Favourite established pop songs in anime

[tenshi_a]

Occasionally an anime will use an already famous hit song. It can be as the title song, used at a crucial point in the anime, or as the end theme.

What are your favourite examples of this?

Mine are:

Opening Theme:
Speed Grapher (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSTphPlzZp4), using Duran Duran's "Girls on Film".

Within an episode:
In an episode of Sailor Moon S (I think it was that season, the episode with Rei's fella), they used Azusa Nigou (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3AQJdWmg6k) by Kariudo to really great effect.

Ending theme:
At the end of the film "X", they used a version of X Japan's song Forever Love (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Py44WcfYL8) that just starts off with vocal only, and is just magical. It almost makes up for the terrible "climax" to the film.

What are yours? ^_^

[Gibb]

Only one I can think of is Good-bye Days by YUI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNgjBbtAFAs), but it's not in an anime. It's in the live action movie Taiyou no Uta, which was based on a j-drama of the same name I believe. I even bought the region 2 dvd of Taiyou no uta because I love this song so much (and I wanted to see the movie).

The music video (i linked it above) shows clips from the film, and it's really well done IMHO.

[GreatNekoKoneko]

...i think there was an episode of Yakitate! Japan where they used "Hitomi wo Tojite" by Ken Hirai in the background. not sure which episode, but i distinctly remember hearing it.

[Danju]

Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMyewX1aDRs), the Paradise Kiss ED.

Gilbert O'Sullivan - Alone Again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8bMej_DQ2A), a Maison Ikkoku OP/insert.

[superplough]

Opening Theme:
Speed Grapher (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSTphPlzZp4), using Duran Duran's "Girls on Film".

That's the only one I know of and the one that popped into my head as soon as I read the thread title.

[KT Kore]

These aren't favorites but they make me laugh, so...

Backstreet Boys - The One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7sQ3G0g_LI) - Hanada Shounen-shi OP

Backstreet Boys - Drowning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDWKWxojAuY) - Hanada Shounen-shi ED

[Tidusauron12]

LOL

Scarecrow - the pillows (Moonlight Mile)

[kenshinbebop]

the pillows in practically all of FLCL ;)
Beck has a lot of great examples...Beat Crusaders, the pillows, but my favorite is when they play I've Got a Feeling by the Beatles at that concert.

[otakudes]

I noticed Urusei Yatsura used the Beatles throughout the show. I was sort of surprised. I swiped this from a UY board:
Special thanks to my Japanese friend Toshiaki for finding out which episodes had the Beatles material in them...

Episode 136 - Magical Mystery Tour
Episode 85 - Flying
Episode 99 & 112 - Your Mother Should Know
Episode 96 & 101 - Blue Jay Way
Episode 76 & 97 - Fool on the Hill

Just another reason why UY is so classic.

[Tidusauron12]

the pillows in practically all of FLCL ;)
Beck has a lot of great examples...Beat Crusaders, the pillows, but my favorite is when they play I've Got a Feeling by the Beatles at that concert.

I choose Scarecrow because as a single, it is one of the pillows best selling works... like it's in 4th place in the top 5 single...

Also, the album that it's on is the pillows best selling album as well.

[kenshinbebop]

Yeah, and its a good song. But FLCL is basically all pillows, so I choe that.

[sabaki]

Ending theme: Hellsing, using Mr.Big's, Shine.

Opening theme: Rurouni Kenshin movie, using L'arc en ciel's Niji.

Op/crucial point: Whisper of the heart, using John Denver's Take me home, country roads.

[VidelCoolGirl]

Was Lost Heaven by L-arc made for the FMA movie?

These aren't favorites but they make me laugh, so...

Backstreet Boys - The One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7sQ3G0g_LI) - Hanada Shounen-shi OP

Backstreet Boys - Drowning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDWKWxojAuY) - Hanada Shounen-shi ED

Seriously? The OP is fine...I'm still mixed on the END.

[sabaki]

Was Lost Heaven by L-arc made for the FMA movie?



Seriously? The OP is fine...I'm still mixed on the END.


No, Lost Heaven was on their Awake CD. I had to look it up....and I have the CD. :P

[VidelCoolGirl]

I have the CD, its just like, anime songs if popular enough can get put on normal CD releases as tracks. I was wondering it the CD came out first, or the song in the anime. Good to know though, cause its a big fav of mine.

[Suiko Eiji]

I've got several songs from established pop bands (although, they're pretty much all Japanese) from anime. Usually they were songs that turned me onto the band/singer itself.

All from Rurouni Kenshin: The 4th Avenue Cafe and Niji by L'Arc~en~Ciel and 1/3 no Junjouna Kanjou by SIAM SHADE. I also loved Kimi ni fureru dake de by CURIO, but all of their CDs seem to be out of print and not on the net. RurouKen also turned me onto Animetal, but I only found the couple Kenshin songs they did alright.

From Gundam SEED: Nakashima Mika's Find the Way got me hunting down more of her stuff. Unfortunately, my two favorite songs of her's, the aforementioned and Yuki no Hana, are strikingly different from the rest of her first album. I also loved Ishii Tatsuya's RIVERS.

Naruto turned me onto Asian Kung Fu Generation and Orange Range. Viva Rock lead me to buy the first two OR albums.

I also got turned onto ZARD because of Dragonball GT - about the only thing good that came from that series.

[kenshinbebop]

Oh yaeh, RK has an AMAZING soundtrack. Pretty much ALL of the OPs and EDs are greattt.

[Migoto Hana]

One of my favorite from Bleach is Rolling Star by Yui. I can't remember if it's a opening or an ending.
>_<

[moonmoon]

Gundam:Rhythm Emotion