Jason Paige, the singer of the original Pokémon Theme, didn’t expect the song to become popular and knew nothing about the franchise when he recorded it. He considers the song to be a relatively minor part of his career, as he has worked with Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, and Frankie Valli.

‘Pokémon Theme’ Singer Jason Paige Still Wants to Be the Very Best

The “Pokémon Theme” is one of the few television openers that immediately inspires a Pavlovian reaction from humans 30 and under. The first few seconds — originally glimpsed by many back in 1998 — play out vividly, even in memory: Mew and Mewtwo flying majestically outside of Earth’s stratosphere as the cartoon’s protagonist, Ash Ketchum, stares up at the stars. He was a stand-in for all of us in that moment — a child eager to grow up, believing himself to be destined for greatness. It was an introduction worthy of a multi-billion-dollar franchise.

Young adults also likely remember the Pokémon Stadium-ready synths and citrusy, adolescent vocals that ushered the show in, week after week, with the following line: “I wanna be the very best… Continue Reading (7 minute read)