2017 is the opening theme for the first cour of season 2 of the anime My Hero Academia.
The song captures the protagonist’s determination to grow stronger in order to protect those he cares about, even while facing his own weakness.
Its exhilarating guitar-rock sound and powerful message of charging toward the future are truly stirring.
It’s the perfect track for times when you want to keep moving forward despite setbacks, or when you feel like doing your best for someone else.
There’s also an anecdote that Yonezu created it with the Digimon Adventure theme song in mind—perhaps another reason it’s loved across generations.
The music video surpassed 300 million views on YouTube in October 2024 and continues to inspire courage in many people.
I’m a popular kid.nohara shinnosuke
The voice actor for the protagonist Shinnosuke, Akiko Yajima, sings this song.
It was included on her debut single released in July 1993 and was used as the third opening theme for the TV anime.
With bold lyrics proclaiming herself a star, it feels like the song perfectly captures Shin-chan’s relentlessly cheerful personality.
Just listening to it brings to mind Shin-chan’s powerful, laid-back daily life.
This track became the first character-name single to break into the Oricon Top 10.
Give it a listen when you want to lift your mood, or when you want to feel energized without sweating the small stuff—just like Shin-chan.
It might also be fun to sing along together as a parent and child.
Odoru Pompoko RinB.B. Kuīnzu
Released in 1990, this was B.B.
Queens’ debut single that sparked a massive craze.
As the ending theme for the anime Chibi Maruko-chan, it played in households across Japan and became a national hit that everyone—from kids to adults—could sing and dance to.
It also drew attention for having lyrics written by the original creator, Momoko Sakura.
In fact, the group was a masked super-unit planned by Being, packed with top-tier talent; the outstanding performances by artists like Fusanosuke Kondo and Yuko Tsubokura underpin the irresistibly upbeat sound.
Its mysterious, whimsical phrases stick in your head after just one listen.
The moment you hear the intro, the excitement of those days comes rushing back—a song that truly defines its era.