JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is overflowing with Western musical references, from the names of characters to ending credit theme songs. Alongside the over-the-top reactions and gratuitously super-powered battles, series creator Hirohiko Araki's obsession with rock 'n roll namedropping lends JoJo uniqueness among its pop-laden anime peers. Pulling from a deep catalog of material that could rival a classic rock disc jockey's collection, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure references everything from The Beatles to Ronnie James Dio to Queen. Put on your holy diver suit and prepare to submerge into the murky waters of JoJo's musical library.
The Characters Themselves
Dio may infamously appear unexpectedly within the pages of the manga and in the anime, but you had to expect Dio Brando was going to come up in this article. The unrelenting antagonist of the JoJo series who tortures Jonathan Joestar and his friends through Phantom Blood and Stardust Crusaders, Dio Brando's real-world inspiration is the late legendary heavy metal musician Ronnie James Dio, who famously provided vocals for Rainbow and, following Ozzy Osbourne's departure, for Black Sabbath.
Joestar's loyal allies Robert E. O. Speedwagon and Will Anthonio Zeppeli take their monikers from REO Speedwagon and Led Zeppelin respectively. Zeppeli's master, Tonpetty, is obviously based on the American singer Tom Petty. Zeppeli's peers Dire and Straizo are a reference to the band Dire Straits, and the British boy Poco is the spawn of the band of the same name. Even one-off characters such as the farmer who witnesses Jonathan and his crew burning Dio's clothes in Phantom Blood has a musical name -- Jeff Back, after the English rock guitarist Jeff Beck.
The references don't end with the names. Josuke Higashikata resembles the late musical legend Prince, while Yoshikage Kira bares a striking resemblance to The Man Who Fell to Earth-period David Bowie. For an in-detail examination of Araki's design choices, the well-researched scholarly article “David Bowie’s Influence on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” is recommended reading.
The Musical World of the Stand
In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Stands are the physical manifestation of their users' life energy. Stands are used in various ways, including fighting and carrying out various tasks. Just as with the series' characters, many stands take their names from Araki's ever evolving taste in music.
Robert Fripp of prog-rock mainstays King Crimson once discussed on Facebook the nature of the Stand King Crimson from Golden Wind and its ability to skip time. In JoJolion, Josuke's Stand Soft & Wet may raise an eyebrow unless one realizes the reference to Prince's single of the same name. In Diamond is Unbreakable, Josuke Higashikata's Crazy Diamond references Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."
In later series, Araki's musical tastes expand beyond rock to include R&B, pop and hip hop. In Golden Wind, the villain Carne's stand is simply known as Notorious B.I.G. while ally Trish's Stand Spice Girl launches an attack with her battle cry, “Wannabee!” As the series progresses and the color palate explodes, even more unexpected musical homages pop up. Even a nod to American cellist Yo-Yo-Ma exists in Stone Ocean as a Stand. Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson and Savage Garden make an appearance as tributes to the 1990s/2000s rock scene.
Hirohaki Araki's Passion
In 2017, MTV Japan commemorated the 30th anniversary of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by asking Araki to put together a playlist of his favorite rock songs from the 1980s, the decade the series was launched. Araki noted that his writing was influenced by Prince, Guns N' Roses, and David Lee Roth, expressing his desire to capture the “'solid' and sexy” sound from “When Doves Cry,” as an example. His 12-track playlist -- which a Reddit user recreated on Spotify -- includes “Welcome to the Jungle,” the Dire Strait's “Money for Nothing” and Michael Jackson's “Thriller.”
Outside of obscure character names and battle cries, there are the obvious tributes. “Roundabout” by the band Yes is used as series one's ending theme, as is The Bangles' “Walk Like an Egyptian” for Stardust Crusaders. Just when fans thought they had Araki figured out, Jodeci's “Freek'N You” comes in hard for Golden Wind's credits.
Araki's tributes have not gone unnoticed by the artists and bands he's mentioned. The second ending theme for Stardust Crusaders, "Last Train Home," is a song by the jazz fusion band Pat Metheny Group from their album Still Life (Talking). In 2015, the band released a greatest hits album, Essential Collection Last Train Home featuring images from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on the cover. Even Weird Al Yankovic nodded toward the series, posting a clip in which his name is the answer to a trivia question, while Yes expressed happiness regarding the usage of "Roundabout" as the original ending theme song.
Hirohiko Araki's musical obsessions can be compared to the great Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, for whom jazz is often central to his stories. However, Araki isn't satisfied with one genre -- rather, his passion touches on every aspect of music spanning decades. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is the benefactor of his expertise.
