Great content usually comes with great music, and sometimes, the best soundtracks add to the whole watching experience. Some Batman movies may have sucked, but they still came with an iconic Batman Soundtrack that people will remember forever.
That’s why there are categories at awards for not just the movies and shows we love to watch but also the music that makes them even better. And when it comes to these scores, the Batman soundtrack lineup is not one to be left out.
Batman on screen is a pretty serious character. Sometimes even the most casual appearances he makes (such as in the animated series; Batman: The Brave and the Bold) carry a tone of complete badassery. This makes you wonder; what type of music would make up a Batman soundtrack list.
Fun fact: Over the years and over the countless versions of batman that have graced our screens, we have been blessed with some pretty great music. Here’s our best Batman soundtrack list from movies.
10. The Hunter Gets Captured by The Game – Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn (Batman Forever)
Who or what is this song about in the movie? No one is sure. But frankly, no one cares either. It is just such a great song in the Batman universe, and so when it starts playing in Batman Forever, it doesn’t attempt to illicit any thoughtful processes; it just holds you to the groove. And cements its spot as one of the best songs to make a batman soundtrack.
Don’t hold this song hostage to how horrible Batman Forever was. For some reason, the movies can be bad, but they can still find a way to get the music just right.
9. The Future – Prince (Batman)
A lot can be said about Tim Burton’s Batman, and some of that talk could go into the soundtrack. Reportedly, Burton wasn’t pleased with the way this song and the rest of the Batman album grooved and jived, and so he ended up picking the music for the follow-up as a condition for him returning to direct. This song doesn’t even make it into the film, but it still stands, especially when you tie it into Jack Nicholson’s Joker mouthing the words “think about the future”
7. Face to Face – Siouxsie and the Banshees (Batman Returns)
Tim Burton made it clear he would not repeat any of the pop mess the first Batman film had (what can we say, the man hates pop), so the batman soundtrack list for this film is melancholic at best. However, we do get some pop reprieve in the form of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Face to Face, appearing during a masquerade ball Bruce Wayne and Selina mistake for a formal dinner.
6. The End Is the Beginning Is the End – Smashing Pumpkins (Batman and Robin)
This song appears to have way more value than the movie it was recorded for. Batman and Robin has already taken a beating over the decades since its release, but when it comes to this song, it is miles ahead of its source material. It invokes contemplation and thoughtfulness, and in comparison to the movie itself, it looks like a long stretch. Tune into the song but leave the movie for another day.
5. Fun for Me – Moloko (Batman and Robin)
This one might not even feature in the movie itself, but it did make the rounds around the time, serving as a testament to the brilliance and genius of british pop and Roisin Murphy. Not to mention it looked like every movie’s soundtrack was cramming Moloko onto their tracklist at that time.
4. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me – U2 (Batman Forever)
Now here’s a song that fully captures what Gotham City is all about (no offense to R. Kelly). While it did its numbers album-wise, critics felt strongly otherwise, but when do critics’ thoughts matter wholly? It has gone on to become a fan favorite from lovers of Bono and the gang. And you cannot deny it was perfection for the kind of movie Batman Forever was.
The one thing the movie kept getting right was the music. The world they created was not as Dark as Batman fans would expect. They brought big names in and bright lights, and this song matched that energy was just right.
3. Kiss from A Rose – Seal (Batman Forever)
If you are familiar with this song but haven’t seen Batman Forever, it might seem like such an odd choice. Sure, it is one of the most forgettable Batman movies, but somehow this song picks up all the movie positives. It rose to prominence after being rereleased as part of the film’s soundtrack. While it was supposed to accompany the romance between Bruce Wayne and Chase Meridian, it was used for the end credits. It looked like people stayed back after the movie ended, and there weren’t even any post-credit scenes.
2. Gotham City – R. Kelly (Batman and Robin)
Campy. That is the best word for what Batman and Robin turned out to be, and it is incredibly shocking, considering it had the likes of George Clooney and Umar Thurman in its ensemble. If Gotham City, for all its vileness and grim, ever needed an anthem to paint it in a great light, then getting R. Kelly to do this was a step in the right direction.
At any listen to this song, you forget just how much of a crazy place Gotham is and could almost wish to be a citizen. That’s why R. Kelly really is the Pied Piper. It sucks that R.Kelly has such an ugly past because he really does make some amazing music, but he has used that to destroy many lives.
1. Party Man / Trust – Prince (Batman)
These are two songs performed by Prince for the Batman album that did make it to the film. Again, just like The Future, these two songs are Joker-related, with Partyman used in the art gallery scene where the Joker defaces artworks. Trust accompanies his scheme to mass assassinate Gotham’s citizens with poison gas balloons during an on afloat.
The song is iconic because it’s such a devilish plan being carried out, but he makes it so fun. The Joker is dancing and having fun, and you can’t help but feel the excitement of the people of Gotham getting all that free money. Little did they know that it would cost them their lives.
Final Thoughts On The Best Batman Soundtrack
The best Batman soundtrack is always up for debate. Everyone has their own favorites, but trust and Party man have to be high on your list no matter who you are. Another thing that most Batman fans can agree on is that Batman movies have always had great music. Take some time to sit back and enjoy it all.
