10 Anime That Used Popular English Songs In Their Soundtracks (2024)

There are endless sources of entertainment that compete for the audience’s attention, yet anime continually proves itself to be an unpredictable and ambitious medium that’s able to tell any type of story imaginable. The wide array of genres that anime experiment with allow them to tell truly unique and fearless stories, but there are all sorts of elements that come together to help anime leave such an impression on its viewers.

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An engaging soundtrack can often make or break an anime series, and the power of appropriate music can never be underestimated. Anime is a great opportunity to learn about Japanese artists and musicians, but there are also rare occasions where English influences work their way into the subject matter. Some anime make prominent use of English music to help hammer in the series’ themes.

10 Neon Genesis Evangelion Uses A Sinatra Classic To Punctuate Its Storytelling

Every single element in Neon Genesis Evangelion coalesces together to turn it into one of the most unique and moving anime series of all time. Evangelion’s opening theme song, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” has gained reverence as one of the best anime theme songs of all time, but the series’ end credits are just as evocative. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra is used as Evangelion’s ending theme. Evangelion’s high-minded themes and symbolism make it an incredibly poignant song to go out on, which is why so many people have lamented its removal when Evangelion started to stream on Netflix.

9 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Routinely Turns To English Music For Thematic Resonance

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure frequently highlights burly fighters and incredible clashes of power, but it’s also an anime where English music influences play a prominent role. Countless characters and their Stands are named after famous music groups, but JoJo goes one step further with how each of its end credit songs uses an appropriate English piece of music to reflect the season’s storytelling arc. Tracks like "Walk Like An Egyptian" by the Bangles, "Roundabout" by Yes, and Savage Garden's "I Want You" have all been used to exceptional effect, and it's always exciting to see what song will accompany a new JoJo season.

8 Great Pretender Finds The Perfect Music To Represent Its Grifters

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Great Pretender is a brilliant serialized heist drama that delivers gripping storytelling, compelling and layered characters, and beautiful animation courtesy of MAPPA. Great Pretender is such a satisfying mix of eclectic sensibilities that results in one of the most unique heist stories.

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Sometimes English music in an anime can come as a surprise, but Great Pretender wears its influences on its sleeve with how it’s named after a Freddie Mercury number. “The Great Pretender” closes out each episode of the anime, and it elegantly speaks to the duplicitous, yet honorable, nature of the series’ con artists.

7 Speed Grapher’s Use Of Duran Duran Makes For A Sublime Introduction

There are some excellent psychological drama anime, as well as series that create unlikely anti-heroes out of strangely cursed objects. Speed Grapher follows Tatsumi Saiga, a former war photographer, who gains the ability to destroy whatever he captures on film with his camera. It's fascinating to see how Tatsumi handles this new power. It's hard to complain over any Duran Duran music in an anime, but Speed Grapher's use of "Girls on Film" is truly perfect. It works on a literal level in terms of Tatsumi's work, but also reflects the dark nature of the world that he enters.

6 Paradise Kiss’ Use Of A Contemporary Hit Strengthens Its Storytelling

Paradise Kiss is a 12-episode josei series from Ai Yazawa of Nana fame that's such a surprising breath of fresh air. The vibrant anime looks at a restless girl who becomes an unlikely modeling target for a prestigious and mysterious fashion academy. Paradise Kiss features affable characters, but it also features quite a contemporary English song over its end credits. "Do You Want To" by Franz Ferdinand hits as a complete shock the first time it plays, but it's modern and plays by its own rules, just like Paradise Kiss.

5 The Story Of Young Hanada Turns To Backstreet Boys To Find Its Rhythm

The Story of Young Hanada is an early 2000s anime series that frequently subverts expectations. Ichiro Hanada is a rambunctious child who thrives on mischief, but his life takes an unexpected turn after a near-death experience leaves him with the supernatural ability to see ghosts.

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This turns Hanada into even more of an oddity, and it's a solid premise for slice of life hijinks. One of the biggest surprises in the anime is that it turns to boy band The Backstreet Boys’ “I’ll Be the One” for its theme music. It’s oddly appropriate in response to Hanada’s newfound extraordinary talents.

4 Ergo Proxy Going Out On Radiohead Is Perfection

There are a handful of very moving cyberpunk anime series that wrestle with fascinating questions about technology and identity. Ergo Proxy often doesn't receive the same attention as Ghost in the Shell or Serial Experiments Lain, but it creates a deeply thought-provoking story across its 23 episodes. Ergo Proxy takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where a peaceful existence between humans and androids gets dismantled once the androids become self-aware and murderous. Ergo Proxy uses Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" as its closing song, which isn't just evocative music, but elegantly addresses the anime's themes.

3 Eden Of The East Establishes Its Malaise With A Moving Intro

Eden of the East is a gripping anime that crafts a tense, paranoid narrative across its tight 11-episode story. Eden of the East begins with an amnesiac man waking up outside of the White House with a loaded weapon and nearly infinite cash. Meanwhile, a series of terrorist attacks continue to occur, leaving the nation confused over who or what is truly the target. Eden of the East is a deep mystery and it begins each episode with Oasis' "Falling Down," which doesn't just apply to Akira Takizawa's confusion over his identity, but also the missiles from terrorist attacks.

2 Maison Ikkoku Mixes Up Its Music To Reflect The Human Condition

Rumiko Takahashi is a prolific mangaka who is responsible for action-heavy series like Ranma ½and InuYasha, but Maison Ikkoku might be her most emotionally resonant series. Maison Ikkoku’s presentation of a tender love story between a meek man and a heartbroken widow blossoms in an incredibly beautiful and genuine manner. Maison Ikkoku excels with its character moments. The series is highly emotional, and one of the apexes of this melodrama is the series’ use of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again (Naturally),” which is used as the theme for just one episode, but it makes an even greater impact as a result.

1 L/R: Licensed By Royal Uses Billy Preston To Set The Scene For Its Frayed World

L/R: Licensed by Royal creates a very original alternate version of the world where the United Kingdom and Ireland don't exist, and terrorists, spies, and assassins run rampant and threaten the members of the monarchy. Licensed by Royal centers on two acclaimed special agents who work hard to protect the life of a young girl and stay afloat themselves. L/R uses an old Billy Preston hit, "Go Where No One's Gone Before," which establishes the effortless buddy-cop dynamic between the anime's leads as they embark on their biggest mission yet.

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