[Top 20] Anime Song Sales Ranking of the Heisei 30 Years!
Songs used as anime opening and ending themes are often tightly bound to our memories.
When you watch an anime, the corresponding song comes rushing back—and sometimes it works the other way around, too.
In this article, we’ve investigated the all-time sales rankings of those nostalgia-packed anime songs!
Because many older Showa-era anime songs don’t have clear figures, we’ve focused on CD sales rankings from the 30 years of the Heisei era.
What kind of ranking did we end up with? Check it out with your own eyes—and ears!
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[Top 20] Anime Song Sales Ranking of the Heisei 30 Years! (1–10)
Unwavering WishNaomi Tamura
The opening theme for the anime Magic Knight Rayearth was Naomi Tamura’s Yuzurenai Negai (Uncompromising Wish).
It ranked 8th in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era, selling about 1.
092 million copies.
In addition, Sony’s 2019 Heisei Anisong Grand Prize campaign selected it for the Artist Song Award for the years 1989–1999.
Set to a refreshing melody, the song expresses hopes and feelings for the future.
As an answer song to it, Hello again was released 14 years later and included on the album Rockfield willow.
My friendZARD
The song ranking 9th in anime song sales over the 30 Heisei years is ZARD’s “My Friend,” which sold about 1,001,000 copies.
It was used as the ending theme for the anime SLAM DUNK.
This was ZARD’s biggest long-selling work; while its sales didn’t surpass “Makenaide” or “Yureru Omoi,” it was still a massive hit and the third best-selling single for ZARD.
Its sparkling, refreshingly ZARD-like atmosphere is memorable.
It was also used as the walk-up song for professional baseball players Yoshihiro Maru and Masato Nakazawa.
frecklesJUDY AND MARY
JUDY AND MARY, known as JudyMori, were a legendary and hugely popular rock band active in the 1990s.
Their massive hit “Sobakasu,” which sold about 1.
058 million copies, was used as the opening theme for the anime Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story.
It ranked 10th in anime song sales in the Heisei 30th year and was also selected for a Special Award in Sony’s Heisei Anison Grand Prize campaign for the years 1989–1999.
Although the song was deliberately not aligned with the world of Rurouni Kenshin, YUKI’s distinctive choice of words in the lyrics and the pop melody won widespread support.
[Top 20] Anime Song Sales Ranking of the Heisei 30 Years! (11–20)
Secret of my heartMai Kuraki
Mai Kuraki’s “Secret of my heart,” featured as an ending theme for the anime Detective Conan, is a beloved track among Mai Kuraki fans, Conan fans, and many others.
It sold about 969,000 copies, ranking 11th in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era.
The song expresses how Kuraki felt when, as a student, she couldn’t tell her friends that she was working in show business.
Its wistful lyrics and melody, paired with Kuraki’s clear, penetrating vocals, make it a deeply moving piece.
SurvivalGLAY
GLAY’s “Survival,” released as a video single, was used as the opening theme for the anime Kaikan Phrase and ranked 12th in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era.
It’s a rare case of a video work being recognized on the Oricon singles chart, and it became a huge hit, selling about 900,000 copies.
The song is also known as the theme for GLAY’s biggest live event, EXPO, and is especially cherished among fans.
The work came to be after GLAY members, who were fans of director Koji Morimoto—who directed this video—approached him directly to request his involvement.
On the edge (chop)B’z
B’z’s “Giri Giri Chop,” chosen as the opening theme for the anime Detective Conan, kicked off the show with a spectacular bang.
Selling about 805,000 copies, the single ranked 13th in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era.
Although B’z has collaborated with Detective Conan many times, this track marked their first step together.
Its devastatingly powerful, cool rock sound, exhilarating speed, and Inaba’s wide vocal range make for an overwhelming song that perfectly evokes the thrilling feel of Conan’s story.
Let's Count Your Kisses ~You were mine~Yuki Koyanagi
This debut song by Yuki Koyanagi was chosen as the theme for the anime The Reign: Alexander the Great.
Selling approximately 736,000 copies, it became a long-running hit and ranked 14th in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era.
In addition to Anri, artists from Hong Kong and South Korea have also covered it.
Koyanagi’s expansive, soaring vocals are striking in this track.
The lyrics, which sing of heartbreak, draw even more tears thanks to her voice.
It captures the anguish of a breakup so painful it makes you want to deny the very encounter itself.
This song—and Yuki Koyanagi herself—seem to accept that pain wholeheartedly.