Top SEVEN,SEVEN,SEVEN Ultraman Theme Songs

Well I'm back from traveling the country for some January adventures. I went far and saw much. Along the way I had my Grom Bluetooth [set-up and wired by yours truly] and iPhone to keep me company with several gigs worth of crystal-clear music. I made sure to add several Tokusatsu CDs to my phone (jeez, that sentence would've sounded really strange ten years ago). Luckily for today's topic, one of the things I added was the 5-disc Columbia Ultraman Box Set that came out in the late 90s...

...which is lucky. I was asked what my favorite Ultraman theme was earlier today. With these great, yet seldomly listened-to songs still fresh in my mind I should have no problem listing off my favorites!

So here we go...my Top 7 Ultra Theme songs!

07. The Ultraman (Ultraman Jonias/Joe/J) 1979 [TV size/Full Size]

Ahhh... The (Animated) Ultraman. A good way to start off my list. This is a really nice song sung by the immortal Isao Sasaki. It's very mellow and very 70s, but I like it a lot. The show itself was pretty cool too. Imagine if Kamen Rider or Super Sentai were suddenly an animated series...

06. Kaettekita Ultraman (Ultraman Jack) 1971 [Full Size]

I felt obligated to add an original Ultraman song to my list. Of the initial Ultra themes, this is my favorite. I like it better than the themes of Ultraman and Ultraseven. It was stuck in my head while I was doing my review of the MAT Vehicle.

05. Ultra Chodensetsu Andromelos 1983 [Full Size/Full Size Bass Cover]

OK, I might be cheating a bit because this isn't quite Ultraman...but it is a part of the Ultra Family. This is a basic song, but it's a lot of fun. Ichiro Mizuki is, as always, great. Check out the Bass cover for more fun.

04. Ultraman Dyna 1997 [Full Size]

I'm really not a fan of newer Ultraman theme songs (once Project DMM came in, I was out). This is about as modern as I get. This is a very rich song with great singing. Much like my next favorite...

03. Ultraman Powered 1993 [Full Size]

How is it that what is considered to be the worst Ultra series has one of the best Ultraman theme songs? That's right, the US produced Ultraman series had it's own theme song for it's eventual Japanese release (it took them two years).

I really love this song. It is airy and majestic along the same lines as the Gingaman theme song. We all know how much I love the Gingaman theme song...so yeah, this was an easy choice.

02. Ultraman Leo 1974 [Full Size/TV Size]

LEEOOOOOOOOO! I love how crazy this theme is. It's almost western sounding, but has that 70s acid trippy sound to it. It's definitely the strangest theme song on this list...and I have to be totally honest in saying that I love it. It deserves to be this high on my list.

01. Ultraman 80 1980 [Full Size]

I guess it's no surprise that this song tops my list. It is probably very high on your list as well. This song has to be the most sung-along Ultraman theme song ever--Karaoke fodder at it's best right here. This song is the purest example of a great Tokusatsu theme song. Positive, catchy, unforgettable, and timeless.

If I had to make a Top 7 list of ALL Tokusatsu theme songs, Ultraman 80 would be very high if not number one on that list as well.

Honorable Mention: Ultraman USA 1987 [Full Size]

There was a Hanna-Barbera animated Ultraman movie in the late 1980s. Wow... When it got it's eventual Japanese release in 1989 (what's with Tsuburaya and two year delays?) it gained two theme songs by the excellent Shinichi Ishihara (his earliest Tokusatsu work!). I couldn't find a link with the theme song on Youtube. Oh well...atleast Columbia was smart enough to add it to the 5-Disc set that I own.

I remember seeing this movie on VHS as a kid when it came out... I liked it then, I liked it again when I went back and watched it a few years ago. I liked the songs the entire time in between viewings.

THE ABSOLUTE WORST: Ultraman Tiga 1996

"Take Me Higher" is the worst song ever. No link. You know the damn song...I know you do.

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Thus concludes my latest Top 7 list. Here are my previous lists for more of my favorite things~!

Top 7 Sentai Theme Songs
Top 7 Sentai Mecha Theme Songs
Top 7 Sentai Suit Designs
Top 7 Metal Hero Theme Songs
Top 7 Kamen Rider Theme Songs

I just realized that my next Top 7 list will be my 7th Top 7 list. I can see where this is going...

See ya~!

-CC