Lovely anime song

Recommended anime songs for people in their 50s. Classic and popular anime theme songs.

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

Many of you probably still remember the theme songs from the anime you watched as children, even after becoming adults, right?

Even if you haven’t listened to them for decades, there are plenty of songs you can still hum along to today.

In this article, we’ll introduce a collection of nostalgic anime songs especially for those in their 50s!

We’ve gathered anime theme songs from the 1970s to the 1980s, so please take a look, and if you find something nostalgic, take your time and give it a good listen!

Recommended anime songs for people in their 50s. Classic and popular anime tracks (21–30)

The Song of DevilmanKeizo Soda, Vocal Shop

Devilman

The Song of Devilman - Keizo Jutta, Vocal Shop

The theme song of the TV anime Devilman, based on Go Nagai’s original work.

The lead vocals, marked by a resonant, expressive delivery, were performed by Keizo Toda, a former member of Danny Iida and The Paradise King, a band active in the 1950s and 1960s.

The choral parts that heighten the song from the opening were provided by Vocal Shop, a chorus group known for anime and tokusatsu songs, including the theme for Mach GoGoGo.

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Space Battleship YamatoIsao Sasaki

Space Battleship Yamato (1) / Isao Sasaki + The Royal Knights

Space Battleship Yamato Isao Sasaki

The opening theme of the TV anime Space Battleship Yamato, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto and broadcast starting in 1974.

The lyrics were written by Yū Aku, with composition and arrangement by Hiroshi Miyagawa.

The song is also popular as a cheer anthem for high school baseball and soccer.

Isao Sasaki, known for his dynamic vocals, is a former rockabilly singer who debuted in 1960 with a Japanese cover of an Elvis Presley song, “You’re the One I’m Really After.” This track became one of his signature songs, marking his second breakthrough.

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Go! Go! TritonHide Yūki, Suginami Children’s Chorus

Triton of the Sea

Go! Go! Triton Hide, Suginami Children’s Choir

The protagonist Triton, who rose up to fight the Poseidon tribe that ruled the continent.

This is the theme song of the anime Triton of the Sea, based on the original work by Osamu Tezuka.

It’s sung by Hide Yūki—who also performed the famous commercial jingle Kono Ki Nan no Ki—and the Suginami Children’s Choir.

The powerful, message-driven lyrics feel like a push on Triton’s back as he throws himself into a harsh battle.

Give this song a listen and remember that fiery passion and sense of excitement you felt as a child!

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Daichan Counting SongYoshimi Yoshida

Country Bumpkin Champion

Daichan Counting Song Yoshida Yoshimi

The theme song of the anime Inakappe Taishō, based on the original work by Noboru Kawasaki and produced by Tatsunoko Production.

It features the vocals of enka singer Yoshimi Tendo, recorded before her professional debut.

With its ondo-style sound and Tendo’s youthful, fresh voice, it’s a delightful classic.

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Babel IIIchiro Mizuki

[Official] Babel II Episode 1: "The Messenger from Five Thousand Years Ago" <1970s Anime>

Babel II Mizuki Ichirō

A powerful, valiant hero song of justice! This work depicts a young psychic boy living in the desert’s Tower of Babel and his three servants as they fight to protect peace on Earth.

Sung with heartfelt passion by Ichiro Mizuki and the Columbia Yurikago-kai as the opening theme for the television anime of the same name, which aired from January to September 1973.

The striking lyrics by the pen name “Toei Ni” pair perfectly with Shunsuke Kikuchi’s exhilarating, fast-paced melody.

Proclaiming hope for the future and the bonds of comrades, this piece continues to be loved as a fiery cheer song that resonates with both children and adults.

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Cutie HoneyYoko Maekawa

Cutie Honey / Yoko Maekawa

Cutie Honey Yoko Maekawa

Cutie Honey is a popular series that frequently makes headlines, whether through remakes or live-action film releases.

And when it comes to its theme song, this is the one everyone thinks of.

It’s the track used since the original TV series that aired starting in 1973, sung by Yoko Maekawa, one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of anime song vocalists.

I bet many people can sing it without looking at the lyrics.

That’s how widely known this classic anime song is across generations.

Incidentally, it’s also very popular as a cheer song for high school baseball.

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For whomKen Narita with Korogi '73

Cyborg 009: For Whose Sake 396Hz Sound source, to alleviate fears

For Whom (Narita Ken with Korogi '73)

The anime Cyborg 009, based on the original work by Shotaro Ishinomori.

The song Who Is It For? is the opening theme for the second series, which aired starting in 1979.

Ken Narita, who was also active as a songwriter, is the main vocalist, and it was released the same year as his 12th single.

The gritty—one might even say ultra-cool—tone and vocals are irresistible.

The reason it turned out so masculine is that, unusually for the time, it was produced as an anime song aimed at adults.

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