Japanese themes
The various Japanese Transformers television shows each feature one or more opening and closing theme song to accompany the title sequences and credits.
Theme songs
Each Transformers series in Japan has featured its own opening and closing theme song. Many different performers contributed over the years, giving a wide variety of different styles, from rap to pop, from serious to silly. Typically, the same artist would perform the opening and closing songs for a given series, though there are exceptions. Occasionally, an artist would provide music for multiple series.
Generation 1
- OP: "TRANSFORMER" (トランスフォーマー) by Satoko Shimonari
- ED: "Peace Again" (ピース・アゲン) by Satoko Shimonari
- OP: "TRANSFORMER2010" (トランスフォーマー2010) by Shō Hirose
- ED: "WHAT'S YOU" (ホワッツ・ユー) by Shō Hirose
- OP: "The Headmasters" (ザ・ヘッドマスターズ) by Hironobu Kageyama
- ED: "Kimi wa Transformer" (君はトランスフォーマー, "You Are a Transformer") by Hironobu Kageyama
- OP: "Chōjin Masterforce no Theme" (超神マスターフォースのテーマ, "Theme of Super-God Masterforce") by Toshiya Igarashi
- ED: "Moero! Transformer" (燃えろ!トランスフォーマー, "Burn! Transformers") by Toshiya Igarashi
- OP: "Transformer V" (トランスフォーマーV) by Kōji Kaya and Morinoki Children's Chorus
- ED: "Cybertron Banzai" (サイバトロンばんざい, "Hooray for the Autobots") by Korogi '73
- OP: "Transformer Z no Theme" (トランスフォーマーZのテーマ, "Theme of Transformers: Zone") by Ichirō Mizuki
- ED: "Ashita no Kimi e" (未来の君へ, "For the You of Tomorrow") by Ichirō Mizuki
Beast Era
- OP: "WAR WAR! STOP IT" by Banana Ice, Shitamachi Kyōdai
- ED: "FOR THE DREAM" by Mickey
- ED (special): "Hello! Toughness" (Hello！タフネス) by Katsu Seiji and Kenzō Isurugi
- OP 1: "GET MY FUTURE" by Cyber Nation Network
- OP 2: "SUPER VOYAGER" by Cyber Nation Network
- ED: "Yume no Iru Basho" (夢のいる場所, "Where Dreams Are") by Jun Yoneya
- OP (special): "SPACE DREAMER ~Haruka naru Beast Wars~" (SPACE DREAMER ～遥かなるビーストウォーズ～, "SPACE DREAMER ~Distant Beast Wars~") by C.O.A.
- ED (special): "MY SHOOTING STAR" by C.O.A.
- OP: "Love For Ever —Kimi o Mamoru Tame ni—" (Love For Ever ―君を守るために―, "Love Forever —To Protect You—") by M.C.R.
- ED: "Te no Naka no Uchū" (手の中の宇宙, "The Universe in Your Hands") by Hitomi Yūki
- OP 1: "Tamashī no Evolution" (魂のエヴォリューション, "Evolution of the Spirit") by Hironobu Kageyama
- ED 1 "BA-BI-BU-BE Beast Wars" (バ・ビ・ブ・べ ビーストウォーズ) by Hironobu Kageyama and The Ba-Bi-Bu-Be Bombers
- OP 2: "Sen'nen no Soldier" (千年のソルジャー, "Millennium Soldier") by Hironobu Kageyama
- ED 2: "HALLELUYAH" by Hironobu Kageyama, Mitsuko Horie, and The Ba-Bi-Bu-Be Bombers
- OP (special 1): "Hajimari no Uta" (始まりの唄, "Song of the Beginning") by Katsu Seiji and Kenzō Isurugi
- ED (special 1): "Hateshinai kono (SORA) e" (果てしないこの宇宙(SORA)へ, "To the Never-ending Skies") by Katsu Seiji and Kenzō Isurugi
- OP (special 2): "Ano Yume no Kanata e" (あの夢の彼方へ, "Off to That Dream") by C.O.A.
- ED (special 2): "WA! WA! Wonderland" (WA! WA! ワンダーランド) by C.O.A.
- OP/ED: "Phat Planet" by Leftfield
Car Robots
- OP: "Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~" (炎のオーバードライブ ～カーロボットサイバトロン～, "Blazing Overdrive ~Car Robot Autobots~") by Kōji Wada
- ED: "Marionette" (マリオネット) by Mami Nishikaku
Unicron Trilogy
- OP 1: "TRANSFORMER -Dream Again-" by Psychic Lover
- ED 1: "Never Ending Road" by Psychic Lover
- OP 2: "Transformers ~Kōtetsu no Yūki~" (Transformers ～鋼鉄の勇気～, "Transformers ~Steel Courage~") by Hideaki Takatori
- ED 2: "Don't Give Up!!" by Psychic Lover
- OP: "Taiyō no transform!!" (太陽のtransform!!, "Solar transform!!") by Hiroshi Kitadani
- ED: "Calling you" by Takayoshi Tanimoto
- OP 1: "CALL YOU... Kimi to Boku no Mirai" (CALL YOU... 君と僕の未来, "CALL YOU... The Future of You and Me") by Shinji Kakijima
- ED 1: "Itsumo" (いつも, "Always") by Tomoka Issei
- OP 2: "IGNITION!" (IGNITION - イグニッション!) by CHINO
- ED 2: "Growing up!!" by Shinji Kakijima
Song collections
Though each Transformers series featured distinctive music, the songs were not widely available in the '80s. Some of them were collected together with non-Transformers anime and sold as part of massive compilations. With the debut of Beast Wars, that started to change. CD singles of most Beast Wars-era songs were readily available, and eventually albums compiling many songs began to be released. By 2003, the Generation One series would see similar treatment.
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers Original Soundtrack
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers Original Soundtrack is an LP sold by Victor in Japan and featuring 16 songs. Of these 16 songs, only two of them were used in the Japanese TV series: Transformer (the opening theme) and Peace Again (the end credits song)--the other 14 were instrumental songs inspired by the TV series. The instrumental songs are largely an unlistenable cacophony of the most horrible sounds you will ever hear.
Transformers Theme Song Collection
Transformers Theme Song Collection is a two-disc CD set. It was released by Columbia Music Entertainment on August 20, 2003 in Japan. It features all of the Japanese theme songs from Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers through Micron Legend and runs approximately 2 hours.
Vital Stats
ASIN B0000A8V2S
COCX-32353
Label: Columbia Music Entertainment
Date released: August 20, 2003
Transformers History of Music 1984-1990
Transformers History of Music 1984-1990 is a five-disc CD set released by Columbia Music Entertainment on March 17, 2004 in Japan. It includes themes and background music for all of the various Japanese Generation 1 series. Running time is approximately 5 hours.
Transformers Song Universe
Transformers Song Universe is a five-disc CD set. It was released by Columbia Music Entertainment on August 8, 2007 in Japan. Unlike the History of Music collection, it has no background music, though it spans G1 through the end of the Unicron Trilogy. In addition to theme songs, it includes karaoke version of many of the songs, and B-sides of singles. It runs approximately 6 hours.
