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[WBC Theme Songs & Cheer Songs] Relive the excitement! A roundup of timeless hits
“Cheer songs” that heighten the emotion of sports.In the World Baseball Classic (WBC)—the international, region-based baseball showdown that sends the world into a frenzy each time—the power of music plays a major role in firing up the players’ fighting spirit and uniting the hearts of fans.In this article, we introduce the historic theme songs and cheer songs used in WBC broadcasts and related programs in Japan, as well as tracks chosen as players’ walk-up music to spur them on.Please enjoy to your heart’s content these unforgettable classics etched in the hearts of baseball fans!
[WBC Theme Songs and Cheer Songs] Relive the Excitement! A Roundup of Classic Hits (1–10)
Sugar!!Fujifaburikku
This is a Fuji Fabric track featuring a band sound brimming with momentum and shimmering synthesizer tones that feel delightful.
There’s an anecdote that, although it was originally written to cheer someone on, it ultimately became a song to rouse the singer himself—and that really speaks to the song’s power, doesn’t it? The lyrics, which affirm charging forward with all you’ve got, stir up a fighting spirit as you listen.
Released in April 2009 as their 11th single, it was chosen as the theme song for that year’s WBC broadcasts, etching itself into the memories of many baseball fans.
It’s a highly recommended track before an important match or when you need that extra push of courage.
SEPARATE WAYSJourney
When it comes to TBS’s WBC broadcasts, it has to be that classic by Journey! The moment that memorable intro starts playing, the vivid memories of those fierce battles for the world title come flooding back.
Although this song, released in January 1983, is actually about a sorrowful breakup with a lover, its emotional tone perfectly overlaps with the fighting spirit of players carrying their nations on their backs, creating peak excitement.
Don’t you feel that the same awe and thrill rise up in your chest again when you hear the song that has colored countless iconic moments as the theme since the 2009 tournament?
HAVE A NICE DAYBon Jovi
A song by BON JOVI, the American hard rock band that has achieved massive global success and enjoys overwhelming popularity in Japan.
It’s the title track from their 9th album, Have a Nice Day, which debuted at No.
1 on Japan’s Oricon chart.
Despite its upbeat phrase, the song channels a defiant spirit that refuses easy compromise, and its ironic message, carried by powerful guitar work, resonates deeply.
The track was used for the finale of J-Sports’ highlight program covering the inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC), syncing with memories of the players’ fierce battles and leaving a lasting impression on many baseball fans.
It’s a powerful rock tune worthy of being called an anthem for the soul.
Freak It! ft. Tokyo Ska Paradise OrchestraMAN WITH A MISSION
A super-energetic track that makes your body move before you know it.
MAN WITH A MISSION, the “wolf band,” teams up with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra for a fiery, grand rock number.
The song debuted in February 2018 and was later included on the acclaimed album Chasing the Horizon.
In 2023, it was selected as the theme song for Prime Video’s broadcast of the World Baseball Classic, and it also drew attention as the official theme song for the HITO-Communications Sunwolves Super Rugby team in 2018.
It’s a perfect track to get pumped up before a game.
SAMURAI ROCKYoshikawa Koji
Kikkawa Koji’s rock number, driven by a razor-sharp guitar riff from the intro, instantly stirs the fighting spirit of its listeners.
It sings of an indomitable, samurai-like resolve—becoming the “cutting edge” that carves out one’s own path without being swept away by a chaotic era.
When this song’s soul-stirring message played as the theme for the 2017 WBC broadcasts, it overlapped with the valiant presence of Samurai Japan and set supporters’ hearts ablaze.
Listen to it when you’re facing a battle you absolutely cannot lose or when you want to stand firm in your convictions—it will give you tremendous courage.
Battle Without Honor or HumanityHotei Tomoyasu
This is a work by Tomoyasu Hotei—legendary guitarist known for his role in the rock band BOØWY—who continues to be active both in Japan and abroad.
It’s widely known as the theme song for Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill, but did you know it was originally composed as the main theme for the 2000 Japanese film New Battles Without Honor and Humanity? Brimming with a “low-temperature burn” kind of slow-building tension that steadily fires up the listener, the piece is also familiar from TV Asahi’s WBC broadcasts.
Its thrilling guitar riff, which evokes the imminence of battle, elevates the spirits of players and fans alike—truly a masterpiece Japan can proudly present to the world.
HOMAREryo
An intro that starts quietly and weightily heightens the tension, and the structure that lets emotions burst forth all at once in the chorus makes this a striking number.
Because it’s sung by Ryo, who has a background as a former high school baseball player, each lyric that treats teammates, dreams, and hope as his own honor carries strong conviction.
This work was produced by Ryo’s uncle, Shuichi Ikemori of DEEN, and was released in September 2016.
As the theme song for TBS’s broadcast of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, it colored numerous iconic moments and is etched in the memories of many baseball fans.