Music is an underrated-yet-crucial part of any movie-watching experience. The right songs evoke the perfect mood for every scene, and the viewers’ connection to the music deeply immerses them in the film’s fictional world. This principle holds true for every film genre, including superhero movies. Whether created by Marvel or DC, superhero movies rely on music to give their dramatic scenes more weight and their fight scenes more punch. As a result, some of the best superhero movie soundtracks have broken sales records, won awards, and cemented themselves as cornerstones of music and movie culture.
10. The Deadpool Soundtrack Received A HMMA Nomination
Though Marvel’s Deadpool is more of an antihero, he has undoubtedly earned a place among the well-loved heroes of the MCU. Audiences mostly remember the film for its zany humor, but it also had an award-nominated soundtrack. The eclectic soundtrack spanned nearly every genre and featured hits from multiple decades of music. It received a nomination for a Hollywood Music In Media Award in 2016. The HMMA, Best Soundtrack award, honors TV, film, and video game soundtracks worldwide. Ironically, another superhero movie edged out Deadpool – DC’s Suicide Squad.
9. The Avengers Soundtrack Won A BMI Film Music Award
The Avengers was a smash hit when it debuted in 2012, breaking records at the box office and beyond. It was the highest-grossing film of 2012 and is among the highest-grossing films ever made. A blockbuster of this caliber needs an excellent soundtrack, and The Avengers task is a great match to the movie. The score was composed by Alan Silvestri, who also wrote the score for Captain America: The First Avenger. In 2013, Silvestri won a BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) Film Music Award for his work on The Avengers soundtrack, adding to the tally of thirty-eight awards for the critically-acclaimed superhero movie.
8. The Iron Man 2 Soundtrack Was Certified Gold In The US.
The Ironman series of films remains a fan favorite among Marvel fans, but Iron Man 2 arguably did the most for integrating the series into the larger MCU. Iron Man 2 is unique because it technically had two soundtracks: an original score composed by John Debney and a compilation of songs by the longstanding rock band AC/DC. The AC/DC version of the soundtrack was popular with fans and debuted at #1 on multiple worldwide charts. In addition, the soundtrack received a gold certification in the US for exceeding 500,000 sales, streams, and downloads.
7. The Batman (1989) Soundtrack Won A Brit Award
Tim Burton‘s 1989 Batman film was a dark, stylized take on the classic DC comic book character, and the soundtrack for the film was equally unique. The film had an original score composed by Danny Elfman and its very own Prince album. The Prince version of the soundtrack featured a handful of pre-recorded tracks, but the majority of the songs were original material. Like the superhero movie, the soundtrack album was a hit: it went multi-platinum, hit #1 on the Billboard charts, and took home a 1990 Brit Award for Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording.
6. The Suicide Squad Soundtrack Debuted At #1 On The Billboard Top 200
Suicide Squad has been a fan favorite among DC enthusiasts since its release in 2016. Its soundtrack was a satisfying mixture of rock and rap and included tracks from current and classic artists. It debuted in the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart and was the best-selling album of the week when it was released. The album earned a Grammy nomination, an AMA nomination, a Billboard Music Award nomination, and a double-platinum certification. Additionally, the superhero movie soundtrack won a Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Soundtrack in 2017.
5. The Dark Knight Soundtrack Won A Grammy in 2009
The Dark Knight was an epic superhero movie that continued the Christopher Nolan trilogy of Batman films. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2020 – a rare feat for films of this genre. The original score for the movie was a collaboration between Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Like the film itself, the score won multiple awards. In 2009, the soundtrack won a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. It also won a Classical Brit Award for Best Soundtrack and a Saturn Award for Best Music.
4. The Batman Forever Soundtrack Was Certified Double-Platinum
Batman Forever was a star-studded 90s action movie that still resonates with nostalgia fans today. The Batman Forever soundtrack features many hits from top artists in the 90s, including U2, Seal, and Brandy. Only a handful of the songs appeared in the actual film, but the soundtrack still perfectly captured the tone of this DC superhero movie. The soundtrack received a double-platinum certification for surpassing 2,000,000 units sold. Furthermore, several songs on the soundtrack received MTV Movie Award nominations, and Seal won three Grammys for his single Kiss From A Rose.
3. The Black Panther Soundtrack Topped Charts Before The Film Premiere
Marvel’s Black Panther was a ground-breaking film in the MCU, and its soundtrack set impressive records of its own. Kendrick Lamar produced the hip-hop soundtrack, and fans loved it immediately. The soundtrack debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart – before the film premiered in theaters. The soundtrack also enjoyed the biggest streaming week of any soundtrack in history when it was released. Furthermore, the music from this superhero movie earned eight Grammy nominations and an AMA nomination. The Kendrick Lamar soundtrack won one of each: A Grammy for Best Rap Performance and an AMA for Favorite Soundtrack.
2. The Crow Soundtrack Was Certified Triple-Platinum In The US.
The Crow may not be the first film fans think of when pondering superhero movies. However, the 1994 film is an excellent example of what superhero comics outside of Marvel or DC have to offer. The film starred Brandon Lee as the eponymous antihero and is a cult classic in its own right. The soundtrack is composed chiefly of popular hard rock/goth tracks from the 90s, including songs by Stone Temple Pilots, The Cure, and Joy Division. The soundtrack earned a triple-platinum certification in the US. Furthermore, the Stone Temple Pilots’ song Big Empty won an MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Song.
1. The Guardians Of The Galaxy Soundtrack Broke Multiple Records
Few superhero movie soundtracks have achieved the success of Guardians Of The Galaxy’s mixtape-style score. The soundtrack is primarily a compilation of hits from the 60s and 70s. The soundtrack received platinum certifications in a staggering six countries and topped charts worldwide. It is the first soundtrack of completely pre-released songs to top the Billboard Top 200 chart in history. Furthermore, it finished #4 on Billboard’s US Top Rock Albums chart for the decade (2010-2019) and held the top spot on the Billboard Top Soundtrack chart for eleven straight weeks.
