Music Blogs

As you surely know by now, The Dark Knight scored the biggest opening-weekend box office take in Hollywood history. But despite this new monster hit, and seven prior big-budget screen treatments, music has never been an integral part of the Caped Crusader's film franchise. Sure, Danny Elfman's scores for the Tim Burton-directed installments (1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns) were appropriately gothic and foreboding, but I bet you can't hum them. James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's grandly somber efforts for the two Christopher Nolan films have been similarly workmanlike. Certainly, there's nothing in any of the Batman movies as memorable as the booming theme John Williams wrote for the Christopher Reeve-starring Superman trilogy. But even if no one's been able to compose a great Batman score, the film's soundtracks have been surprisingly strong. Typically mish-mashes of contemporary artists, there are some definite gems among songs from the likes of Eddi Reader and Arkarna. Below, I've listed the 10 best songs that have appeared on the soundtrack to a Batman movie. And no, Steve Miller's "The Joker" isn't on the list.

1. "Batdance," Prince.

His purple majesty has never quite warmed to the possibilities of sampling, but the way he combined snippets of dialogue from the film with fractured funk and furious guitar soloing on this No. 1 single showed a musical genius in fine form.

From: Batman (1989)

2. "Kiss From A Rose," Seal.

Helmed by '80s uber-producer Trevor Horn, this baroque-pop hit has a faint whiff of cheese about it, but it's well-crafted, tasty cheese. Just ask Jack Black.

From: Batman Forever (1995)

3. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," U2.

Bono and the boys were still in full-on ironic glam mode when they cut this sensuous, driving rocker. If you can, dig up the appealingly creepy animated music video.

From: Batman Forever (1995)

4. "Face To Face," Siouxsie And The Banshees.

The only pop song on the soundtrack to the second Tim Burton Batman film, Siouxsie's AVOID DANGLER arch, playful vocals ride a melody that seems cribbed from some long-forgotten German cabaret song.

From: Batman Returns (1992)

5. "The End Is The Beginning Is The End," Smashing Pumpkins.

Embracing goth electronica probably wasn't Billy Corgan's best idea, but it did yield a few solid moments, of which this vampiric, drum-machine-driven number is one. You can hear a reworked version in the trailer to the upcoming superhero film, The Watchmen.

From: Batman and Robin (1997)

6. "Gotham City," R. Kelly.

Only someone as cartoonish as Kels could come up with a slow jam that equates Batman's Gotham City with urban ghettos--and make you want to hear it twice.

From: Batman and Robin (1997)

7. "Fun For Me," Moloko.

This band of androgynes were sort of Brit-pop second-stringers, but this greasy, horn-driven groover delivers sneakily lascivious pleasure.

From: Batman and Robin (1997)

8. "Revolution," R.E.M.

An outtake from the Monster sessions, "Revolution" is a simple guitar stomper that nicely partakes of that album's garage-y, fuzzed-out vibe.

From: Batman and Robin (1997)

9. "There Is A Light," Nick Cave.

As a member of the Birthday Party, Cave once penned a song called "Release The Bats." A harbinger of things to come? Probably not. But his terse, spectral gifts are in full dark flower here.

From: Batman Forever (1995)

10. "Vicki Waiting," Prince.

Prince can pump out a frothy pop like this--about Bruce Wayne's love interest--in his sleep, but as long as he delivers cottony choruses held aloft by playful rhythms, may he keep dreaming.

From: Batman (1989)

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