"Battle Cry" is a song by American rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on June 2, 2014, as a single promoting Transformers: Age of Extinction, a 2014 science fiction action film based on the Transformers franchise. The song, which appears in the end credits of the film, was also included on the super deluxe version of the band’s second studio album, Smoke + Mirrors (2015).[1] It is the first theme song in the live-action Transformers film franchise not to be performed by Linkin Park,[2] though the latter's "Until It's Gone" is included on the accompanying video game.[3]
| "Battle Cry" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Imagine Dragons | ||||
| from the album Transformers: Age of Extinction (soundtrack) and Smoke + Mirrors (Super deluxe) | ||||
| B-side | "All for You" | |||
| Released | June 2, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 at Imagine Dragons Studio (Las Vegas, Nevada) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:32 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Imagine Dragons singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Transformers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Battle Cry" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editAs part of his efforts to distance Age of Extinction from the previous films in the series, Transformers director Michael Bay sought out a new musical act to soundtrack the film and hand picked Imagine Dragons for the job.[2] "Battle Cry" was written by the group members specifically for use in the film, inspired by the story as pitched to them by Bay. Lead singer Dan Reynolds revealed to Billboard that the aim with "Battle Cry" was to write "in a more cinematic way" to compose a song that was satisfying as a piece of music but also benefited the visual it was set to accompany.[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Battle Cry" | 4:32 |
Personnel
editImagine Dragons
- Dan Reynolds – vocals, piano
- Wayne Sermon – acoustic and electric guitars
- Ben McKee – bass guitar, keyboards
- Daniel Platzman – drums, percussion
Additional Musicians
- Hans Zimmer – production
- Steve Jablonsky – production
Charts
edit| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | 44 |
| France (SNEP)[6] | 150 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7] | 111 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[8] | 24 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Battle Cry - Single by Imagine Dragons". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on August 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Reyes, Mike (May 13, 2014). "Michael Bay's Transformers: Age Of Extinction To Host A World Premiere Concert On June 19th". Cinema Blend. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ "LAUNCH TRAILER: Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark". YouTube. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ Comer, M. Tye. "Imagine Dragons Discuss 'Battle Cry,' Breaking Records & Making New Music (Q&A)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ "Imagine Dragons – Battle Cry". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Imagine Dragons – Battle Cry" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart: CLUK Update 19.07.2014 (wk28)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "American single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Battle Cry". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 1, 2021.