![[Top 20] Anime Song Sales Ranking of the Heisei 30 Years!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/Wr3IavT9P70/maxresdefault.webp)
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)
Longing, poignancy, and strength of heartRyoko Shinohara
The best-selling anime song of the Heisei era’s 30 years was Ryoko Shinohara’s “Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to.” Although Ryoko Shinohara is better known as an actress, she was also active as a singer in the 1990s.
This track was used as the theme song for the film “Street Fighter II: The Movie” and became a huge hit, selling about 2.
02 million copies.
As you might guess from its distinctive trance-like melody, it was produced by Tetsuya Komuro.
It also won numerous awards, including the Japan Record Award and the Japan Cable Radio Award, making it an essential masterpiece when discussing Ryoko Shinohara.
Odoru Pompoko RinB.B. Queens
The anime Chibi Maruko-chan’s opening theme Odoru Pompokolin has been sung by different artists and passed down over many years.
Selling about 1.
64 million copies, it was the second best-selling song of the Heisei era’s 30 years.
The original version, which was released first, is performed by the music group B.
B.
Queens.
It was later covered by Golden Bomber and Momoiro Clover Z, and their versions were also used as the anime’s opening.
With its poppy melody, funny lyrics, and fun dance, the song is packed with elements that get kids grooving.
I'm only gazing at you.Maki Ohguro
The first ending theme used in the anime SLAM DUNK was Maki Ohguro’s “Anata Dake Mitsumeteru” (I’m Only Watching You).
This song, resonating with Ohguro’s powerful, punchy vocals, was a major hit that sold about 1.
23 million copies and ranked third in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era.
Because Ohguro hadn’t finished reading the original manga at the lyric-writing stage, some lines that didn’t quite fit the anime made their way in.
As a result, the lyrics that aired with the anime differed slightly from those on the released CD.
Even so, the song’s intensity perfectly matched SLAM DUNK’s passionate, basketball-driven story—which is likely why it became such a big hit.
Invisible PowerB’z
Ranking 4th in anime song sales over the Heisei 30 years was B’z’s “Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~,” which sold about 1.
23 million copies.
It was used as the ending theme for the anime Hell Teacher Nube.
Since the song existed before the tie-in offer came, it wasn’t written specifically for the anime.
However, the lyrics give off a vibe as if cheering on Nube as he faces yokai and evil spirits.
And because it brings a refreshing feel after the scary visuals, the balance between the anime and the song is spot on!
Until the World Ends…WANDS
WANDS’s “Sekai ga Owaru made wa…” was used as the ending theme for the basketball-themed anime adaptation of the manga SLAM DUNK.
Ranking fifth in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era, the single sold approximately 1.
221 million copies.
It was also selected for the Artist Song Award for the 1989–1999 period in Sony’s 2019 “Heisei Anisong Grand Prize” popularity campaign.
Its refreshing, glittering melody perfectly matches the youthful spirit of the characters devoted to basketball.
single bedSharam Q
Sharam Q’s smash-hit ballad was used as the ending theme for the anime “D・N・A²: Aitsu Made Aitakute.” The song sold about 1.
202 million copies, ranking sixth in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era.
In 2013, they released a self-cover version.
He still finds himself remembering the girlfriend he broke up with long ago, along with a dream he had about her in a single bed.
Those bittersweet lyrics, paired with the grand yet gentle melody, touched the hearts of many.
Aim to be a Pokémon MasterRika Matsumoto
When you think of Pokémon, this is the song! It’s the signature number of the anime Pokémon.
Sung by Rica Matsumoto, who also voices the protagonist Ash, the track is packed with the excitement and anticipation of Ash’s upcoming adventures as he dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master.
It ranked 7th in anime song sales over the 30 years of the Heisei era, selling about 1.
128 million copies.
With fun elements like Pikachu’s voice and Professor Oak’s lines included, it’s full of charm! It’s an anime song that people across generations can sing.
It has been remade multiple times to coincide with the theatrical releases, and the 2017 version, “Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -20th Anniversary-,” was especially well received by many fans.