Music Animes: the best series about bands, classical music, and idols

Music is one of the most enduring themes in anime, whether it comes through orchestras, garage bands, or glittering idol stages. In this list, we've gathered the most recommendable music animes and split them into three broad buckets: classical music and instruments, bands, and idols and singers. That way you can start wherever your interest lies.

We rate each title with • (1–3) to show how central the music is to the story. One • means the anime uses it mostly as a backdrop; ••• means the music carries the plot. There is no fixed ranking here — every series on the list has its own strengths.

If you're leaning toward idols, our overview of the fascinating world of Japanese idols is a good companion read. And if you want something that hits harder emotionally, our list of the 15 best sad animes is full of recommendations that are beautiful enough to cry to.

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Animes about classical music and instruments

Let's start with animes where classical music, piano, violin, wind instruments, or jazz sit at the center of the story.

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April)

Easily one of the best and most emotional music animes ever made. A heavy drama in which piano and violin carry the weight of the story. The animation, sound design, plot, characters, and direction line up into what many viewers call a masterpiece.

Like any anime, it has its flaws, but for fans of the genre it is a must-watch. It follows a boy who gave up piano after a trauma involving his mother, until he meets a violinist who helps him face it again. MANDATORY! •••

Nodame Cantabile

Another great pick, balancing plenty of comedy and drama around classical music. This is one of the series that brought the genre to life: a chaotic pianist who plays freely without worrying about rules and sheet music, paired with a perfectionist conductor-in-training who only follows the score. The show has several seasons and even a live-action drama. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! •••

Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope)

An anime that explores the jazz genre, which often gets overlooked. It follows a classical pianist named Kaoru who is introduced to the world of jazz by a free-spirited troublemaker named Sentarou. The series shows how friendship and music intertwine. VERY GOOD! •••

Piano no Mori (The Piano Forest)

A film set around a piano in the forest. It's a hard one to summarize in a single line, but it is well worth your time.

Hibike! Euphonium (Sound! Euphonium)

A fresh, light anime with a different angle, mixing music with moe energy and instruments you would not necessarily expect to see in anime. It has a layered background story, full of small secrets and quiet drama. We placed it in the instruments category, but the cast is essentially a school concert band. RECOMMENDED! ••

Other classical music animes

• Kono Oto Tomare!
• Detective Conan — Movie 12 (Full Score of Fear)
• Piano (the TV series)
• Haruchika
• Princess Tutu
• La Corda d'Oro

Music animes about bands

K-On!

One of the most beloved slice-of-life and moe animes of the genre. It follows a light music club with five charming, talented girls. The anime is light, funny, and hugely popular. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ••

NANA

An anime focused on drama and adult characters. It tells the story of two girls, both named Nana, who end up sharing an apartment. One is a punk rocker, the other a wide-eyed romantic chasing romance. The series has a strong soundtrack and pulls viewers into a layered story. MANDATORY! •

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

The story of a band that shares its name with the show, following five young musicians as they deal with rising fame and the chaos of everyday life. The songs in the anime are actually performed by the voice cast, which gives the rock numbers a raw, lived-in feel. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ••

Detroit Metal City

This hilarious anime follows a shy, pop-loving young man who, just to pay the bills, ends up joining an over-the-top death metal band. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ••

White Album 2

Despite the number in the title, this is a separate story from White Album 1. It follows a vocalist, a pianist, and an indecisive young man caught between them, building into a heavy drama with a surprising ending. The anime opens as a music story, but the romance quickly takes over. MANDATORY! • (the first White Album is also worth a look.)

For more on the genre, our breakdown of netorare and betrayal-themed anime explores how White Album 2 fits into that wider conversation.

So Ra No Wo To (Sound of the Sky)

The story of Kanata, who enlists in the military just so she can keep playing the cornet. The series blends music, motivation, and the realities of army life. VERY GOOD! ••

Other music animes about bands

• Macross Frontier (Recommended);
• Tari Tari;
• Fuuka (2017);
• Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai;
• Super Sonico;
• Fukumenkei Noise;
• Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica;
• Bakumatsu Rock (2017);
• Shelter;
• Show By Rock!!;
• Kowarekake no Orgel;
• BanG Dream!

Music animes about idols and singers

Love Live! School Idol Project

The story follows a group of talented students who set out to compete in an event called Love Live! to save their school. For anyone wanting to get into the genre, this is MANDATORY! ••

THE iDOLM@STER

The second most famous idol anime in the genre, following 13 aspiring idols working toward their debut. The series is built around friendship, struggle, and small daily triumphs. VERY GOOD! ••

Full Moon wo Sagashite

On the surface it looks like another shoujo anime with a Sailor Moon flavor, but it tackles a much heavier theme than its style suggests. The main character is diagnosed with throat cancer, and her dream of becoming a singer suddenly seems impossible — but she refuses to give up. PERFECT! ••

Other idol and singer animes

• Uta no☆Prince-sama;
• Suite PreCure;
• Symphogear;
• Kaikan Phrase;
• Pretty Rhythm;
• Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch;
• AKB0048;
• Wake Up, Girls!;
• Sekkou Boys;
• Miss Monochrome;
• Starmyu;
• B-Project;
• Aikatsu!;
• Magical☆Star Kanon 100%;
• Magic-Kyun! Renaissance;
• Tenshi no 3P!;
• ClassicaLoid.

Ranking of the best music animes

Below is a numbered ranking drawn from roughly 12,000 community votes on Ranker, listing what fans consider the best music animes. It can be a useful order to follow when you are starting to explore the genre.

1. Your Lie in April
2. K-On!
3. BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
4. Uta no Prince-sama
5. Kids on the Slope
6. Love Live! School Idol Project
7. NANA
8. Nodame Cantabile
9. La Corda d'Oro — primo passo
10. Full Moon wo Sagashite
11. Nodame Cantabile: Paris
12. Fuuka
13. Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
14. Sound! Euphonium
15. Fukumenkei Noise
16. Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream
17. Gravitation
18. THE iDOLM@STER
19. Tari Tari
20. B-Project
21. Show By Rock!!
22. Uta no Prince-sama: Legend Star
23. Wake Up, Girls!
24. Lost Song
25. White Album
26. White Album 2
27. Kaikan Phrase
28. Valvrave the Liberator
29. Senki Zesshō Symphogear
30. Senki Zesshō Symphogear G
31. Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy
32. Fancy Lala

The best music mangas and light novels

Not every music, band, or idol manga and light novel gets an anime adaptation. Here are some of the most worthwhile titles to read on paper:

1. BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad — Harold Sakuishi
2. Your Lie in April — Naoshi Arakawa
3. Forest of Piano (Piano no Mori) — Makoto Isshiki
4. Fuuka — Kōji Seo
5. Kids on the Slope — Yuki Kodama
6. Nodame Cantabile — Tomoko Ninomiya
7. Fukumenkei Noise — Ryoko Fukuyama
8. K-On! — Kakifly
9. Full Moon wo Sagashite — Arina Tanemura
10. NANA — Ai Yazawa
11. Pretty Rhythm — Mari Asabuki
12. Tari Tari — original work by Evergreen, manga by Tohru Naomura
13. Detroit Metal City — Kiminori Wakasugi
14. Bremen — Haruto Umezawa
15. Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch — Michiko Yokote
16. Seishun Pop! — Touta Kitakawa
17. Uta no Prince-sama — Utako Yukihiro / Broccoli / Kunozuki Kanon / Kurahana Chinatsu
18. Love Live! School Idol Project — Sakurako Kimino
19. La Corda d'Oro — Yuki Kure
20. Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan — Sumomo Yumeka
21. Gravitation — Maki Murakami
22. White Album — Leaf
23. Sensual Phrase — Mayu Shijou
24. Idol Dreams — Arina Tanemura
25. Solanin — Inio Asano
26. THE iDOLM@STER — Tatsuya Takahashi
27. B-Project: Mousou＊Scandal — Morino Mizu
28. Mashiro no Oto — Marimo Ragawa
29. Nousatsu Rock Shounen — Kamuro Kikuchi
30. Aozora Yell

Which of these animes or soundtracks has lived in your head the longest, and which one do you think deserves a spot higher on a list like this?