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Which is better: Danny Elfman's 1989 Batman main theme or his 2002 Spider-Man theme?

Which do you think is better?

  • Batman

    Votes: 606 81.1%

  • Spider-Man

    Votes: 141 18.9%
  • Total voters
    747
echoshifting

echoshifting

very salt heavy
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
14,697
The Negative Zone
Fleck0 said:
I think the only superhero themes as or more recognizable than Batman 89 are

Superman - John Williams
60s Batman - Neal Hefti
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Closest I can think of to these -

-the closing theme to the Hulk show, Lonely Man, which I think is widely recognizable but probably most wouldn't be able to name the source

-Spider-Man 60s, recognizable enough that Marvel/Sony could confidently place an orchestral version in front of Homecoming. As far as recognizable goes (not greatest) I might put that one ahead of Batman 89.

I also think as far as people just instantly recognizing a theme, the Zimmer Batman theme is a bit of a dark horse, but I might be in a bubble on that one, dunno.
 
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UltraMagnus

UltraMagnus

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
15,670
Batman '89 and TDK Trilogy are my favorite superhero themes followed by Williams' Superman score and then Avengers and then I guess Spider-Man Elfman?

I don't have the Spider-Man Danny Elfman theme in my top 3.

DC in general wins this one outright, Batman '89, Batman Begins/Dark Knight, Superman (John Williams) are the top tier.
 
VorpalNonsense

VorpalNonsense

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,646
both are great music but to me his batman theme always felt more batman to me than his spider-man theme feels like spidey
his spidey theme is a great composition that I enjoy listening to but i always thought it felt a little too grandiose to be appropriate for the character
but batman is flawlessly batman
 
Fleck0

Fleck0

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,447
godofcookery said:
I'd probably throw the 60s Spiderman theme song in there.
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echoshifting said:
Closest I can think of to these -

-the closing theme to the Hulk show, Lonely Man, which I think is widely recognizable but probably most wouldn't be able to name the source

-Spider-Man 70s, recognizable enough that Marvel/Sony could confidently place an orchestral version in front of Homecoming. As far as recognizable goes (not greatest) I might put that one ahead of Batman 89.

I also think as far as people just instantly recognizing a theme, the Zimmer Batman theme is a bit of a dark horse, but I might be in a bubble on that one, dunno.
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Good call, I definitely agree on the Spider-Man and Hulk themes.
 
sfedai0

sfedai0

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,933
As a vilionist whos playd in orchestras back in the day, I would say Batman. Its more cohesive and evocative but Spiderman would be fun to play on a more technical basis.
 
jb1234

jb1234

Very low key
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,224
Batman is probably more memorable but Spider-Man is the better music. It shows the difference in skill between early Elfman and mid-career Elfman.
 
grand

grand

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,899
I mean, the Batman theme led to the animated series Batman theme, which is the greatest superhero theme so...
 
zoozilla

zoozilla

Avenger
Jun 9, 2018
520
Japan
Bor Gullet said:
It's funny how beloved the Elfman Spider-Man theme is now (I love it too), because I remember when it came out everyone was complaining about how Danny Elfman phoned it in
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People were only disappointed because they were expecting another perfect theme on the level of his Batman score.

Spider man theme is good, but it's not iconic in the same way.
 
UltraMagnus

UltraMagnus

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
15,670
The Batman '89 score is so popular I guess several other movies were just asking Elfman to give them a Batman-ish score in the coming years, lol.




 
Michael F. Assbender

Michael F. Assbender

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
3,323
VorpalNonsense said:
both are great music but to me his batman theme always felt more batman to me than his spider-man theme feels like spidey
his spidey theme is a great composition that I enjoy listening to but i always thought it felt a little too grandiose to be appropriate for the character
but batman is flawlessly batman
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I was thinking this exact thing.

The Spider-Man theme is great. But it's a fairly generic, high tempo piece of music. Generic doesn't mean bad in this case. But you could play it over scenes from lots of other movies and it would work.

The theme from Batman is Batman. It's dark and heavy and foreboding. If you put that soundtrack in your movie, and that movie doesn't involve a man in a rubber suit beating the shit out of a clown while Billy Dee Williams looks on, you need to go back to one of the pages you dog-eared in your Choose Your Own Adventure book, cuz you done fucked up a major life choice.
 
ShutterMunster

ShutterMunster

Art Manager
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
2,447
That Spider-Man "theme" wasn't even strong enough to really stick as one. The MCU remix of the original animated show is stronger and stickier. People don't talk about the Raimi Spider-Man music in best theme or movie music convo like they do the '89 Batman theme. If you asked most folks on the street to hum the Spider-Man theme they certainly wouldn't do that one. I know we're on a niche game forum but I'm still stunned that minority of votes for Raimi's theme even exists against Batman.
 

Deleted member 4034

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
26,560
User Banned (1 Week): Hostility; History of Hostility
"I don't remember it therefore it isn't good" isn't an argument. How is this something that gets repeated in these threads? "I'm such an great appreciator of themes that obviously if the great me can't remember it it must not be worthwhile."

Fuck you.
 
hydruxo

hydruxo

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,409
Honestly don't even remember the Spider-Man theme at all. Batman 89 theme is iconic and very memorable.
 
Jordan117

Jordan117

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,994
Alabammy
Spinluck said:
Spider-Man. I don't even remember the Batman them.
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OQmeNUg.gif
 
CDX

CDX

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,476
Just re-listened to both to refresh my memory.

I prefer Batman by far.
 
Senator Toadstool

Senator Toadstool

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
16,651
batman 89.

i can hum it.

spider-man is good and i would recognize it but truly great scores are one people can hum or reproduce and people recognize it
 
ResetSoul

ResetSoul

Banned
Jul 29, 2021
1,366
There's nothing memorable about that Spider-Man theme, to me.
There's no instantly iconic phrase that comes to mind and can be hummed.

It's just...generic bombastic heroic motion picture music.
 
Blackpuppy

Blackpuppy

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,193
The SpiderMan theme song is so generic and forgettable though... You could slap it in Under Siege and people wouldn't bat an eye (pun intended).

The Batman theme is iconic. Anyone can hum it and know what it is.
 
Patitoloco

Patitoloco

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,614
I feel his Spidey theme is somewhat iconic, yet one of my least favorite.

Recent years have shown that many composers can do a better Spidey theme.
(I will still shit my pants when it sounds in No Way Home)
 
Griffith

Griffith

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,585
Batman had a much longer tail of influence because the theme was redone and reused on the animated series. It's also, in my opinion, a catchier and more memorable tune, though that may be my nostalgia talking.

I don't think it comes close to other very popular or very well-known theme songs like Superman, Star Wars or Indiana Jones in terms of recognizability.
 
Griffith

Griffith

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,585
Patitoloco said:
Recent years have shown that many composers can do a better Spidey theme.
(I will still shit my pants when it sounds in No Way Home)
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To be fair though, I feel like most Spider-Man theme songs are variations of the 1960's version and most of them seem to be based around the same 6 note progression. (I'm not a music buff, I'm sorry if I used the wrong terminology there)
 
ratcliffja

ratcliffja

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,890
I have seen Spider-Man many times and have no idea what the theme is. The Batman theme will forever be ingrained in my head.
 
Tanuki-Go

Tanuki-Go

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jul 21, 2018
2,429
US
Bor Gullet said:
It's funny how beloved the Elfman Spider-Man theme is now (I love it too), because I remember when it came out everyone was complaining about how Danny Elfman phoned it in
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Yup, I remember film critics and fan places like the Superhero Hype forums knocked Elfman's theme (and score as a whole) for being generic back in the day... and I gotta agree. The theme itself is fun and one of the better superhero movie themes but in comparison to the Batman theme?

In this case the Batman theme curbstomps Spider-Man's.
 
Carbon

Carbon

Deploying the stealth Cruise Missile
Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,846
The 1989 Batman theme IS Batman's music. The two are inextricably linked. As iconic theme songs go, I'm not sure anything else compares.
 
Tennis

Tennis

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,358
It's the whole 89 soundtrack, Elfman created a blueprint for the whole superhero movie genre.

I mean listen to this perfection
 
Pyramid Head

Pyramid Head

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,838
When I think 'Batman + music' it always equals Elfman.
When I punch 'Spiderman + music' into my calculator, it gives me Nickelback.
 
Khasim

Khasim

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,260
As much as it pains me to say because the Raimi Spider-Man films are my favorite superhero flicks, the Batman theme blows Spidey out of the water. The theme isn't even the best piece of music from the original Spidey film - "Revenge" is, starting from the moment Peter runs into that alley.
 
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