What are your Theme Songs for different TF's?

Safeguard · Unread post by **Safeguard** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:13 am

As the title says. I'll list mine here:

Armada Unicron - Am I Evil by Metallica
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All Evil Primes and all Psychics - Enter Sandman by Metallica
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G1 Dead End - Nothing Else Matters by Metallica (fits like a fist in the eye!)
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G1 Sideswipe/Sunstreaker: He ain't heavy, he's my brother by Helmut Lotti

Here is a page for that song: http://jan14351.tripod.com/id19.html

You can hear the song in that page.. don't know who sings it, though.
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West Side Story: Jet Song: G1 Decepticon Jets
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G1 Springer, Cybertron Starscream + some others: Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler (well, maybe it's not them singing, just some guys who need their help or something...)
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G1 Jazz: Happiness Is An Inside Job by Barrington Pheloung & Don Black (performed by Bob Sekar) (You can find the song here: http://www.revfans.com/media.php?sec=mu ... 3af35b358c) I don't even know what the music genre of this is!
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G1 Mirage: The Invisible Man by Queen
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Primus: Hide And Seek by Howard Jones
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Beast Wars (not the Japanese) Maximals & Predacons Battle Theme: Superbeast by Rob Zombie
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G1 Chromia & Ironhide: Invisible Boyfriend by Continental Drifters (I love this... the lyrics and the thought of those two separated make me cry...)
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Autobots: Caught In The Crossfire by April Wine
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Decepticons: Divide And Conquer by Malevolent Creation
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G1 Rodimus Prime as well as Jazz, Angels Fall First by Nightwish
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BM Jetstorm/Silverbolt, Nemo by Nightwish
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Pre-BW Rampage, In The Shadows by The Rasmus
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BW Rampage, Bad by U2
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BW Rampage/Tigatron, World by Bee Gees (the lyrics fit them both)
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Armada Starscream, Hero by Mariah Carey (the song, and especially Carey's voice, make me shiver, positively... actually I also want this to be Cybertron Mudflap's theme.. at least he's one of the only D-Cons who doesn't get scrapped comically)
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BW Silverbolt/Blackarachnia/Tigatron and BM Jetstorm, Reach For The Light by Steve Winwood
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BW Rattrap, Take A Look Around by Limp Bizkit
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Pre-G1 Decepticons, Gee Officer Krupke from West Side Story (the movie version!) (just see http://www.fanfiction.net/u/734853/ and go to 'Enter Botman' and you'll get why I chose that!

)
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BW Tarantulas, Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show
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The battles of Beast Machines: Sandstorm by Darude
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BW2 SEACONS, HE'S A PIRATE FROM PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!!!!!!!!! (I love Halfshell.. he looks wonderful, and one of his fandub voices was Chris Ho, who is one heckuva good dubber.. here: http://www.tfcog.net/sounds/greatshot.mp3 ... I guess you didn't know he's Canadian.. that accent is very well done)
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BW Rampage (or whoever is a nutcase), Sarcastic Existence by Sepultura
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Cybertron Mudflap, The River Of Dreams by Billy Joel (sorta like he's trying to find his lost Autobot spirit after he ventured back to Earth in ep. 32)
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Some theme musics (not songs)... you can't get them by clicking the link directly.. you've gotta copy the link and paste it into your address field:

Jolt, Six-Speed and Reverb from TF Cybertron: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... world1.mid

Victory Star Saber: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... rworld.mid

BW Rattrap (after episode 'Changing of the Guard'... you know what I mean): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... anShip.mid

BW Tigerhawk: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... nRises.mid

Cybertron Scourge: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... thouse.mid

BW Rampage: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... marock.mid

Omega Lock Music (fits better than the original) or Gigantion (I mean, it's a planet with friggin' ghost cities!).. TF Cybertron: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... thouse.mid

BW Depthcharge (I know Depthie wouldn't appreciate this, but it fits his past.. that when he saw what had happened to Starbase Rugby and Colony Omicron): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... ohGMXG.mid

G1 Autobots, The Day Has Been Won: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... tended.mid

Victory Autobot/Cybertron Combiners (Brainmasters, Victory Leo & Star Saber and Multiforce): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... rworld.mid

Armada Optimus Prime: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... nyouiy.mid

G1 Chromia&Ironhide (after TF The Movie): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... S_Ivan.mid

TF Victory (whole show and all characters): http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... -venus.mid

Decepticon Bre(a)stforce (TF Victory)... Combine into Liokaiser!: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/ni ... _Sun_3.mid

Stelartron · Unread post by **Stelartron** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 3:40 pm

G1 Rodimus Prime- "When There's No One Around" by Garth Brooks http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/broo ... -5037.html

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Armada Sideswipe- "Roundabout" by Yes (I have no idea why, but it reminds me of him every time I hear it.)

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BW Silverbolt (to BA)- "Fly With Me" by 98 Degrees

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BW Silverbolt (After BA's 'death' in "Crossing the Rubicon")- "If Only Tears Could Bring You Back" by Midnight Sons

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Transmutate- "Brother My Brother" by Blessid Union Of Souls

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G1 Bumblebee & Spike- "It Was You" by Ashley Ballard with So Plush

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BM Blackaracnia (to Silverbolt, after Cybertron has been technorganic-ized)- "We're A Miracle" by Christina Aguilera

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G1 Hot Rod (pre-Matrix), Armada/ Cybertron Hot Shot- "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" by Brownsville Station

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G1 Dinobots- "Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Was Not) (C'mon, you knew this was coming, admit it.

)

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BW Blackarachnia (especially with Tarantulus)- "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band, or "Black Magic Woman" by Santana

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Tigatron & Airrazor- "Somewhere Someday" by *NSYNC

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~Stel

Outtsyder · Unread post by **Outtsyder** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 5:00 pm

A question that I have with a lot of "TF Theme Songs" threads is, do the people making their suggestions think them through fully enough so that the entire tune actually fits the characters; or are they assigning a song to just one aspect of the character (including obscure ones that a fan may over-elaborate) while the whole thing wouldn't really fit? Some people only look at the words of a song, or use the songs of their own favorite artists, but the musicality of the music style simply does not fit the character's personality at all. I've seen an example where someone tried to slap the so-called "song" by some overrated candy teeny-pop "singer" on Starscream, while Starscream is simply too dangerous and arrogant to even be associated with such weak fluff. Whoever tried to assign that supposed "theme song" simply doesn't know jack-all about TFs.

How I usually go about thinking about a good theme song for a TF? Some have different workable approaches. Sometimes it's not always the lyrics, but the style of the music and its underlying feel that fits a character's attitude far better than just the words would. A tough, brutal, violent character will NOT have a weepy torch song to fit him or her. A few cases, sometimes the words and the music fit with the character, or at least a prominent trait about the character (rather than an obscure one). Some are just lucky enough to already have a song associated closely enough to them (though those are rare). Another approach that I take, coming as a hold-over from my pro-wrestling fan days; what song would get an audience's attention if this character would make an entrance into the building? Usually, though, it's best to choose a tune that most people would recognize or at least strikes an inner chord (sorry about the pun) with that special "X-factor" it may have, rather than a song that, however good it is, only a few people would have even heard of.

I used to have a long list typed up somewhere, but I can't access the file right now. I do still have a number of ideas still in my head....

G1:

Optimus Prime: "The Touch", by Stan Bush (come on, it's used in the TF:TM soundtrack)

Jazz: "Get Down On It" or "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & The Gang, or "I Got You (I Feel Good)" or "Payback" by James Brown

Ironhide: "Smoke On The Water", by Deep Purple. Because it sounds tough and gritty, like him.

Sideswipe & Sunstreaker: "Chase" from the "Midnight Express" movie soundtrack (you can hear a sample here, you may have heard it before: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174 )

Mirage: "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band

Grimlock: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica (give a VERY recognizable bad-@$$ song to a VERY recogniable bad-@$$ character)

Tracks: "Sharp-Dressed Man" by ZZ Top

Omega Supreme: Overture to "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (a.k.a. theme to "2001: A Space Odyssey")

Rodimus Prime: "The Touch (BotCon '97 Remix)"

Ultra Magnus: "Fanfare for the Common Man", composed by Aaron Copland (you know this song; sample here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174 )

Wreck-Gar: "Dare To Be Stupid" by Weird Al Yankovic (it's already set in the TFTM soundtrack)

Megatron: "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath

Starscream: Overture from "Carmina Burana" (you've heard this one before; a sample is here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001 ... nce&n=5174 )

Soundwave: "Da Funk", by Daft Punk (a synthesized sound with no lyrics is all too appropriate for an all-electronic personality)

Thundercracker: either "God Of Thunder" by KISS, or "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC

Skywarp: "Back In Black" by AC/DC

Rumble & Frenzy: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

Astrotrain & Blitzwing: "Mama Said Knock You Out", by LL Cool J

The Stunticons: "Highway To Hell", by AC/DC

Galvatron: "I Want It All", by Queen

BW:

Cheetor: "Stray Cat Strut", by Stray Cats (I originally was going to go with either the instrumentals "Alley Cat" or the "Pink Panther Theme", although the Pink Panther one might not be TOO bad)

Silverbolt: something with majestic sounding horns, maybe "The Great Gate At Kiev" movement from "Pictures At An Exhibition", composed by Modest Mussorgsky (you can hear a sample here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174 )

Megatron: "I Want It All", by Queen (until I can find out another one)

Waspinator: "Flight Of The Bumblebee"

Inferno: "Mars, the Bringer Of War" from the "Planets Suite" by Gustav Holst (which you can hear here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174 ), or for the violent side of his personality, "Walk" by Pantera

Quickstrike: maybe "Cowboy" by Kid Rock?

Rampage: "Hells Bells" by AC/DC

Outtsyder

Stelartron · Unread post by **Stelartron** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:09 am

*shrugs* Well, lots of times, I can't focus in on one specific song for a character. I end up with songs that fit them in certain scenes, but not the rest of the time, or only when they're in a certain mood. This is especially true for my fanchars, who all seem to end up with their own accompanying mental soundtracks eventually.

But Outtie's got a point. Very few of the songs I listed were theme songs per-se. They were just songs that made me think of X-character or X-scene. Such as the song I listed for Armada Sideswipe. It really has nothing to do with him (in fact, if you look up the lyrics, they really don't make much sense) but the song just makes me think of him for whatever reason. I can close my eyes and very easily picture Armada Sideswipe cruising along or racing with Hot Shot with this song playing in the background.

I dunno. I just know that mental soundtracks are helpful (to me at least) in fic writing. If I'm stuck on a fic point for a character, I can go listen to the songs on their 'soundtrack' for inspiration. Or sometimes, (as happened last week) a song will just happen to come on the radio that makes me think of a different angle for X-character's fic, and that song will get added to their 'soundtrack'. It's interesting, in that a song you've heard dozens of times before can suddenly be 'seen' in a whole new light.

Ah well, pardon my rambling. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress.

~Stel-Who posted here twice in one day. What's gonna happen?!

Safeguard · Unread post by **Safeguard** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:13 am

Well, here are my thoughts about why I chose the songs.

Armada Unicron, Am I Evil by Metallica. I chose that one because someone on TFW2005 had already made a Music Video with that as the music.
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All Evil Primes and Psychics, Enter Sandman by Metallica. Because it sounds creepy, and The Crab on fanfiction.net wrote Armada Nemesis Prime to be a creepy psychic who destroyed Optimus Prime with a single thought.
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G1 Dead End, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. The title, the lyrics and the music fit a fatalistic character very well. Especially Dead End. The music is just so indifferent, like DE, and the lyrics are that, too. ^_^ SQUEE! He's my favorite Stunticon.
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G1 Sunstreaker/Sideswipe, He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother by Helmut Lotti. Well.. if no one can understand the reason, then you dunno anything about G1. That song describes the Twins' relationship so damn well...
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G1 Decepticon Jets, Jet Song from West Side Story (the movie version). I just saw that Scott Kampa had made a 'parody' of that song with D-Con Jets singing it. It wasn't funny at all, it was like a perfect tribute. And I can just see Thundercracker singing.
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G1 Springer, Cybertron Starscream + some others: Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler. Someone made a Music Video of a Galaxy Force episode with Starscream attacking the Cybertrons on the Space Bridge. It was so perfect.
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G1 Jazz, G1 Jazz: Happiness Is An Inside Job by Barrington Pheloung & Don Black. The song just is so laid-back and easy-going, just like Jazz himself.. and the lyrics aren't too bad either. He is one happy Bot after all.
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G1 Mirage: The Invisible Man by Queen. The lyrics just fit.. and usually Queen does some cool music, and if I'm not wrong, the music style fits Raj well, too.
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Primus, Hide And Seek by Howard Jones. Well.. it fits him.. I mean, isn't he the non-aggressive type and Unicron is the all-aggressive one? And Primus did create the TF's...
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Superbeast is a good battle theme for Beast Wars. It also has superbeasts.
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Well, all of the songs I chose.. I thought them through. I spent hours searching for the right ones.

I especially love the 'Nemo' one. The lyrics and the music fit Jetstorm/Silverbolt quite well.

You can find a sample here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002Z ... nce&n=5174
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Unread post by **Sapphire** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:56 am

I'm like Stelartron, in that I listen to music that fits a character as he/she is in my fanfic or series. I have a whole "Rampage: Losing Face series" soundtrack that totally got me inspired to write him. It had everything on it from loud, angry songs that fit his murderous, brutal side, down to lighter and more sensitive (but FAR from sappy) songs for his gentler side. I attribute different songs and music to different aspects of his character, depending on which scene I was writing. (Anyone who's interested can find parts of the "Losing Face" soundtrack here: http://www.bwint.net/songsoflosingface.htm )

I do know what Outty is getting at, though. Some music, with or without lyrics, generally "fits" a character in his entirety, not just a part of him. I have come across a few songs that instantly make me think of a character. I remember I made a list of such "theme songs" on a thread at the old board.

Wicked Woman · Unread post by **Wicked Woman** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:55 pm

All I have are these two songs but I may or maynot think up more:

Rampage - Iron Head (by Rob Zombie)
Rampage/DC - Conflict (Enemy) (by Disturbed)

WW

Outtsyder · Unread post by **Outtsyder** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:42 pm

Ah, now with those explanations, what you're getting at seems clearer to me. See, I've always understood the term "theme music/songs" as a piece of music associated with a character, place or thing. Like how Darth Vader has his own theme; Unicron has his own theme; Hulk Hogan has his own theme (trust the ex-wrestling fan to bring that up); Saruman has his own theme; even the places of Rohan and Gondor have their own respective themes. That's what I've always known what "theme songs" meant, and I didn't know that fanfic communities took the term to mean something different (I can't really follow all that jargon). If it was worded like "songs for TF story themes", I would have known what you were talking about.

Nah, don't feel bad; I'm pretty much living up to the corrected spelling of my screen name.

Incidentally, for a "song for a TF story theme" theme, I'm shocked that none of us (including myself!) have posted this, so I better do so before I forget:

Rampage vs. Depth Charge in Nemesis: "Princes Of The Universe" by Queen (if you've seen anything from "Highlander", you'll know what I'm talking about)

As for more "character themes" how I'm used to knowing it:

G1:

Prowl: "Bad Boys" by Inner Circle. He's a freakin' POLICE CAR, for Prime's sake! Anyone who misses something that obvious deserves 153 lashes with a frozen-solid Slim Jim.

Year 1 Seekers together: "Seek And Destroy (live)" by Metallica

Thrust, Ramjet & Dirge: "Bad To The Bone", George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Sunstorm: maybe "Black Hole Sun", by Soundgarden

Perceptor: "She Blinded Me With Science", Thomas Dolby

Skyfire: "Danger Zone", Kenny Loggins

Hot Rod: "Dare" by Stan Bush (again, from the TFTM soundtrack)

BW:

Blackarachnia: "Foxy Lady", Jimi Hendrix. WAY too easy.

Tigatron: I'm tempted to have "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor for him, but that could be too cliche unless nothing fresher is available.

I just thought up a "more sophisticated" one for Rampage than yet another AC/DC track I thought up. "Toccata in D-Minor", by Bach. If you don't know the title, you definitely know the song: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002 ... nce&n=5174 )

Outtsyder