10 greatest anime soundtracks of all time

22 January 2026, 18:20

Joe Hisaishi, composer of Spirited Away. Picture: Alamy

By Jacques Richardson

Nothing beats the rush of sitting down to watch an anime and being greeted with some of the best music Japan has to offer. Here are our picks for the best anime music ever composed for the big and small screen.

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Anime, the Japanese word for ‘animated’, is a beloved film genre that has a unique, universal style that has led it to become a worldwide phenomenon. Many projects are inspired by a Japanese form of comic book called manga.

But despite its distinctive visuals, anime has many different genres and stories it tells. Whether you’re a fan of wholesome tales involving magical animals or deconstructions of good vs. evil, there really is something for everyone.

Part of the reason anime has amassed such an avid fanbase is down to the incredible offering of music. Whether it is the beautifully sparse scores of Studio Ghibli movies or the dramatic grunge of recent shows, anime has always spotlighted Japanese music at its finest.

Here are some of the best anime soundtracks ever written...

Joe Hisaishi - Howl’s Moving Castle

It wouldn’t be an anime top ten list without a mention (or three) of Joe Hisaishi. The film composer is best known for his beautiful piano compositions for longtime collaborator Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli. Together, the pair have worked on 12 feature films and captured the hearts of many anime fans.
The magical score to Howl’s Moving Castle is one of Hisaishi’s most prolific works to date. What makes this soundtrack so special is the composer’s use of leitmotifs to create memorable themes for characters and settings. He expands on his ideas to create a musical tapestry as colourful as the world. The music is instantly recognisable and elevates the world-building from the animation.
Read more: 10 greatest pieces of music by Joe Hisaishi, ranked

Joe Hisaishi - Merry-Go-Round of Life (from “Howl’s Moving Castle”)
Yoko Kanno - Cowboy Bebop

‘Cowboy Bebop’ are two words that are bound to excite any anime fan. Its short and legendary run in the 90s made it a popular gateway to the genre, and the music also left a lasting impression. Composer Yoko Kanno draws on a wide array of musical influences to create a fusion of in-your-face, punchy jazz. The Latin percussive rhythms give this theme a kinetic beat that’s enough to hype even the most reserved anime fans. From the second the episode begins we are treated to a sensory explosion where both music and animation are equally as dramatic.

COWBOY BEBOP TANK LIVE - ♫ - No Limit Orchestra
Joe Hisaishi - My Neighbour Totoro

Hisaishi’s music for Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 My Neighbour Totoro is light-hearted and child-like, accompanying as it does the young Satsuke and Mei’s adventures with spirits of the forest. We love ‘The Path of the Wind’, which starts with light pizzicato strings and progresses through varied lyrical string passages.
And apparently, he wrote the main theme in just 20 minutes...

Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi: ‘I wrote the Totoro theme in 20 minutes!’
Hiroyuki Sawano - Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan has become the most beloved anime of the past decade. While the show has an abundance of amazing music to pick from, with the hardcore opening theme being one of the most recognisable in all history, we have chosen to highlight the choral nightmare, XL-TT. When something devastating happens on the show, as it often does, it is usually signalled by a dramatic choir booming a melody that calls to mind Verdi’s Requiem.
This piece looms over all four seasons of the show, much like the Colossal Titan who heralds the music in episode one. Composer Hiroyuki Sawano expands on the themes of the original to introduce new ideas and plot reveals, whilst keeping tension at an all-time high. It’s fair to say that whenever you hear those haunting first few bars, you know you’re in for a terrible time.

REQUIEM FOR ATTACK ON TITAN // Grissini Project Orchestra
Hideki Taniuchi - Death Note

I’ll play piano in my right hand and eat a potato chip in my left!
Death Note has cemented itself as one of the shining examples of adapting manga into anime. Over its 37 episodes, we see demons from hell, murderous journals and plenty of red apples. But the highlight is the musical score that is as layered, clever and textured as the main characters. L’s theme in particular, composed by Hideki Taniuchi, is equal parts haunting and thrilling. The piano part harkens to Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells mixed with grungy guitar riffs.

CAGMO - Death Note Symphony - L Theme (Hideki Taniuchi recomposed)
Shinji Miyazaki - Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back

The Birth of Mewtwo, a prologue to Mewtwo Strikes Back, perfectly encapsulates the tortured journey of the titular Pokémon. Starting off with a gentle mix of strings and woodwind, the viewer is transported into a world of serenity. But halfway through, the music switches to a thumping, percussive beat followed by an explosion of dramatic horns and strings where the harmony begins unwinding. The piece works effortlessly to expand on motifs from Mew’s theme to show how both Pokémon are two sides to the same coin.
Not a dry eye in the house when Pikachu saves fan favourite, Ash...

Pokémon Movie01 American BGM - The Birth of Mewtwo
Kōhei Tanaka - One Piece

If you decided to sit down and watch all of One Piece from start to finish it would take you around 18 days, in which you will hear the opening theme over 1,150 times. Thankfully, the music is worth the investment.
The wacky adventures of a stretchy pirate called Monkey D. Luffy in search for the titular One Piece really is as bonkers as it sounds. Composer Kohei Tanaka succeeds in consistently reinventing the music to sound fresh, and the scores are jaunty and jovial, much like the tone of the show. Not only has Tanaka composed over 1,000 pieces of music for the show, he also lends his talents to other anime series alongside live-action movies and video games.

RTO Ehrenfeld - "Overtaken (One Piece)" | ZDF Magazin Royale
Hayato Matsuo - JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a TV series based on the manga of the same name, which tells of the mysterious adventures of the Joestar family across generations – from the 19th century to modern times. Composer and orchestrator Hayato Matsuo wrote gripping orchestral music to bring the on-screen action vividly to life.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood OST - Decisive Battle ~Overlapping Destinies~
Jeremy Zuckerman - Avatar: The Last Airbender

The creators of Avatar the Last Airbender wanted to create a love letter to the Japanese animation style with character designs, storytelling and music to match. Out of all Western anime, Avatar stands out for its amazing use of leitmotifs to symbolise the eclectic multiculturalism of Ang’s world. Jeremy Zuckerman deliberately uses sounds from different countries to ground the characters in a realistic world. The Fire Tribe play traditional Chinese instruments like the pipa and guzheng.
Plus, as the character Zuko grapples with his history, the composer employs two conflicting themes to show the battle in his mind. Every musical decision is considered and that’s why it deserves a place on this list.

Avatar the Last Airbender Orchestral Suite - DPops
Joe Hisaishi - Spirited Away

We could have easily filled this entire list with the music of Joe Hisaishi. All his soundtracks have stood the test of time and his latest score to The Boy and the Heron won a Golden Globe. But there is one movie that stands out above the rest.
Spirited Away made history in 2003 when it became the first anime film to win an Academy Award, after becoming the highest grossing movie to be made in Japan. The score, characterised by its delicate piano melodies and uncertain harmonies, is a warm blanket, transporting us to a fantastical spirit world. The fluid, impressionistic melodies reflect the music of Debussy, blended with Japanese influences. The gentle opening track ‘One Summer’s Day’ began life as an instrumental, but Hisaishi later decided to add lyrics to expand on his musical ideas. If you choose to listen to one piece of music from this list, make it this one.

Joe Hisaishi - One Summer's Day