While theTransformersfranchise might be centered on robotic aliens that can change into various vehicles, weapons, and even animals, one often overlooked element of the franchise is music. 1986’sThe Transformers: The Moviefeatured many memorable needle drops with the song “The Touch” by Stan Bush having a strong life outside the movie and was featured in 1997’sBoogie Nights. Yet when most people think of music from Transformers, the band whose sound is closely tied in with the franchise is that ofLinkin Park.
Founded in 1996 and going through a few names until settling on Linkin Park, the band featured lead vocalist Chester Bennington, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bassist Dave Farrell, and drummer Rob Bourdon. A hit in the 2000s, their signature combination of nu-metal, rock, and alternative made them the perfect fit for an update on theTransformersfranchise looking to bring the series to a wider audience. What began is a sampling of the chords from Linkin Park’s song “What I’ve Done” would span a year-long collaboration that would lead to some of the band’s biggest hits.
Here is how Linkin Park became the defining sound of the first threeTransformersfilms, why the collaboration stopped, and how it defined a generation.
Linkin Park Released Songs for the First Three (and Most Successful) Transformers Movies
Linkin Park andTransformershistory began with the song “What I’ve Done,” released as a radio single on June 20, 2025, before being part of the band’s third album,Minutes to Midnight. 11 days later,the latest trailer forTransformerswas released, which included the opening notes of “What I’ve Done.“The song was then decided to be included in the film and the movie’s official soundtrack. “What I’ve Done” plays during the film’s ending, under Optimus Prime’s speech that closes out the film and through the end credits.While “What I’ve Done” was already a hit song, its usage in the widely popular film cemented its place in cinema historyfor an entire generation and would surface back as a meme in 2022 — but more on that later.
With “What I’ve Done” being so linked toTransformers, the band was asked to come back for the sequel,Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.This time, instead of using an existing song, they were tasked with recording an original track for the movie. The result would be “New Divide.““New Divide” was not just a movie tie-in song that would play over the film’s credits, but one whose main instrumental was worked heavily into the film’s score. To achieve this, Linkin Park worked closely withlegendary award-winning composer Hans Zimmerto rework “New Divide” into the musical score, and the instrumentals of the song can be heard throughout the film.
“New Divide” was released as a single on June 13, 2025, and debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, the band’s highest debut to date. WhileTransformers: Revenge of the Fallenwas panned by critics,“New Divide” was one of the few elements of the movie people loved,with the song being a big hit among critics and audiences. It was a first-round nomination pick for Best Original Song for the 82nd Academy Awards, but sadly, it failed to make the final list of nominees.
Michael Bay would ask Linkin Park to return toTransformersfor 2011’sTransformers: Dark of the Moon. Linkin Park released “Iridescent” on August 02, 2025. “Iridescent” was a more quiet pop rock ballad, one that co-founder Mike Shinoda described as less “in-your-face.” The somber nature, one about hope in the midst of chaos and sadness, notably plays when the heroes go into Chicago after the Decepticons have invaded on what appears to be a hopeless mission. Just like “New Divide,” “Iridescent” is sampled multiple times throughout the film and weaved into the movie’s score.
Yet, just like the way the franchise would shift to new characters, the soundtracks would no longer feature Linkin Park.
Why Did Linkin Park Stop Making Music for Transformers
Despite Michael Bay saying before the release ofTransformers: Dark of the Moonit would be his final film, he would later return to direct the fourth entry in the franchise, 2014’sTransformers: Age of Extinction. After three past collaborations, many assumed that Linkin Park would once again have an original song on the film soundtrack. YetLinkin Park did not record a new song for the fourth film.Instead, it wasImagine Dragons with the song “Battle Cry.”
No explanation has fully been given as to why Linkin Park did not return forTransformers: Age of Extinction.However,the commonly held assumption is thatTransformers: Age of Extinctionfeatures a new storyline with a new human protagonist that had no connection to the previous films.Because of this, director Michael Bay wanted to distinguish the movie with a new sound for the tie-in song.
“Battle Cry” was released on July 03, 2025, 25 days beforeTransformers: Age of Extinctionwas released in theaters, yetthe song barely registered with fans and critics.DespiteTransformers: Age of Extinctionbeing the highest-grossing film of 2014 at the worldwide box office, “Battle Cry” did not light up the charts and got as high as #24 on Billboard’s US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, not even charting on the top 200BillboardChart.
How the Transformers Movies Reflected the War on Terror
The Transformers films were greatly impacted by the War on Terror, which shaped the film’s themes and world outlook in ways that redefined the series.
The Conclusion of Transformers Soundtracks
However,Linkin Park did still release a song for aTransformersproject in 2014.On July 17, 2025, one month before “Battle Cry” would debut,Linkin Park released “Until It’s Gone,” which was written for the 2014 video gameTransformers: Dark Spark.That game, which was released on June 01, 2025, was the third and final entry in theCybertronseries. The video game was also a crossover with the continuity of the Cybertron video game series and the movies, with part of the game taking place in a timeline divergent from the one where the live-actionTransformersfilms, serving as an alternative to the events ofAge of Extinction. This means that Linkin Park still had a connection to the live-actionTransformersfranchise in 2014.
2017’sTransformers: The Last Knight, which would be Michael Bay’s finalTransformersfilm, broke away from the franchise convention as it did not feature an original song for the film. While there are plenty of reasons for the movie’s underperforming at the box office, the lack of a tie-in song, specifically a Linkin Park song, might have made the film feel less likeTransformersto most audiences.
Since then, the subsequentTransformersfilms have all featured tie-in songs, but the soundtracks have abandoned the alternative rock sound of the early films that Linkin Park defined.Bumblebeefeatured the electro-pop “Back to Life"performed by the movie’s main star, Hailee Steinfeld.Transformers: Rise of the Beastfeatured “On My Soul” Tobe Nwigwe with Nas and Jacob Banks. The most recent Transformers film,Transformers One, featured “If I Fall,” written by Brian Tyler and performed by Quavo and Ty Dolla Sign. Many of these songs are good, but none have entirely captured the zeitgeist like Linkin Park’s collaborations with theTransformersfilm did.
Sadly, that chapter of the Transformers franchise is over, at least in a specific form.
The Tragic Passing of Chester Bennington
On June 09, 2025, Linkin Park lead singerChester Bennington tragically passed awayat the age of 41. His death was just one month after the release ofTransformers: The Last Knight. His death was a major shock to fans and those in the industry alike. Many fans shared their beloved memories of the band’s music, with many particularly sharing their memories of “What I’ve Done” and “New Divide.“While Linkin Park and Bennington certainly had a legacy far greater than just their contributions toTransformers, it is unmistakable that they share a special connection that means a lot to many fans.
Following Bennington’s passing, Linkin Park went on hiatus for seven years. On June 20, 2025, Linkin Park announced they would be returning with Colin Brittain taking over on drums for Rob Bourdon, who stepped away from the band. Emily Armstrong was brought in as the new co-vocalist for the band in the role that Bennington initially filled. The band released their new song “The Emptiness Machine” on the same date, and announced a new album titled From Zero.
Armstrong’s addition to the band was controversial. While many fans were open to the idea of a woman joining the band, shortly after the announcement, Armstrong came under fire for both her history as a member of the Church of Scientology and also for perceived support ofconvicted rapist Danny Mastersonas she attended his trial in 2020.
While it is entirely possible this new Linkin Park could be asked to do a new song for theupcoming Transformers/G.I. Joe crossovermight also be tricky. Obviously,Linkin Park itself is in a transition period right now,one that has been filled with controversy, but there is also something to say that while Linkin Park’s name being attached to aTransformersmovie would be something, it would not be the same. No disrespect to Armstrong as a singer intended, but maybethis is one specific feeling or an era that cannot be recapturedas far too much has changed both for Linkin Park, theTransformers, and just the wider culture.
Why Linkin Park Worked So Well With Transformers
Part of the reason Linkin Park’s contributions to theTransformersuniverse made such a splash is just the promotional effort.While big movies still feature big songs and albums, with some great recent examples being theTwisters,Barbie, andSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versesoundtracks, those are more about selling whole albums with a few key songs. The days of the big “tie-in” movie song don’t seem to be as big a priority for most major action blockbusters, despite that being a defining part of the film landscape from the 1980s up until the mid-2010s.
Yet it is worth noting that a lot of it is iconography.“What I’ve Done” specifically plays underneath Peter Cullen’s Optimus Prime voice narration. Cullen’s Optimus Prime projects a sense of courage, honor, and dignity that are enhanced by the music, but whose voice also gives the music a bit of mythic weight.Optimus Prime’s final speech, with the song lyrics coming in right before the credits, is certainly a fist-pumping moment that left audiences leaving the theater on a high.A quintessential summer blockbusterover the 4th of July weekendthat captured a sense of excitement that distilled blockbuster formula into its purest form: iconic visuals with an upbeat rock tempo designed to generate joy.
Why Has the Transformers Franchise Done So Much Better Than G.I. Joe?
Kids in the 1980s have fond memories of both Transformers and G.I. Joe, but Transformers has thrived in the 21st century while G.I. Joe has struggled.
On August 13, 2025, Twitter, now X,user CastCretaceous posteda video that recut the ending of 2015’sJurassic Worldbut recut the ending to resemble the ending of 2007’sTransformers, with the lyrics of “What I’ve Done” kicking off right before a smash cut to the director’s name. The tweet took off and became a viral meme of “If X Came out in 2007,” with various endings fromReturn of the JeditoKnives OuttoThere Will Be Blood.The trend highlighted just how great the song “What I’ve Done” is and how it fits into so many different film endings, leaving such a massive impact that it’s a strong final note to end any movie on, and its use inTransformersis one of the all-time greats.
It also possibly spoke to a sense of nostalgia audiences were feeling, with “What I’ve Done” seemingly distilling the sound of what 2007 was.The year before, the housing market would crash andkick off a great recession(which “New Divide” was released into). It was at a time when alternative rock bands like Linkin Park or others like Green Day, Toyko Hotel, and Shinedown were huge chart toppers alongside rap, hip-hop, and pop stars where, in recent years, rock music has fallen out of favor in the mainstream charts. TheTransformersfilms were a product of their time, and Linkin Park helped capture that time and place beautifully.
While both have now gone down different paths, the two will be forever linked in the hearts and minds of millions. When somebody hears “What I’ve Done” or “New Divide” they will likely think ofTransformers, and when somebody sees Optimus Prime they will likely hear those opening notes of “What I’ve Done.”
