Neon Genesis Evangelion (Original Series Soundtrack)

There’s a reason “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” has over 61 million spins on Spotify – besides this giant mech/trauma simulator series’s position as the entry point for an entire generation of American anime fans, its theme song’s glorious city pop sounds can penetrate even the most cynical listener’s Absolute Terror Field. Shagisu’s canny combination of traditional orchestral scoring, sixties jazz kitsch, and kaiju riffing provides the perfect backdrop for the outsize events of the show.