When anime is about music, or strongly connected to the theme, you know the soundtrack will be legendary. Producers pull out all the stops to give fans the best hits!
Think Tomoyo Daidouji and her sweet musical contribution to Sakura Card Captors.
I like to compare the joy of listening to an excellent playlist to opening a top-notch anime mystery box and finding merch you can enjoy daily.
As the founder of the one anime box where subscribers can vote for their favorite shows and characters, I know the perfect playlist is only possible when you choose what to listen to!
That’s why I created this list of 10 fantastic anime filled with songs to play on repeat.
Anime About Idols With the Greatest Songs
- Love Live! School Idol Project
- The iDOLM@STER
- Lemon Angel Project
- Beck
- Nana
- Bocchi The Rock
- K-On!
- Belle
- Vivi: Fluorite Eye’s Song
- Carole & Tuesday
10. Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Slice of Life
Episodes: 26 (two seasons) + Alternative Settings
Honoka and her childhood friends create a group, but things aren’t as easy as they thought!
She must fight against the opposition of the student council president, Eri Ayase, and struggle to find new members while aiming to win the Love Live to save Otonokizaka High School.
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9. The iDOLM@STER
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Episodes: 25 (one season) + Alternative Settings
Like many others, thirteen professional idols from 765 Production Studio work hard and endure pressures to make their dreams of becoming country-wide celebrities come true.
However, as the girls’ fame grows, their time together as a family diminishes. They must learn how to balance their personal and professional lives, or the very popularity they sought after will be their ruin.
These idols must rely on each other’s loving support to overcome all obstacles!
8. Lemon Angel Project
Genre: Drama
Episodes: 13 (one season)
Lemon Angel was the greatest girl band in Japan until it suddenly broke up, and most of its members vanished. A music producer later decides to put together a new Lemon Angel band through a reality show.
Tomo Minaguchi, a high school student, decides to participate in the group audition. As she works hard to be part of the group, she makes friends and rivals and learns about the mystery behind the end of the original band.
As a side note, don’t mistake this anime for another one called Lemon Angel, despite the references and both being related to music. Lemon Angel Project has no connections with the ecchi anime Lemon Angel from 1998!
7. Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Episodes: 26 (one season)
Yukio “Koyuki” Tanaka is a young boy with no goals in life. However, this changes when he meets the guitarist Ryuusuke “Ray” Minami after saving his dog.
As they become closer, Koyuki becomes interested in Western rock culture and becomes a guitarist to work with Ryuusuke toward fame and success. Together with Ray’s younger sister Maho and a few other members, they form a band named after Ray’s dog, BECK.
6. Nana
Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 47 (one season)
Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki are like day and night. While the former is bubbly and naive, the latter is tough and independent. They have nothing in common! Or rather, ALMOST nothing in common.
Destiny brings these two girls together when they decide to move to Tokyo and share not just their names but also an apartment.
And their motivations are as expected: completely different! Nana Komatsu, nicknamed Hachiko, wants to reunite with her beloved boyfriend, while Nana Osaki aims to grow as an artist with her band!
Still, their bond grows stronger each day, and they are willing to support one another despite facing their own problems.
5. Bocchi The Rock
Genre: Comedy, CGDCT
Episodes: 12 (one season)
Hitori “Bocchi” Gotou is a lonely and socially anxious girl who loves playing the guitar and hopes to make friends and perform live with a band. On a fateful day, she meets Nijika Ijichi, who invites her to join the Kessoku Band formed by Nijika and Ryou Yamada and currently in need of a new guitarist.
Although their first performance isn’t great, the girls feel empowered by their shared love for music. Finding happiness in performing, Bocchi and her bandmates work hard to improve their skills while making the most of their high school days.
4. K-On!
Genre: Comedy, CGDCT
Episodes: 39 (two seasons)
Believing that a Light Music Club was about playing easy instruments, Yui Hirasawa mistakenly joined one in her first high school year. Once she realizes her mistake, she decides to pay a visit to apologize and quit.
Fearing disbandment due to a lack of members, the club members make all sorts of offers in hopes Yui will stay, but to no avail. She only changes her mind after they play for her, and her fiery passion for music sparkles.
From that moment, the members of the Light Music Club ensured their time together was as delightful as possible!
3. Belle
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Episodes: 1 (movie)
Suzu Naito is a shy girl from the countryside who used to love singing but became unable to do so due to past trauma. But when Suzu joins the social media platform “U,” she can sing again hidden behind her virtual persona “Belle.”
Belle’s popularity grows through the platform as her vocals go viral, but she’s not the only one getting worldwide recognition.
Rumors spread of a chaotic user known as “The Dragon,” causing trouble and terrifying other community members. After a chance meeting during her concert, Belle finds he is not as evil or mean as people initially believed.
Like the fairy tale that inspired this movie, Belle and The Dragon’s connection grows even though approaching his complex personality is challenging. But how strong can a virtual connection be?
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2. Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Episodes: 13 (one season)
In a world dominated and threatened by AI, scientists see no other option but to rely on the past to build a new future.
A hundred years back in time, we meet Vivy, the first-ever autonomous AI tasked with spreading happiness through her voice. However, she is hardly ever noticed despite pouring her heart out into her performances day after day.
Her world changes upside down when an advanced AI from the future appears and sends her to help stop the horrific war that’s to come.
1. Carole & Tuesday
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Episodes: 24 (one season)
Fifty years after the beginning of migration to Mars, humans live in comfort due to advancements in AI.
Carole lives in the metropolis of Alba City, working part-time by day and playing keyboard by night. The girl Tuesday ran away from home in Hershell City to pursue music with her acoustic guitar rather than satisfy the wishes of her wealthy family.
The two believe they can convey their feelings through songs and overcome the AI singers dominating the music world.
After their fateful encounter, they decide to perform and become the biggest miracle Mars has ever seen.
How did you like this list?
For more anime showing how the life of an artist isn’t as easy and glamorous as social media makes us believe, check out this short list of recommendations for Oshi no ko: My Star fans!
