Japanese themes
The various Japanese Transformers television shows each feature one or more opening and closing theme songs to accompany the title sequences and end 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: "TRANSFORMER 2010" (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 wo 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
Animated (Japan)
- OP: "TRANSFORMERS EVO." by JAM Project
- ED: "Axel Transformers" by Rey
Prime (Japan)
- OP: "FEELING" by BIGBANG
- ED: "I Believe in All" by CLUTCHO
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.
Generation 1
The first Transformers soundtrack album was released by Victor Entertainment.
- Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Original Soundtrack <Music Book> (Release date unknown, 1985)
Beast Era
The Beast Wars soundtracks were released by Columbia Music Entertainment.
- Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — CYBER MUSIC: Original Soundtrack (August 21, 1998)
- Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — HYPER MUSIC: Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 (November 21, 1998)
- Beast Wars Special: Super Lifeform Transformers — Strongest Music Collection (December 19, 1998)
- Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers — Best Songs Special (December 19, 1998)
- Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers — BEAST WARS TRANSFORMER SONGS BEST (December 18, 1999)
Car Robots
The Car Robots soundtrack was released by Interchannel, although the DVD releases for the series were handled by Pony Canyon.
- Transformers: Car Robots — Original Soundtrack (August 3, 2000)
Unicron Trilogy
The Micron Legend soundtracks were released by Columbia, Super Link by Interchannel, and Galaxy Force by Victor.
- The Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Sound of Evolution: Vol. 1 (March 21, 2003)
- The Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Sound of Evolution: Vol. 2 (June 18, 2003)
- Transformer: Superlink — Original Soundtrack: Mission I (May 26, 2004)
- Transformers: Galaxy Force — Sound Pack 1 (April 21, 2005)
- Transformers: Galaxy Force — Sound Pack 2 (November 23, 2005)
Retrospective collections
Columbia released these compilation albums, which collectively cover the entire Transformers franchise from Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers up to Galaxy Force.
- Transformers — Theme Song Collection (August 20, 2003)
- Transformers — History of Music: 1984-1990 (March 17, 2004)
- Transformers — Song Universe (August 8, 2007)
- Transformers — Music Matrix (April 2, 2008)
