Popular Ghibli Songs Ranking [2025]

Name of LifeJoe Hisaishi36rank/position

Name of Life [Easy Piano] - Ghibli “Spirited Away”

Composed by Joe Hisaishi, this piece is a gem created for the film Spirited Away.

The beautiful melody woven by piano and strings resonates deeply with listeners.

Its delicate lines skillfully portray anxiety and hope, a sense of loss and rediscovery, perfectly expressing the film’s worldview.

For the left hand, it’s fine to start with single notes; once you get the hang of it, try capturing the harmonies with chords.

With its relaxed tempo, this is a recommended piece for beginners who want to play something wistful and gentle.

Always With MeJoe Hisaishi37rank/position

“Always With Me” from Spirited Away, string quartet

From Spirited Away.

The original song is by Yumi Kimura.

Wakako Kaku, who also wrote the lyrics for this piece, is active as a lyricist, poet, and singer-songwriter, and has provided lyrics for a variety of artists including SMAP and Rimi Natsukawa.

This song won honors such as the Gold Prize at the 43rd Japan Record Awards.

She also wrote the lyrics for “Mother Sea,” a song from the Studio Ghibli film Ponyo.

Known by many alongside the film, it’s a piece whose lyrics evoke death yet, with a somehow calming melody, resonates deeply in the heart.

In this city in AsiaShang Shang Typhoon38rank/position

[Healing Effect] Ghibli Music Box: Pom Poko — In This Asian Town (BGM for Work and Sleep)

This is an insert song from Pom Poko.

On a personal note, the first movie I ever saw was Pom Poko.

I often hear music box versions of its songs played in massage parlors and relaxation salons.

It’s a work that lets you feel a strong sense of connection.

Summer of Goodbye ~From Up on Poppy Hill~Aoi Teshima39rank/position

Aoi Teshima / Summer of Goodbye ~From Up on Poppy Hill~ High-quality sound with lyrics

The theme song from From Up on Poppy Hill.

It’s a gentle, heartwarming song that feels like reading a picture book to a child.

It can be quite challenging unless you’re confident in your expressiveness, but it’s a great pick for karaoke.

If you’re unsure what to choose for the final song, secretly selecting this one to move everyone to tears might be a good idea.

globeKenshi Yonezu40rank/position

Kenshi Yonezu – Spinning Globe

A song crafted by Kenshi Yonezu as the theme for Hayao Miyazaki’s film “The Boy and the Heron,” which delicately portrays life from birth and growth to parting.

Released in July 2023, the film is accompanied by a warm, gentle melody that feels as if it tenderly watches over the growth of a human being born with infinite potential.

After receiving direct guidance from Director Miyazaki and working from five books’ worth of storyboards, Yonezu created this painstaking work whose lyrics, offering a panoramic view of the world and probing the meaning of life, harmonize beautifully with the film’s themes.

Both the piece itself and its creation process convey Yonezu’s deep respect for Miyazaki.

It’s a recommended song for those at a crossroads in life or anyone wishing to reflect on their own way of living.

The music video was filmed on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, and its striking visuals brim with lush nature and the vitality of life.

Mother of the SeaMasako Hayashi41rank/position

Hayashi Masako – Mother of the sea

This is an insert song from Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.

It’s a track that doesn’t feel very Ghibli-like.

The contrast with Nozomi Ohashi’s vocals on the main theme makes it particularly striking.

It’s a song that makes you want to watch Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea again—a cute, heartwarming story that helps restore a sense of humanity.

Merry-Go-Round of LifeKumiko42rank/position

Merry-Go-Round of Life – Kumi Ko (Howl’s Moving Castle)

“Merry-Go-Round of Life,” the familiar main theme from Howl’s Moving Castle.

For inclusion on Kumiko’s best album “Waga Uruwashi ki Koi Monogatari,” Wakako Kaku wrote brand-new lyrics, turning it into a vocal piece.

If you once thought, “I love this song, but it’s instrumental so I can’t sing it…,” please give it a try now.

The lyrics, carried by the wistful melody, are irresistibly poignant and evocative.

I hope you’ll sing it with plenty of mood and feeling!