Twilight Soundtrack: Composers and Songs for All Five Films

Four composers scored the Twilight saga: Lizzy Pattinson on Twilight (2008), Alexandre Desplat on The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Howard Shore on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and Carter Burwell on both parts of Breaking Dawn. The job changed hands almost every time the director did, so each chapter has its own musical identity instead of one continuous theme.

Twilight (2008), directed by Catherine Hardwicke, credits Lizzy Pattinson as composer. Its album, "Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (Atlantic, October 28, 2008), runs 12 tracks and is led by songs rather than score cues. Those include "Full Moon" by The Black Ghosts, "Spotlight (Twilight mix)" by Mutemath and "Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)" by Perry Farrell, while "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine is also in the film.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), directed by Chris Weitz, was scored by Alexandre Desplat. The score album, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (E1 Entertainment, November 20, 2009), has 21 tracks. The cues people look for include "Bella Dreams", "Edward Leaves", "Break Up", "Memories of Edward", "Werewolves" and "Volturi Waltz". The song album, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (Atlantic), arrived earlier, on October 6, 2009.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), directed by David Slade, was scored by Howard Shore. Its score album, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (E1 Entertainment, June 29, 2010), has 19 tracks, including "Compromise / Bella’s Theme", "Riley", "Victoria", "Imprinting" and "First Kiss". The song album of the same name (Warner Music Australia, May 25, 2010) has 18 tracks.

Carter Burwell then scored both halves of the finale, which Bill Condon directed. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) is documented through its song album, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (Atlantic, November 4, 2011), with 19 tracks, and the film also uses a wedding version of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) has a 36 track score album, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2" (November 12, 2012), where the standout cues are "Twilight Overture", "Meet Renesmee", "Sparkles at Last", "Catching Snowflakes", "The Immortal Children" and "Into the White". Its song album (Atlantic) followed on November 13, 2012.

To see who stars alongside the music, including Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattinson as Edward, the twilight cast page lists every credited actor. For the order to hear the scores in, the twilight movies in order guide covers release and chronological order, and the two are identical here.

The signature Twilight songs run from "Decode" by Paramore in 2008 to "A Thousand Years, Pt. 2" by Christina Perri and Steve Kazee in 2012, and several of the best known were written for the films. Each installment leaned on a different mix of rock, indie and pop acts, so the soundtrack changes character as the saga moves along.

Twilight (2008). The Atlantic album, released October 28, 2008, has 12 tracks, and its best known song is "Decode" by Paramore. Muse contributes "Supermassive Black Hole", Linkin Park "Leave Out All the Rest", and Paramore returns with "I Caught Myself". Perry Farrell wrote "Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)" for the film. Mutemath is on the album with "Spotlight (Twilight mix)", and The Black Ghosts with "Full Moon". Collective Soul supplies "Tremble for My Beloved", Blue Foundation "Eyes on Fire", and Rob Pattinson "Never Think". Iron & Wine, whom many fans search for as Iron and Wine, is represented by "Flightless Bird, American Mouth", and Radiohead's "15 Step" plays over the end credits.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The Atlantic soundtrack arrived on October 6, 2009, with 16 tracks. "Meet Me on the Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie was written for the film. Muse is back with "I Belong to You (New Moon remix)", and The Killers offer "A White Demon Love Song". Thom Yorke contributes "Hearing Damage", Lykke Li "Possibility", Anya Marina "Satellite Heart", Band of Skulls "Friends" and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "Done All Wrong". Bon Iver and St. Vincent share "Rosyln", while OK Go, Grizzly Bear with Victoria Legrand, and Editors round out the lineup with "Shooting the Moon", "Slow Life" and "No Sound but the Wind".

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. "Eclipse (All Yours)" by Metric was written for the film and plays over the final scene, sung from Bella's point of view. Muse's "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)" opens the album, which came out on May 25, 2010 through Warner Music Australia. Cee Lo Green sings "What Part of Forever", Florence + the Machine "Heavy in Your Arms", Sia "My Love" and The Black Keys "Chop and Change". Beck and Bat for Lashes team up on "Let's Get Lost", and Vampire Weekend, The Bravery, Band of Horses, The Dead Weather and UNKLE with The Black Angels also appear.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. The Atlantic album, released November 4, 2011, carries "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, written for the film. Bruno Mars wrote "It Will Rain" for the film too, and it plays over the end credits. The wedding calls back to the first film with "Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Wedding Version)" by Iron & Wine. Sleeping at Last sings "Turning Page", Angus & Julia Stone "Love Will Take You", and The Joy Formidable "Endtapes".

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. The Atlantic soundtrack followed on November 13, 2012, with 14 tracks. "A Thousand Years, Pt. 2" by Christina Perri and Steve Kazee was written for the film and plays over the closing scene and then the end credits. "Where I Come From" by Passion Pit plays as Bella wakes after her transformation, and "Heart of Stone" by Iko plays as Edward and Bella talk in the cottage after finding Alice's note. Green Day's "The Forgotten", Ellie Goulding's "Bittersweet", St. Vincent's "The Antidote" and Feist's "Fire in the Water" fill out the album.

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

• "Decode" by Paramore: it set the tone for the whole saga, and nothing else in the first film matches its restless energy.
• "Eclipse (All Yours)" by Metric: the quiet delivery over the final scene suits Bella's divided heart better than a bigger song would.
• "A Thousand Years, Pt. 2" by Christina Perri and Steve Kazee: a fitting farewell, since it carries the story through the closing scene and into the credits.
• "Meet Me on the Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie: a moody fit for New Moon, and I would argue the strongest song written for any sequel.
• "Where I Come From" by Passion Pit: the brightest choice in the saga, and it matches Bella waking up thrilled by her new senses.
• "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)" by Muse: big and theatrical, which is exactly what Eclipse asks for.
• "Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Wedding Version)" by Iron & Wine: a gentle callback that gives the wedding in Breaking Dawn Part 1 its softest moment.

For the full story of the films themselves, start at the Twilight movies hub, and see the Twilight box office page for how the saga performed.