A Video Game / Anime about Idol Singers would quite obviously provide plenty of examples of awesome music, but a few of them deserve special mention for their added effect during the scene/event they played out.
Cinderella Girls has its own page.
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Chihaya
- Chihaya's original song from the first game, Aoi Tori
. It is a beautifully melancholic piece that practically defines Chihaya's feelings. It returns as an arrange for Episode 4's ending, complete with a new recording and a beautiful a cappella performance in the episode itself. The piano version as arranged by Duke of Pianeet is doubly awesome, not just because of how well it captures the feel of the original song, but because of how tremendously intricate it is, and the sheer skill needed to play it at that level. - Chihaya's Me ga Au Toki manages to be fast paced and emotional at the same time.
- arcadia. It just radiates awesome. Also was used as a theme song for the trailer of Mujin Gattai Kisaragi and starts playing when Haruka reveals herself as the Big Bad.
- Nemuri Hime - Sung by Chihaya a cappella at first, making the entrance of the orchestra all the more powerful in Ep 21. Another Moment of Awesome because her passion for singing saves the day despite Kuroi's rigging of the Background Music, and it lets Jupiter realize what he's doing and leave for good.
- Yakusoku - Sung by 765PRO ALLSTARS - Ep 20 of the anime. It's also a Moment of Awesome, Heartwarming Moment, and a Tear Jerker (particularly in live performances).
- Saihyou - her Ex Episode song from One For All. It really lets her show the range and work of her voice. Extra awesome, because the full version includes part of "Aoi Tori" after the first section.
Miki
- relations is one of the series' earliest rock-type songs.
- Marionette no Kokoro - Sung by Miki in Episode 13. Doubles as a Determinator moment for her, since she was already tired from singing/dancing her previous song.
- "Nostalgia", from One For All, is an intensive rock ballad about moving forward headstrong, fueled by resolve while looking back at one's past self.
Yukiho
- ALRIGHT* - which Yukiho sings in episode 3 of the anime as a way of overcoming her own weakness. In performances with a live band, Azumin is joined by the guitarists during the bridge.
- Little Match Girl - Shows how Yukiho has become confident in herself, enough to take the lead in the center of the stage with no problems. The M@STER version is even more glorious.
- First Step is this and a huge heartwarming song coming straight from Azumin's heart to Yukiho's character.
- Impervious Resolution, one of her Million Live songs.
Makoto
- Agent Yoru o Yuku has always been one of the most well-known songs in the series. However, the song really brings out the awesome in Episode 8, where it plays in the background while Makoto has an epic kung-fu fight with a grunt on top of a ladder bridge.
- Meisou Mind is incredibly cool.
Azusa
- Tonari ni... is incredibly emotional, and the heartbreaking lyrics strongly imply that the singer is left behind by a person who passed away. The "movie" in the anime shows it as such, with Azusa whispering "I've decided to marry." at the hill mentioned in the song as she decides to move on. It's something you normally wouldn't expect from an idol series.
- "Mythmaker" has a very cool melody and Azusa using a deeper (and more seductive) singing voice than usual.
- Nageki no FRACTION, particularly in the 10th anniversary concert.
765 Pro
- L.O.B.M - Sung by 765PRO ALLSTARS - Ep 10. A Theme Music Power-Up.
- Watashitachi wa Zutto ...deshou? (previously known as Itsumademo Dokomademo) - Sung by 765PRO ALLSTARS - Ep 25. The Hard-Work Montage just added the effect.
- Jibun Rest@rt - Sung by 765PRO ALLSTARS (without Iori, Ami and Asuza). It's a defining moment in the series, where the idols that aren't Ryuuguu Komachi step up and prove to the world that they're just as talented and that they can stand on their own.
- The last episode's performance of a mashup of the two openings, READY!!&CHANGE!!!!, in its fully animated glory. All the girls manage to hold this concert together even with their incredibly busy schedules.
- Overmaster is Project Fairy's badass rock Image Song (but strongly associated with Hibiki), which exemplifies the idea that All Girls Want Bad Boys. Made even better when sweet and shy Yukiho covers it (which is given a nod in the 10th anniversary/Masters of Idol World 2015 when Azumin joins Nu and Harami).
- THE iDOLM@STER is a catchy and inspiring song that pretty much represents what iM@S stands for. Its incarnation in the second game is THE iDOLM@STER 2nd-mix, a techno remix which somehow makes it even better, and THE IDOLM@STER Hatsuboshi-mix, which remixes the orginal with traditional instruments.
- Shiny Festa gives us edeN, quite possibly one of the most awesome rock songs in the series.
- DREAM is an incredibly cool song, enough that it got its own dance in One For All.
- It's time to party with Machiuke Prince!
- While all of the chapters tell one big love story, "Hatsukoi ~Issho Kataomoi no Sakura~" is a beautifully orchestrated start about the apparent unrequited love.
- "Fate of the World", the rocking song accompanying the Sleeping Be@uty trailer of the movie sung by 765's leader idols.
- Rebellion is quickly becoming Hibiki's most known song.
- Ryuuguu Komachi's signature song "Smoky Thrill". With a performance like the one in episode 6, no wonder Miki wanted to join!
- The movie's finale performance "M@STERPIECE" was deliberately written with the franchise's history in mind.
Cinderella Girls
- See Here.
Million Live
- Julia's image songs Ryuuseigun and Praline are the definition of rock, and Aimi even plays lead guitar in live performances! Its because of these that the character Kasumi Toyama from Ban G Dream came to be. In the 5th live when she performed "Startrip", she peformed with an acoustic guitar.
- Shizuka's third song, "SING MY SONG", has extremely powerful vocals, putting every ounce of soul into it. The first live performance was an acoustic remix from Aimi.
Misc.
- ALIVE, the personal song of Dearly Stars idol Ai Hidaka, a massive Genki Girl trying to make it as an idol by her own merits, instead of just riding the coattails of her famous mother (as many producers have advised). Ai auditions and always gives her all, but gets rejected and fails more often than not; keeping up the cheerful persona to others, but secretly crying about it alone at a park at night. Knowing this, along with the fact it was her mother's image song before she was forced into retirement, the song becomes that much more of a Tear Jerker and serves as an inspiring theme for perseverance in general.
- 961 Jupiter's Alice or Guilty is fairly awesome in itself, rivalling 961 Project Fairy's Overmaster in coolness. The 2014 Masters of Idol World medley has this song covered quite well by the seiyuu of Azusa, Hibiki, Rin, and (depending on the day) Julia or Nana..
- "Acceleration", Leon's main image song. What else would you expect from Minori Chihara?
- Ai MUST GO, the theme of the second Masters of Idol World concert.
- Shika's image song, "Blooming Star," stands out thanks to Go Shiina's composition and Rie Takahashi's vocals.
- What happens when you take both of the Friendly Rival characters with already awesome standalone songs and bring them together? "Alliance Stardust" is the result.
