The Dark Knight's Musical Mutations

The Dark Knight has survived many sonic iterations, even though its current spectacle hews closely to the conventional blockbuster score of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Which works just fine, thanks, considering the film recently broke the record for fastest ever to rack up $300 million. But before those two composers, everyone from Nelson […]
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Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action drama “The Dark Knight,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and also starring Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman.PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY OR REVIEWS OF THIS SPECIFIC MOTION PICTURE AND TO REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. NOT FOR SALE OR REDISTRIBUTION.Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and TM & © DC Comics

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The Dark Knight has survived many sonic iterations, even though its current spectacle hews closely to the conventional blockbuster score of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Which works just fine, thanks, considering the film recently broke the record for fastest ever to rack up $300 million. But before those two composers, everyone from Nelson Riddle and Prince to Danny Elfman and Siouxsie and the Banshees has chilled in the Batcave.

this audio or video is no longer availableAlthough diehards may feel that Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were the franchise's most colorful versions, the camp prize still belongs to the 1966 spin-off Batman film. Its bang!-pow!-oof! silliness was aided by big-bander Nelson Riddle, who also provided jazzy vocal direction for Rat Packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, as well as soul star Nat King Cole and more. Postwar America cared little for The Dark Knight's troubled psychology, entranced as it was at the time with hot rods and Cold War stratagems. That spy-vs.-spy atmosphere gave the television show its unforgettable surf theme, which has since been covered by artists as different as The Ventures, Flaming Lips and Sun Ra.

And as much as Frank Miller's epochal comic The Dark Knight Returns dragged Batman deeper into psychoanalysis, the bubbly pop wouldn't die once Tim Burton took the reigns.

With Jack Nicholson playing Joker as a clown and Michael Keaton struggling under the weight of the cape, having funk icon Prince in the mix just confused things more once the highly anticipated Batman revision hit the screen in 1989. Comics nuts awaiting a gritty adaptation of Miller's world-changing graphic novel had to wait until 2005, when Christopher Nolan took control of the franchise and steered it into safer sonic waters. Not that it was a total wash: Tim Burton's franchise exploded the soundtracking career of Danny Elfman, the front man for Los Angeles skankin' pop-rockers Oingo Boingo.

But Prince's soundtrack? Not great.

this audio or video is no longer availableThings got better in 1992 with Batman Returns, which Elfman also scored, confessing that it was some of the hardest work of his career. But the treat of the film was the gothic cabaret of "Face to Face" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Its brooding tone and lyrics fit the pop psychology of Batman and Catwoman like an airtight bodysuit.

But then things fell apart after that: Schlock follow-ups like Batman and Robin and Batman Forever degraded the archetype, and wasted some cool musical opportunities. Batman Forever's soundtrack featured PJ Harvey's grinding "One Time Too Many" as well as interesting tunes from Flaming Lips, Method Man, Massive Attack and even Sunny Day Real Estate. But it buckled under Top 40 popcorn from Seal, U2 and, yes, Brandy. Meanwhile, the Batman and Robin soundtrack was brutalized by R. Kelly, Jewel, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Goo Goo Dolls and Eric Benet. Moloko's kinky dance track "Fun For Me" stood out, as did the bookend Smashing Pumpkins songs "End Is the Beginning Is the End" and "Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning."

But even that wasn't enough to stop Dark Knight diehards from screaming "WTF!" at their speakers.

Which brings us back to The Dark Knight's newest record-breaking iterations, which finally have veered closer to the postmodern crime thrillers of Alan Moore and Frank Miller than the optimistic color splashes of William Dozier or Joel Schumacher. A fitting musical palette is still needed for the franchise, over four decades since the first film embedded Batman on pop culture and media for good. Have some suggestions of your own? Hit us below and let us know.

We'll tackle Watchmen and music next. We'll try not to go nuclear.

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