My Top 20 Favorite Pieces of Music from the Batman Films
Batman has been around since 1939 and over the past 81 years he has had various film and TV adaptations. The earliest onscreen appearances of the caped crusader were the black & white serials from the 40s, which in turn inspired the 60s TV show starring Adam West, which had a summer movie attached to it in 1966. There were also a few cartoons in the 60s, 70s and early 80s, which took their cues from the Adam West show as well. The modern day version of Batman on film though begins in 1989 with Tim Burton’s Batman. While the comics of the 70s and 80s had gotten much darker and more interesting, the mainstream still thought of Batman in the image of Adam West. Tim Burton’s film, which was influenced by comics like The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns and the Laughing Fish, completely changed the mainstream’s perception of Batman and his world. That 1989 Batman film is also where my love of the character truly starts so that is where we will begin for this countdown of film scores to the live action Batman movies.
The live action Batman movies from 1989-2019 are fascinating in how much they vary in tone. There is a constant tug of war happening between being too camp and colorful and being too dark and gritty, with audience reaction and studio meddling playing a huge role in shaping how all these films turned out. While I like some of the films more than others, I think the scores to just about all of them are fantastic and do a great job conveying the tone and character of each film. I may not like the Joel Shuchmacher Batman films as much as the Chris Nolan or Tim Burton films (though I do have soft spot for Batman Forever and I watch it way more than I should), I still really like the music to those Joel Schumacher films that were scored by Elliott Goldenthal. I’ve listened to this music so much, through either watching the films over and over again or just listening to them on their own while I read, drive or worked out, that it’s basically sonic wallpaper that is not only comforting for me but it also gives me a lot of nostalgia as well. These films, and the Batman character in general, I feel connect me to both my childhood and adulthood more than anything else in popular culture and like music it seems to reflect my struggles with coming out the closet as well. This is why, along with music, I feel my passion for Batman will never truly die.
OK let’s finally get to it and start this countdown.
20. I’m Not Hero by James Newton and Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight 2008)
Batman Begins completely reshaped Batman on film 8 years after the disaster that was Batman & Robin and a big part of that was the music. Unlike the Burton & Schumacher films, Batman Begins had a much more subtle soundtrack, which fit the movie perfectly. The catch though is that score is honestly not that memorable on its own outside watching the film. The composers James Newton & Hans Zimmer said this was intentional as it was really just Batman starting out so they wanted the music to not sound as heroic or confident yet. The piece of music that services as Batman’s theme in Batman Begins is called Vespertillio and it’s pretty good, but it sounds better in the follow up film The Dark Knight where it is called I’m Not a Hero. Now that Batman is well established and a real threat to the villains and criminals of Gotham we get a much more confident and memorable version of his theme song. The part at the end where it ups the ante to the Batman theme after the 5:30 mark is pretty badass. Batman is here and ready to take down the criminal scum of Gotham.
19. Nygma Variations & Mr. E’s Dance Card by Elliot Goldenthal (Batman Forever 1995)
The score to Batman Forever is not only brighter but jazzier than the Danny Elfman scores to Tim Burton’s Batman films. While I still love the Danny Elfman scores best, I actually think the score to Batman Forever is very underrated. Batman as a character was created in 1939 at the height of Jazz music and it makes sense to have jazz be an undercurrent when scoring a film about Batman. Here though the jazzy score is meant to reflect the insanity of the Riddler as well as his craving to be accepted by the rich and powerful in Gotham. I especially love the music during the gala sequence that reflects different dances such as the Fox Trot, Rumba, Tango and Waltz.
18. The Cemetery by Danny Elfman (Batman Returns 1992)
Batman Returns is the most divisive Batman film ever, you either love it or hate it. There is no middle ground here. What I have noticed over the years is that those who feel like outsiders gravitate to this film the most, especially girls and gays. Some of my best gal pals through the years have told me that this is their favorite Batman film and many gay pop stars like Jesse Saint John and Bright Light Bright Light declare it’s one of their favorite films period. I will say it’s my favorite of the live action Batman films (My favorite Batman film ever is animated though.) Batman Returns is about outsiders who are considered freaks in the eyes of Gotham (aka the mainstream.) The Penguin, as played by Danny Devito, is a grotesque monster who shouldn’t warrant any sympathy and yet many people do find him sympathetic for the reason that he was literally tossed down the drain by his parents for not being what they had hoped. The Cemetery scene where Penguin goes to forgive his parents by putting roses on their grave in front of a media circus brings home the emotions of the scene through Elfman’s brilliant score. The music starts creepy and unnerving, but becomes much more emotional and cathartic at the end showing that maybe Penguin does have a heart and is misunderstood. Of course, Penguin’s still a monster but it’s enough to fool the citizens of Gotham at that moment and Elfman’s scoring captures the complex emotions at play during this sequence wonderfully.
17. Watch The World Burn by James Newton and Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight 2008)
Heath Ledge’s Joker dominated any and all discussion of the Dark Knight back in 2008 and it’s easy to see why. That said, the film isn’t really about the Joker at the end of the day. What it’s really about is the fall of Harvey Dent. As portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, Harvey Dent’s descent into madness is the real tragedy of the film. This is why the film doesn’t end with the Joker, but with a standoff between Harvey (who is now Two-Face), Batman, and Commission Gordon, whose family Two-Face is threatening to kill in front of Gordon. The music in this scene reflects the tragedy and despair of not just that scene but the entire film. It’s easily the most emotional piece of music in The Dark Knight and it reflects that even though the Joker is captured and Two-Face is stopped, nobody really wins in this movie. Everyone has been tainted and scarred in some way and Watch the World Burn sums up the themes and emotions of The Dark Knight beautifully.
16. On Thin Ice by Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight Rises 2012)
Batman Returns is the most divisive Batman film, but in my opinion The Dark Knight Rises is the most underrated. I think it did great job not only following up from the events of The Dark Knight (which again reinforced that that movie was more about Harvey Dent than the Joker), but ending the story and trilogy on a strong note. The Dark Knight Rises is also moodier and more melancholy as well showing how the events of the Dark Knight damaged those who survived it. On Thin Ice captures this sadness and melancholy beautifully. Not only does it sound lonely but cold as well, which is apt since a lot of the film takes place during the winter. The music reflects how much has been lost and how difficult it will be for Batman and Gordon to rise to the challenge one final time. On Thin Ice captures the sadness and isolation of the Batman character better than any film since Batman Returns and maybe that’s why I like the song and film so much. The moody sadness and isolation of Batman has always been one of the more appealing parts of the character’s mythos and I think it’s because it reflected my own inner sadness and isolation growing up gay and in the closet.
15. Gotham’s Reckoning by Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight Rises 2012)
As moody and slow as Dark Knight Rises could be, it also features some of the best and most thrilling action sequences ever in a Batman film. The opening sequence where Bane hijacks and destroys a plane is heart racing movie action at its best. Gotham’s Reckoning is basically the theme song for Bane in this film. The song reflects how dangerous and unstoppable Bane is and why he is a true threat to Batman. The chanting used throughout the song also works well as it reflects how Bane is also good at stirring up and controlling masses of people for his own evil ends.
14. First Confrontation by Danny Elfman (Batman 1989)
Danny Elfman’s score to Batman is honestly one of the greatest movie scores of all time and the greatest superhero score of all time if you ask me! Elfman’s music throughout the film is so important and so good that if you removed it, the film wouldn’t work nearly as well. Elfman’s score is just as much a character in the movie as Batman and the Joker. Here we see Elfman’s brilliance in First Confrontation where he scores the Axis Chemicals sequence where Jack (soon to be Joker), the police force (which includes Commissioner Gordon) and Batman all meet each other for the first time. Yes, there is a lot of gun play and some punches thrown, but it’s Elfman’s score that is the most riveting part of the entire sequence. The music has this forward momentum to it that grows in intensity as the song builds, while also brilliantly incorporating pieces of the Batman theme throughout whenever he shows up to stop a thug. It reminds me of great film noir and gangster films of the 30s and 40s too and that’s probably why Disney hired Elfman to score Dick Tracy the following year.
13. Waltz to Death by Danny Elfman (Batman 1989)
This song is just silly fun and perfectly captures the absurdity of this scene where Joker is dancing with Vicki Vale while Batman dispatches Joker’s thugs one by one. It’s the kind of music that could only work with the Joker in a film as dark as Batman. That’s one of the great things about the Joker in that he is both scary and funny in equal measure. It’s that thin line that makes the Joker so riveting as a character. Joker can make you laugh and recoil in equal measure.
12. Up the Cathedral by Danny Elfman (Batman 1989)
The scene where Joker takes Vicky Vale up an endless flight of stairs to the top of a cathedral with Batman following is honestly not a riveting scene in and of itself, but it becomes riveting thanks once again to Danny Elfman’s dramatic scoring. Eflman goes very over the top here making the song sound as gothic and overblown as possible. In a lot of ways, the music here feels very influenced by Phantom of the Opera as well as baroque composer Bach due to the heavy use of organ that is present throughout this piece of music. It’s another example of how Danny Eflman’s score raised the stakes and audience investment throughout the film.
11. Batman Forever/Batman & Robin Main Title Theme by Elliot Goldenthal (Batman Forever 1995/Batman & Robin 1997)
While Danny Elfman’s Batman theme is the theme I compare all other Batman music to (and superhero music in general) I have to give Elliot Goldenthal credit for his Batman theme to the Joel Schumacher films. It’s lighter than Elfman and Zimmer, but it still feels like Batman! It starts dark but gets more heroic as it unfolds. In its own way it’s just as memorable as Elfman’s theme and it’s still better than over 95% of the scores to Superhero films from the past decade. Also the fact that it ends with an operatic choir much like the theme to Batman Mask of the Phantasm helps a lot too.
10. Mouth to Mouth Nocturne by Elliot Goldenthal (Batman Forever 1995)
Some of my favorite Batman film music came from Elliot Goldenthal and in my opinion his best pieces of scoring came from whenever he wrote music for Dr. Chase Meridian played by Nicole Kidman. The romance between Dr. Chase and Batman is captured well in this piece of music, which is both mysterious and romantic at the same time. It reflects the danger and thrill that sparks whenever they are around each other. Their romance feels like a star crossed love affair and Mouth to Mouth conveys this perfectly.
09. Why So Serious? By Hans Zimmer & James Newton (The Dark Knight 2008)
The piece of music Hans Zimmer came out up for the Joker’s theme in The Dark Knight is one of the great bad guy themes in all of movie history. Like the theme for Jaws or “Man” in Bambi, it immediately puts you on high alert. The Joker theme makes you feel queasy in your stomach and nervous as hell every time it starts up. I also like how it’s an atonal piece of music that starts low and just builds in intensity until you can’t take it anymore. The rest of the music that follows the theme is well done, but it’s that opening crescendo that is used again & again throughout the film whenever the Joker is about to strike that sticks with you. I actually didn’t notice it when I first watched it, but I was getting really anxious and scared every time it started up. I just didn’t notice it was the music doing that to me until a third watch, because I was riveted to what was happening on the screen. That’s what makes it a great piece of film music because it affects you emotionally as you watch the film, but you are not cognizant that the music is manipulating you until much later.
08. The Birth of the Penguin Parts 1 & 2 by Danny Elfman (Batman Returns 1992)
Batman Returns is much more Tim Burton than 1989’s Batman and Danny Eflman’s score to Batman Returns is also much more Tim Burton too with over the top choirs and more wintery style music. This is established early and clearly with The Birth of the Penguin, where we see two parents so shocked and disgusted by their baby that they threw him into the river. Then we get to Elfman’s classic Batman theme, but it’s different this time. Now it’s much more operatic and emotional than the original theme was. For many years I actually preferred this theme over Elfman’s original, but while I give the honor to the 1989 theme, there’s still a lot to love here. Plus, that Danny Elfman Batman Theme is just so freaking good no matter how you dress it up.
07. Like a Dog Chasing Cars by Hans Zimmer & James Newton (The Dark Knight 2008)
This piece of music from the Dark Knight captures the entire essence of the Joker and Batman conflict where it is equal parts heroic and dangerous. The music captures the duo’s high stakes battle where the soul of Gotham will be given to the victor. It’s chaotic, heart pounding and thrilling and it’s the most exciting piece of music to come out of the entire Chris Nolan Batman trilogy.
06. Mind If I Cut In? by Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight Rises)
The Dark Knight Rises is the most underrated Batman film and Anne Hathaway’s performance as Catwoman is the most underrated performance in all the live action Batman films. While Michelle Pfieffer’s portrayal of Catwoman in Batman Returns is the still the most electric and captivating, Anne Hathway did a great job portraying the modern comic book version of Catwoman. In The Dark Knight Rises, much like the comics of the past 35 years, Catwoman is more of a Robin Hood type thief who only steals from the rich and looks out for others who are just as poor as she. This Catwoman also plays both sides brilliantly and uses her sexuality as a weapon in order to gain the upper hand against men who always underestimate her. The theme music for Catwoman is one of the few pieces of music from the film that is not only more lowkey and quiet but also a bit jazzy and dare I say sexy! This piece of music captures the mysterious allure of Catwoman wonderfully. You know she’s trouble but you can’t resist her anyway.
05. Descent into Mystery by Danny Elfman (Batman 1989)
The sequence this song soundtracks is the most Tim Burton moment in the 1989 Batman film where we see Batman drive his batmobile through a dark and creepy as hell forest filled with long spindly trees with no leaves. Batman doesn’t say a single word as he drives to the batcave with Vicky Vale and it captures the essence of the character without a single word of dialogue thanks to the visuals and Elfman’s score. The music here also feels more like later day Burton and Elfman because this is the one place in this 1989 film where they use an operatic choir. Like Batman himself Descent into Mystery feels dark, mysterious, heroic and larger than life.
04. The Finale by Danny Elfman (Batman 1989)
Instead of simply just reprising the Batman theme at the end of the film Danny Elfman came up with a new piece of music to end the film and it’s a doozy! The Finale is easily the most heroic and life affirming piece of Batman music ever composed. It can give you goosebumps and gives the movie and the character of Batman a heroic sendoff that they both deserve at the end of the film. I love it so much that I had it play during my wedding reception as everyone had dinner. My friend Jay, another diehard Batman fan, noticed and gave me a nod of approval from another table when he heard it playing during the dinner reception.
03. Chase Noir by Elliot Goldenthal (Batman Forever 1995)
As I have said before Elliot Goldenthal’s score to Batman Forever is not only underrated but at its best when it’s scoring the scenes between Batman and Dr. Chase Meridian and it’s best heard on Chase Noir. I also mentioned before how Goldenthal’s score is much more jazzy in places and Chase Noir has a very jazzy feel to it, though more cool jazz from the 50s than swing jazz from the 30s & 40s. It’s an incredibly alluring piece of music that captures the Batman/Dr. Chase romance wonderfully because it’s sexy but dangerous. Both parties know this relationship probably isn’t a good idea, but it’s like forbidden fruit that they can’t resist. I love this piece of music so much that I have used it routinely for my radio shows. In college I used to have it as “bed music” which is when I would have music play below my voice as I talked between songs. I also used Chase Noir in the background for one of my promos for my online radio station Dougystyle’s Alternative. Chase Noir has such a captivating atmosphere that I find myself returning to it again and again.
02. Selina’s Transforms Parts 1 & 2 (Batman Returns 1992)
Michelle Pfieffer’s performance as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns remains the single greatest performance in any of the live action Batman films. Her arc as a put upon secretary who nobody cares about and nobody wants to hear from (mostly because she is a woman), who then transforms into a femme fatal and seeks revenge against the man who tried to kill her while having her own naughty fun for the first time ever, is riveting from start to finish. Even those who don’t like Batman Returns will conceded that Catwoman was still pretty great (Just like how people who hated Suicide Squad will still concede that Harley Quinn was great.) A big part of that is Michelle Pfieffer herself who goes all out in the performance and captures the many conflicting emotions and actions of the character flawlessly. Yet, we cannot discount Danny Elfman who truly helps elevate Pfieffer’s performance even higher with his score. The first piece of music for Selina’s Transforms plays over Selina’s resurrection where she is creepily brought back to life in a cold deserted alley by cats. The music here has a very horror movie like quality to it. The strings are sharp and stabbing much like the cats biting Selina and the music also feels very feline too at the same time. Yet it’s part 2 where Elfman truly shines as Selina goes back to her apartment and has a complete meltdown. The music captures the complex emotions and tragedy of Selina Kyle perfectly. Elfman’s score here is creepy, sad, dramatic, rage inducing and tragic all at once. I get goosebumps every time I watch that scene and it’s because it is a perfect marriage between acting and scoring that has very few peers in my humble opinion.
01. The Batman Theme by Danny Elfman (Batman 1989)
At the end of the day nothing else could be # 1 on this list. Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie transformed how the general public viewed Batman and Elfman’s score is one of the biggest reasons why. Before the movie plot starts it’s Elfman’s theme song that sets the stage for what kind of Batman film this was going to be. I’m convinced that this theme alone changed people’s opinions on Batman back in 1989, because it was that great and memorable. Elfman’s Batman theme captures what I love about the character as it’s equal parts heroic, mysterious and dark. It is truly one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed for a film and it has influenced generations of film composers since. This theme also set the stage for the type of music that would be used 3 years later in Batman: The Animated Series, which is my favorite version of Batman ever. Whenever I think about Batman this is the song I think of first. This theme is just as crucial to the character and how I perceive him as any of the comics, cartoons or movies I have read or watched. This theme is Batman as far as I am concerned and while there have been better interpretations of the character and his world since Tim Burton’s Batman, there will never be another Batman theme song as good as this one because there isn’t another superhero theme song as good as this one. Danny Elfman’s Batman Theme remains one my favorite pieces of music ever composed in any genre ever!
