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Spotify Reveals Top Streamed Anime Songs for 2023

With 2023 coming to an end, many companies are releasing their top lists. Spotify is among them with its lists for top played artists, albums, and songs. Did any anime songs break into the top 10? Well, it depends on the region.

According to Spotify, three anime songs made the top ten list in Japan: the opening theme of Oshi no Ko “IDOL” by YOASOBI, the opening theme of Chainsaw Man “Kick Back” by Kenshi Yonezu, and the theme song of Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine “Utsukushii Hire” by SPITZ at #1, #6, and #8, respectively. Although it's a small list, each song is a banger.

Only two songs made the top 10 for Japan's top artists list: YOASOBI with "IDOL" and Kenshi Yonezu with "Spinning Globe" from Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron at #3 and #8, respectively. Variety's nominee predictions for the 96th Academy Awards include The Boy and the Heron, so the film's theme song may be worth a listen.

Only two albums featuring an anime song broke into Japan's top albums list. The soundtrack for One Piece Film Red, Uta's Songs: One Piece Film Red, made #7 with the song "Shinjidai" (New Genesis) and Yuuri made #9 with the song "Merry-Go-Round" from the 2022 film Lonely Castle in the Mirror.

Unfortunately, not a single anime song made the Spotify global top lists. However, this is understandable as anime songs are a small subset of the larger music industry.

While only six anime songs made top 10 in three of Spotify Japan's top playlists of 2023, there is some variety there. Hopefully, in 2024, anime series and films will release great tracks fans around the world can flood the Spotify top lists with them.

Update: Corrected info on Chainsaw Man's opening. Thanks, OrangeVision.

Sources: Spotify (link 2, link 3, link 4), Variety (Clayton Davis), and AniPlaylist Twitter's account