Yoko Takahashi
Yoko Takahashi 高橋 洋子 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Takahashi in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | YAWMIN |
| Born | August 28, 1966 Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Pop rock |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Yoko Takahashi (高橋 洋子, Takahashi Yōko; born August 28, 1966) is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.
Early life
Takahashi began learning piano from her father at the age of two, and was a member of the Takinogawa Boys and Girls Choir when she was in elementary school.[1][2] At the age of ten, she participated in an image album for Osamu Tezuka's work. In high school, she formed a band. In college, she was active in a light music club and aimed to become an opera singer.
Her younger brother is composer Gou Takahashi. His wife, Arimi Matsuno, is her sister-in-law. She has an older sister who is a voice trainer.[3] She also has an older brother. Her parents are from Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.[4] Her paternal grandfather was a palace carpenter.[5]
Career
Takahashi began her career in 1991, and released her first album, Pizzicato, in 1992, which reached #28 on the Oricon weekly charts. In the following years, she released the albums Kugatsu no Sotsugyō which charted, and Watashi wo Mitsukete, which did not achieve the same success of her previous albums.
In 1995, she released the single "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (残酷な天使のテーゼ, Zankoku na Tenshi no Tēze), which was used as the opening song in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The song has received gold and platinum certifications, charted on the Oricon weekly chart numerous times, and has frequently been cited as one of the most influential songs used in anime.[6] She has remixed and released several versions of the single, which have been met with the same commercial success.
In 1996, she released the album Living with Joy. Following her achievements with music, she continued to release singles and albums throughout the 2000s and 2010s, for which she was met with mixed success.
Takahashi's other works in anime includes performing an "acid bossa" version of "Fly Me to the Moon", and "Soul's Refrain", the closing theme of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth.
She also performed "Metamorphose", the opening theme to studio Gainax's 20th anniversary series, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, the ending theme "Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" (夜明け生まれ来る少女; "The Girl Who was Born at Dawn") for the anime Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ; "Blazing-Eyed Shana"), and the opening theme "Aoki Flamme" (蒼き炎, Aoki Honō; "Blue Flame") for Pumpkin Scissors (パンプキン・シザーズ, Panpukin Shizāzu).
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales [7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [8] | |||
| Pizzicato |
|
75 |
|
| Kugatsu no Sotsugyō |
|
85 |
|
| Watashi o Mitsukete |
|
||
| Living with Joy |
|
||
| Li-La |
|
10 |
|
| Harmonium |
|
||
| Aüm |
|
||
| L'Ange de Metamorphose |
|
||
| Sore wa Toki ni Anata o Hagemashi, Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono |
|
90 |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales [7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [8] | |||
| Uchū no Uta |
|
||
| Koi ni Samusa o Wasure |
|
||
| Evangelion Extreme |
|
54 |
|
| Evangelion Eternally |
|
66 |
|
| A Cruel Angel's Thesis (Evangelion 30th Anniversary Edition) |
|
25 | |
| Soul's Refrain (Evangelion 30th Anniversary Edition) |
|
28 |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales [7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [8] | |||
| Best Pieces |
|
65 |
|
| Refrain: The Songs Were Inspired by Evangelion |
|
6 |
|
| Best Pieces II |
|
||
| Super Value |
|
||
| Golden Best |
|
||
| Best 10 |
|
||
| Essential Best |
|
||
| 20th Century Boys & Girls |
|
152 |
|
| 20th Century Boys & Girls II |
|
||
| Yoko Sings Forever |
|
||
| Evangelion Flashback |
|
31 |
|
Singles
1990s
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales [7] |
Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [9] | |||||
| "Okaeri" | 1991 | — | Pizzicato | ||
| "P.S. I Miss You" | 1992 | 87 |
|
||
| "Shijima" | 42 | Non-album single | |||
| "Mō Ichido Aitakute" | 38 |
|
Pizzicato | ||
| "Woman's Love" | — | ||||
| "Blue no Tsubasa" | 1993 | 66 |
|
Kugatsu no Sotsugyō | |
| "Omoide Yori Tōku" | 1994 | — | Non-album single | ||
| "$1,000,000 no Koi" | — | Watashi o Mitsukete | |||
| "Ano Koro ni Machiawaseyō" | — | ||||
| "Moonlight Epicurian" | — | ||||
| "A Cruel Angel's Thesis"[a] | 1995 | 17 |
|
Neon Genesis Evangelion | |
| "Meguriai" | 1996 | — | Living with Joy | ||
| "Atarashii Shirt" | — | ||||
| "Soul's Refrain" | 1997 | 3 |
|
The Day of Second Impact | |
| "We're the One" | 1999 | — | Harmonium | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
2000s
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales [7] |
Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [9] | |||||
| "Kokoro no Tsubasa" | 2002 | — | L'Ange de Metamorphose | ||
| "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (reissue)[b] | 2003 | 41 |
|
Non-album single | |
| "Metamorphose"[c] | 2004 | 23 |
|
Sore wa Toki ni Anata o Hagemashi, Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono | |
| "Wing" | 2005 | 97 |
|
||
| "Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" | 21 |
|
|||
| "Soul's Refrain" (reissue)[d] | 2006 | 39 |
|
Non-album single | |
| "Aoki Flamme" | 42 |
|
Yoko Sings Forever | ||
| "Seinaru Itami o Idaite" | 2008 | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Kizudarake no Yume" | 174 |
|
|||
| "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (2009 version) | 2009 | 22 |
|
|
20th Century Boys & Girls |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
2010s–2020s
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales [7] |
Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [9] | |||||
| "Monologue of Sorrow" | 2010 | 34 |
|
Evangelion Extreme | |
| "Wing Wanderer" | 2012 | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Pray to the Momentary Sky" | 2013 | 86 |
|
Evangelion Extreme | |
| "Shinjitsu no Mokushiroku" | 2015 | 39 |
|
Non-album singles | |
| "Welcome to the Stage!" | 2017 | 104 |
|
||
| "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" / "Soul's Refrain" (reissue) | 2018 | 36 |
| ||
| "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (Matsuri Spirit) | 2019 | 142 |
|
||
| "Nyankoku na Nyanko no Thesis" | 2021 | — | |||
| "Final Call" | — | Evangelion Extreme | |||
| "Teardrops of Hope" | 2022 | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [9] | |||
| "What If?" (Shirō Sagisu feat. Yoko Takahashi) |
2021 | — | Evangelion Eternally |
Other songs
Solo works
| Year | Title | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Maybe" | Silent Mobius Music Album "Caution" | #05 |
| "Cherry no Manma (Cherryのまんま)" | Doki² Waku² Sound Station | #10 | |
| "Mystic Eyes... Ai wa Count Down (MYSTIC EYES…愛はCOUNT DOWN)" | B Gata Doumei Music Album | #05 | |
| 1990 | "Lonely Afternoon (ロンリー・アフタヌーン)" | Menomae no Ninjin | #07 |
| 1991 | "Mystic Eyes... Ai wa Count Down (Remix)" | B Gata Doumei Another Music | #06 |
| 1995 | "Fly me to the moon -acid bossa version-" | Neon Genesis Evangelion OST | #23 |
| 1996 | "Yokan (予感)" | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION II | #01 |
| "Shiawase wa tsumi no nioi (幸せは罪の匂い)" | NEON GENESIS EVANGELION III | #01 | |
| "Mugenhouyou (無限抱擁)" | #02 | ||
| "Kibun wo Kaeyou! (気分を変えよう!)" | Fortune Quest Gaiden original sound collection | #01 | |
| 1998 | "Fushigi na Melmo (ふしぎなメルモ)" | Fukkoku Tezuka Osamu Sakuhin Kessakusyu | #18 |
| 1999 | "Shinkirou (蜃気楼)" | Tribute to Rebecca~Dream Discovery | #10 |
| 2000 | "Lullaby no Yume (ララバイの夢)" | Snuggle Up | #10 |
| 2001 | "Shirokuro Tsukete Kudasai (シロクロつけてくだサイ)" | NHK 「Mushimaro Q Gold 2000」 Dai Q ~Hara, Ippai, Hetta~ | #03 |
| 2002 | "We'll Be Together -2002-" | Aquarian Age Saga II Image Album | #11 |
| 2003 | "Change My Heart (Qwerty Mix)" | Aquarian Age Saga II ~Don't forget me...~ OST | #01 |
| "Change My Heart" | #34 | ||
| "Nijiiro Yumeiro Taikoiro (虹色・夢色・太鼓色)" | Taiko no Tatsujin Blue | #01 | |
| 2005 | "Kocchi Wo Muite Charmy (こっちをむいてチャーミー)" | — | — |
| "Nijiiro Yumeiro Taikoiro long version (虹色・夢色・太鼓色 (ロングバージョン))" | Taiko no Tatsujin Tobikkiri Anime Special Dainesshu Utamatsuri | #23 | |
| 2011 | "Iroha ni ho he to (いろはにほへと)" | — | — |
| 2013 | "Extase" | "Shiro's Songbook 'Xpressions'" | Disc2 #14 |
| 2014 | "Tamashī no Refrain (TeddyLoid Remix)" | Tamashī no Refrain (TeddyLoid Remix) | #1 |
| 2015 | "Evolve" | — | — |
| 2016 | "Tamashī no Refrain (inu crabMixx) (魂のルフラン (inu crabMixx))" | Re:animation Presents Re:Boots Legendary Animesong Remixes | #5 |
| "Zankoku na tenshi no Thesis (inu crabMixx) (残酷な天使のテーゼ (inu crabMixx))" | #6 | ||
| 2017 | "TENSIONS – he who pays the piper" | SHIRO'S SONGBOOK The Hidden Wonder of Music | #12 |
| "Silver Jaguar no Theme (シルバージャガーのテーマ)" | Sōji Ushio (Tomio Sagisu) Zenkyoku-Shū (うしおそうじ (鷺巣富雄) ピープロ全曲集) | Disc5 #1 | |
| "0-sen Hayato (0戦はやと)" | Disc5 #6 | ||
| "Magma Taishi (マグマ大使)" | Disc5 #8 | ||
| "Yadamon no Uta (Shiro-Kuro-Uta Iri) (ヤダモンの歌 (白黒歌入り))" | Disc5 #11 | ||
| "Yadamon no Uta (Irotsuki-Uta Iri) (ヤダモンの歌 (色つき歌入り))" | Disc5 #13 | ||
| 2018 | "T.o.k.y.o" | Beat Piano Music 3 | #5 |
| "A Merry Christmas to You" | Twin Guitar3: Cosmic Balloon | #12 | |
| "Tensions alterna 2018" | Anison Roku plus (アニソン録 プラス。) | Disc4 #6 |
As YAUMIN
| Year | Title | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Touch me Softly -English version-" | Bannou Bunka Nekomusume Sound Phase 0I | #04 |
| "In the Fluffy Moon Nite -English version-" | #07 | ||
| 1993 | "Rainbow Sky (レインボウスカイ)" | Bannou Bunka Nekomusume Sound Phase 0III | #10 |
As featured artist
| Year | Title | Album | Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Lost Paradise"
|
Tajuu Jinkaku | #07 |
| 1999 | "Utsukushii Hito"
|
Le Bel Homme image album | #18 |
| 2008 | "Hello, My Friend"
|
Otoko to Onna -Two Hearts, Two Voices- | #01 |
| 2013 | "Kuchibiru yo atsuku kimi wo katare"
|
Otoko to Onna 4 -Two Hearts, Two Voices- | #06 |
"Peaceful Times_the London-Tokyo meeting"
|
Shiro's Songbook 'Xpressions' | Disc1 #04 |
Notes
- ^ Released both as a stand-alone single and a split single alongside "Fly Me to the Moon" by Claire.
- ^ Released as a split single alongside "Fly Me to the Moon" by Claire.
- ^ Released as a split single alongside "Natsu-iro no Kakera" by Yōko Ishida.
- ^ Released as a split single alongside "Thanatos: If I Can't Be Yours" by Loren & Mash.
References
- ^ "高橋洋子 │ うたまっぷ │". interview.utamap.com. Archived from the original on 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ^ 高橋（2021年）36頁
- ^ "Profile". C's voice create. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ いわきのいわっきー [@iwakkiy] (2015-12-01). "トーリービｱﾞｱﾞｱﾞっきー（*/∇＼*）！いわきにゆかりのある著名人。エヴァの主題歌を歌っている高橋洋子さんの父母の実家はいわきにあるき！更には所ジョージさん。お嫁さんの実家がいわきにあるき！だから二人とも結構いわきに来てるらしいき(´｡✪ω✪｡')！出会えたら凄いきね！" (Tweet). Retrieved 2018-07-08 – via Twitter.
- ^ 高橋（2021年）109頁
- ^ "忘れられないアニメソングベスト100". シネマでぽん！Ｓ cinema-game-toy (in Japanese). 3 August 2002. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ^ a b c d e f "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Yoko Takahashi albums". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Yoko Takahashi singles". Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ^ a b "一般社団法人 日本レコード協会" (To access, enter the search parameter "高橋洋子" in the field "アーティスト名"). www.riaj.or.jp. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "ダウンロード認定検索" (To access, enter the search parameter "高橋洋子" in the field "アーティスト名"). www.riaj.or.jp. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
External links
- (in Japanese) Yoko Takahashi Official Web
- (in Japanese) Yoko Takahashi on Anison Database