Summary of Western Songs That Inspired the JoJo Series
Since its serialization began in 1986, Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series has been beloved across generations as both a manga and an anime.
A pioneering work in so-called “supernatural power battles,” it continues to captivate many fans with its edge-of-your-seat storytelling and strikingly unique characters.
One of JoJo’s distinctive features is that the names of characters and abilities often draw inspiration from real-life artists, bands, and song titles.
With that in mind, this article rounds up Western songs related to the JoJo series!
Take a peek into the world of JoJo from a musical perspective!
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- A collection of Western songs with titles starting with “J”
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Western Songs That Inspired the JoJo Series (31–40)
We RockDio
Dio Brando is such a popular character that you could even call him the hidden protagonist of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
For those unfamiliar with the original reference, many people think of DIO as the JoJo character.
In fact, Dio’s namesake is the band DIO, led by the charismatic hard rock vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
Ronnie, who performed with legendary bands like Rainbow and Black Sabbath, is also the person who popularized the “devil horns” hand sign known to every heavy metal fan.
Although Ronnie has passed away, his incredible vocals—said to never go off pitch even live—are still celebrated today.
So if you like the character Dio, you should definitely listen to Ronnie’s singing.
Jumpin’ Jack FlashThe Rolling Stones
From their true start in 1962, for over 60 years without ever disbanding, The Rolling Stones have continued to perform as an active band at the pinnacle of rock.
Fresh in our memory is their 2023 original album “Hackney Diamonds” winning Best Rock Album at the 67th Grammy Awards.
One of their signature songs, the classic “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” released in 1968, is also referenced in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean as the name of the Stand used by Lang Rangler.
It’s a straightforward rock track with a cool, lively riff—definitely give it a listen!
Distant DreamerDuffy
It’s an inspiring song that sings of the resolve to chase a distant dream.
Created by Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy, it’s included on her album Rockferry, released in March 2008.
The lyrics, filled with a yearning for freedom and hope, truly resonate.
Set to a laid-back melody, Duffy’s clear, luminous vocals are captivating.
It’s a track that gently supports anyone who wants to keep striving without giving up on their dreams.
It was also used as the ending theme for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, and its popularity is surging among anime fans.
Recommended for times when you’re feeling down or want to boost your motivation.
The PretenderFoo Fighters
Foo Fighters is a band formed around Dave Grohl, the former drummer of Nirvana.
They’re extremely popular in Japan as well.
Their song “The Pretender” is known as one of their signature works.
It’s also known as the namesake inspiration for the character Foo Fighters who appears in Part 6.
The character left a strong impression, and the original song likewise features a memorable, lingering riff and a loud, powerful sound.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s DoorBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is a world-renowned artist who has worked across a variety of genres, including rock, folk, and blues.
In Japan, he’s so famous that almost everyone from certain generations knows his name.
Among his many songs, one I especially recommend is Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.
This track is known as the inspiration for the Stand “Heaven’s Door” used by the hugely popular character Rohan Kishibe.
While Dylan has many breezy, refreshing songs, this one has a somewhat gritty, earthy tone.
Many listeners might feel that this rough-edged quality matches Rohan Kishibe’s character quite well.
Western Music That Inspired the JoJo Series (41–50)
Both Sides NowJoni Mitchell
The names of the racers in Part 7 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, “Steel Ball Run,” are a treasure trove of music references, but in fact there are hidden references in the stage names as well.
Stage 8, “Both Sides Now,” is said to be based on the timeless classic Both Sides Now, written and composed by the great Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell—an impressively subtle citation.
More people might recognize it by its Japanese title, “Seishun no Hikari to Kage” (Light and Shadow of Youth).
Incidentally, the first person to sing the song was Judy Collins, and it was included on her 1967 album Wildflowers.
The RockThe Who
The Who, whose name is etched alongside the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as one of the three great British bands the nation proudly presents to the world.
Despite being a legendary band that set countless milestones with their unruly performances and a musical range that goes far beyond rock, it’s a bit unfortunate that their recognition in Japan is somewhat modest compared to other UK rock bands of the same era—likely because they never made it to Japan as The Who.
The piece introduced here, The Rock, is a six-and-a-half-minute-plus instrumental track included on the groundbreaking rock opera album Quadrophenia, a work that has made its mark on music history.
For fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, The Rock also appears as the Stand name of Tamami Kobayashi in Part 4, Diamond Is Unbreakable.