Batman Soundtrack: Every Score, Composer and Song

Seven composers have scored the eleven theatrical Batman films: Nelson Riddle, Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, Elliot Goldenthal, Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe and Michael Giacchino. Elfman scored the two Tim Burton films, Goldenthal the two Joel Schumacher films and Zimmer all three Christopher Nolan films. If you are working through the saga in Batman movies in order, the sound changes with each era.

Nelson Riddle scored Batman (1966), directed by Leslie H. Martinson. Its album, "Batman", came out on Design Records in 1966, and its best-known cues are "Batman (Theme)" and "Mighty Mayhem".

Danny Elfman scored Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), both directed by Tim Burton. The 1989 album, "Batman", was released by Warner Bros. Records on June 16, 1989, and carries "The Future", "Partyman" and "Batdance". The score album "Batman Returns" followed on Warner Bros. Records on June 23, 1992, with "Birth of a Penguin, Part 1", "Selina Transforms, Part 1" and "Cat Suite". A separate SEGA album, also called "Batman Returns", appeared in 1992.

Shirley Walker scored Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993), directed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. The Reprise Records album, "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", was released on December 14, 1993, and includes "Main Title" and "The Birth of Batman".

Elliot Goldenthal scored Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), both directed by Joel Schumacher. Atlantic released "Batman Forever: Original Motion Picture Score" on July 11, 1995, with "Main Titles & Fanfare", "Perpetuum Mobile" and "Nygma Variations (An Ode to Science)". The song album "Batman Forever: Music From the Motion Picture" arrived on June 6, 1995. "Batman & Robin: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture" came out on Warner Bros. Records on June 6, 1997.

Hans Zimmer scored Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). "Batman Begins" was released by WaterTower Music on June 14, 2005, and opens with "Vespertilio". "The Dark Knight" came out on Warner Bros. Records on July 15, 2008, with "Why So Serious?" and "I Am the Batman". "The Dark Knight Rises" followed on WaterTower Music on July 17, 2012, led by "A Storm Is Coming" and "Born in Darkness".

Lorne Balfe scored The Lego Batman Movie (2017), directed by Chris McKay. "The Lego Batman Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" was released by WaterTower Music on February 3, 2017.

Michael Giacchino scored The Batman (2022), directed by Matt Reeves. "The Batman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" was released on February 24, 2022, with "Can't Fight City Halloween" and "It's Raining Vengeance". For the sequel, see the batman part 2.

The signature songs of the Batman films are Prince's tracks for Batman (1989), "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal in Batman Forever, and "Something in the Way" by Nirvana in The Batman (2022). Most of the score driven films carry few songs, so the list is short and unevenly spread.

Batman (1989). Danny Elfman scored the film, but Prince wrote the songs, and three of them were written for it: "Partyman" plays while the Joker and his henchmen vandalize the Gotham City Art Museum, "The Future" plays in the opening scene as a family walks through the dangerous streets of Gotham City, and "Trust" plays during the Joker's parade, where he lures the citizens with free money and sprays gas from balloons. "Scandalous!" plays over the end credits, and "Vicki Waiting" is faintly audible during Bruce Wayne's fundraiser near the start. The album "Batman" also holds "Batdance" and "The Arms of Orion" (with Sheena Easton).

Batman Returns (1992). "Face to Face" by Siouxsie and the Banshees was written for the film. It plays as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle dance at the Shreck masquerade ball, each unaware that the other is a masked enemy, and it returns over the end credits.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). "I Never Even Told You" by Tia Carrere was written for the film and plays over the end credits.

Batman Forever (1995). The companion album, "Batman Forever: Music From the Motion Picture" (Atlantic, 1995-06-06), is the biggest song package in the saga. It includes "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2, "Smash It Up" by The Offspring, "Where Are You Now?" by Brandy and "Bad Days" by The Flaming Lips. "The Riddler" by Method Man was written for the film.

Batman & Robin (1997). "Gotham City" by R. Kelly and "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins were both written for the film, and both play over the closing credits. The album, "Batman & Robin: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture" (Warner Bros. Records, 1997-06-06), also carries "Lazy Eye", "Revolution" and "Look Into My Eyes".

The Nolan films. Batman Begins uses classical pieces rather than pop songs: "Folletto!...Folletto", "Happy Birthday to You" and "Divertimento in D". In The Dark Knight, the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department play "Balmoral" at the funeral of Commissioner Loeb, and Boom Boom Satellites supply "Scatterin' Monkey" inside Maroni's nightclub and "4 A Moment of Silence" outside it. The Dark Knight Rises uses "Roses from the South" by Johann Strauss II in its dance scene, along with "Pavane pour une infante défunte" by Gabriel Fauré.

The Lego Batman Movie (2017). Batman performs "Man in the Mirror" during the opening credits, and "Who's the (Bat)Man" by Patrick Stump and "I Found You" by Fraser Murray were written for the film. "Planet Rock" plays when Batman learns that Superman is throwing a Justice League anniversary party, and Robin's boombox plays "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" first and "Never Gonna Give You Up" second.

The Batman (2022). "Something in the Way" by Nirvana plays near the beginning and again near the end. The Riddler, played by Paul Dano, sings "Ave Maria" during Batman's interrogation of him. "Dark" by Alesso was written for the film, and the soundtrack also uses "Dido's Lament", "Volare" by Dean Martin and "I Have But One Heart" by Al Martino.

Our picks: the best songs in the Batman films (opinion)

• "Partyman" (Batman, 1989): I think it is the best use of a pop song in the saga, because the museum vandalism turns the Joker's mess into a performance.
• "The Future" (Batman, 1989): in my opinion it sets the tone of Gotham in the opening minutes better than any line of dialogue.
• "Face to Face" (Batman Returns): it fits a dance where both people are hiding who they are, which makes the masquerade scene work.
• "Kiss from a Rose" (Batman Forever): perhaps the most recognized song attached to any Batman film, and it is why many people remember the album.
• "Something in the Way" (The Batman, 2022): a slow, bleak song that suits a Batman who spends most of the film in the dark.
• "Ave Maria" (The Batman, 2022): hearing the Riddler sing it in the interrogation is unsettling, and I rank it above most original songs in the series.
• "Man in the Mirror" (The Lego Batman Movie): a funny opening credits choice that tells you the film knows exactly who Batman is.

If you want to hear the Batman songs in context, start with Batman (1989) and then move to Batman Forever, as covered on the Cinvibe Batman soundtrack page.