Superman music
The various film and theatre appearances of the Superman character have been accompanied by musical scores.
Superman
The score for Superman, composed and conducted by John Williams, was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, with John Georgiadis as concertmaster. Recording took place on July 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, September 9, 10, 11, October 6, 15, 24, 31, and November 4, 1978, at the Anvil Studios in Denham, Bucks, England. Source music was recorded on July 17. The recording engineer was Eric Tomlinson, assisted by Alan Snelling. Orchestrations were by Herbert Spencer, Arthur Morton, Angela Morley and John Williams. The music editor was Bob Hathaway, assisted by Ken Ross.Williams' "Superman Theme", which is first heard during the opening credits to the film Superman, has been reused as the opening music for every Superman film except for Superman III, in which Ken Thorne employed a lighthearted, somewhat comical cue to represent 'the streets of Metropolis.' It is also referenced in Jerry Goldsmith's score to the 1984 film Supergirl during a scene in which the title character sees a poster of Superman.
In the 2017 film, Justice League, Danny Elfman is reusing Williams' Superman theme, as well as his themes from Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns for the new incarnation of the character. Blake Neely, the composer for the Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths", incorporated the march theme and "Can You Read My Mind?" with Brandon Routh reprising his role as the Superman of Earth-96.
[Leitmotif]s
- "Superman Fanfare". A short triad-based motif, played just before the "Main Theme", or as a standalone when Superman appears in a quick-cut on-screen. Also restated many times in the "Superman March".
- "Superman March" or "Superman Main Theme". Used over opening and closing credits. It consists of two sections, an "A" theme which is the main part of the melody and a "B" theme which is a bit lighter in mood and which often connects the "March" to the "Fanfare."
- "Can You Read My Mind" or the soaring "Love Theme". Typically used when Lois and Superman find themselves alone together. A portion of is introduced as an interlude in the midst of the "Superman March". Lyrics for the melody were written by longtime John Williams collaborator Leslie Bricusse, for the purpose of having a song during the film's extended "flying sequence." Margot Kidder, who plays Lois Lane, speaks the lyrics in the film, but cover versions of the song have been recorded by Maureen McGovern, Shirley Bassey and others.
- "Krypton fanfare". Used as the viewer zooms in on Krypton, and again with the self-construction of the Fortress of Solitude.
- "Krypton crystal" motif or the "Secondary Krypton" motif. Mysterious-sounding theme associated with the physicality of the planet Krypton, both the crystals sent by Jor-El to Earth with his son and the radioactive kryptonite which is deadly to Superman.
- "Personal" motif. A melody related to the duality of Superman and Clark Kent which musically connects the "Fanfare" to the "Love Theme".
- "Smallville" or "Leaving Home Theme". A Coplandesque, Americana melody used during the Smallville sequences which in some ways is a simpler or undeveloped version of the March's "A" theme. It bears a similarity to a theme written by John Williams for the 1972 John Wayne western film The Cowboys.
- "The March of the Villains" or "Lex Luthor theme". A comedic Prokofiev-inspired march associated with the villain Lex Luthor and his henchman Otis.
Concert Suites
- "The March of the Villains".
- "Love Theme from Superman".
- "Theme from Superman". This suite includes "Superman Fanfare", "Superman March" and the "Love Theme".
Soundtrack Releases
Warner Bros.
December 20, 1978: 2-LP set from Warner Bros. Records.This album was released on CD in 1987 and is still in print, but it is missing the tracks "Growing Up" and "Lex Luthor's Lair". The Japanese issue, which was released in 1990, presents the full program, but is out of print and rare.
Varèse Sarabande re-recording
1998: 2-CD set from Varèse Sarabande Records.This release is a re-recording of Williams' score, conducted by John Debney and performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, including the first release of additional music from the film in any form. As detailed in the liner notes, the project was hampered when it was discovered that the existing scores and parts for the Superman: The Movie score had been lost. When extensive efforts to locate them failed, a team of orchestrators reconstructed the music from John Williams' 8-12 stave composer sketches—thus there are subtle differences which may be noted in a number of the cues when compared to their original counterparts.
The tempo of the cues in this re-recording are generally rather slower than in the original recording—possibly because the recording was made in the highly resonant acoustic of Glasgow City Hall.
Rhino Records
February 15, 2000: 2-CD set from RhinoThis release combines the master for the original album with what were believed at the time to be the only surviving elements to reconstruct the full length of the original Williams recording. This release went out of print in 2005, but may still be available online through many internet music services.
Film Score Monthly
February 29, 2008: part of Superman: The Music 8-CD set from Film Score Monthly.This release restores the complete score from newly discovered high quality original masters and includes previously unreleased material. Discs 1 and 2 of this 8 disc set present music from the film. Additional material is presented on disc 8.
La-La Land
February 22, 2019: 3-CD set from La-La Land Records.For the 40th anniversary of the film's release, La-La Land Records released this 3-CD version of the complete score. In the intervening years between the release of the Film Score Monthly 8-CD set and this release, the original 24-track tapes from the recording sessions had been found, with La-La Land Records using these tapes as the source of the remaster. The result is increased dynamic range compared to previous releases. In addition, a new alternate version of "The Fortress of Solitude" was included on Disc 2 and a reconstructed and remastered version of the original album on Disc 3.
Superman II
The score was composed, conducted and orchestrated by Ken Thorne Because of budget restrictions, the score was recorded by an orchestra of contract players rather than the London Symphony Orchestra. Recording took place on March 25, 26, 27, 29, April 17, 18, 25, and May 2, 1980, at CTS Studios in Wembley, Middlesex, England. The recording engineer was John Richards, assisted by Tim Pennington and James Abramson, and the music editor was Bob Hathaway.[Leitmotif]s
Composer/arranger Ken Thorne was mandated to reuse the first film's themes for Superman II. He based the music for the Kryptonian villains on the Williams material associated with Krypton and the Fortress of Solitude. He also added a descending three-note motif for the villains and a briefly heard ominous melody associated with General Zod.Soundtrack Releases
Warner Bros.
1980: Single LP from Warner Bros. Records.This album and the original album for Superman III were combined for an out-of-print Japanese CD release.
Film Score Monthly
February 29, 2008: part of Superman: The Music 8-CD set from Film Score Monthly.This release restores the complete score, which is presented on disc 3 of the 8 disc set, with additional music presented on disc 8.
Superman III
The score was composed, conducted and orchestrated by Ken Thorne. Recording took place on February 14, 15, 16, March 7, 8, 9 and 18, 1983 at CTS Studios in Wembley, Middlesex, England. The recording engineer was John Richards. The music editor was Bob Hathaway.[Leitmotif]s
was given a freer hand in the scoring of Superman III in accordance with the series' change in direction and more comedic tone. His new thematic material consisted of related themes for Gus Gorman and a general theme for computers, plus an ominous "Supercomputer" theme heard in the latter part of the score. Thorne also supplied a love theme for Lana Lang and Clark Kent, based on a melody written for the film by Giorgio Moroder. Lois Lane's theme is not present in the score because she only appears in the film briefly.Soundtrack Releases
Warner Bros.
1983: LP from Warner Bros. Records.Superman III was the first of the films to have a score and song soundtrack combined on the same release, a common trend in the mid-1980s. Side A presented 19 minutes of Ken Thorne's score, while Side B contained music composed and produced by pop mogul Giorgio Moroder. These included three sung versions of songs heard as source music in the film, plus Moroder's love theme for Clark Kent and Lana Lang, and ending with a completely synthesized version of the Superman II main title march.
This album and the original album for Superman II were combined for an out-of-print Japanese CD release.
Film Score Monthly
February 29, 2008: part of Superman: The Music 8-CD set from Film Score Monthly.This release restores the complete score, which is presented on disc 4 of the 8 disc set, with additional music presented on disc 8.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
The score was adapted and conducted by Alexander Courage. Recording took place from May 11–18, 1987 at the Bavaria Studios in Munich, Germany, performed by Symphony-Orchestra Graunke. Recording engineer was Peter Kramper. Additional recording took place May 23-June 2, 1987, at CTS Studios in Wembley, Middlesex, England, performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra. Recording engineer was Dick Lewzey, assisted by Steve Price and Jonathan Ruttley. Orchestrations were by Frank Barber and Harry Roberts, and the music editor was Bob Hathaway. Jack Fishman was musical advisor. Songs by Paul Fishman were recorded in September 1986 in Hampstead, London, England.[Leitmotif]s
composed three new themes for , attaching to three new characters.- "Lacy's Theme," also known as "Someone Like You," is a sultry, sexy melody for the daughter of the new owner of the Daily Planet, who has eyes for Clark Kent.
- "Jeremy's Theme" is a light, lyrical melody for the young boy who appeals to Superman to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
- "Nuclear Man Theme" is a driving action theme used for Superman's battle with the villain created when Lex Luthor places Superman's genetic material on a nuclear warhead detonated by the sun.
Soundtrack Releases
Film Score Monthly
February 29, 2008: part of Superman: The Music 8-CD set from Film Score Monthly.Alexander Courage completed a 100-minute score for a version of ' that ran over two hours. As a result of negative audience response to the preview, the picture was cut down to a length of 89 minutes for U.S. release. At the urging of visual effects supervisor Harrison Ellenshaw, two action scenes were reinstated for the international version, which ran 92 minutes and was later shown on U.S. television. As a result of this cutting of running time, much of the music was not heard and "Jeremy's Theme" in particular was virtually undetectable in the final version.
Although an album release for ' was produced in 1987, it was aborted when the film was shortened. As with Superman III, it was to contain several songs and a small sampling of the score by Alexander Courage. In 2008, the 8-CD box set Superman: The Music premiered the entire score for as composed for the long version of the film. Also included were all of Paul Fishman's songs created for the deleted Metro Club disco and other scenes in the film. Tracks in italics were intended to be released on the cancelled soundtrack album.
La-La Land Records re-released the complete soundtrack, with identical track listing, in 2018 as a stand-alone 2-CD set.
Superman Returns
The score was composed by John Ottman. Director Bryan Singer originally wanted John Williams to score the film, but Williams declined due to a busy schedule.Soundtrack Releases
Standard edition
The tracks appear out of order compared to how they appear in the movie. This was done by Ottman for listening purposes.Man of Steel
Director Zack Snyder's 2013 reboot of the series, Man of Steel, is scored by Hans Zimmer, and is the first Superman film not to use any of Williams' themes.Soundtrack Releases
Standard edition
June 11, 2013: on CD from WaterTower Music.Deluxe edition
The deluxe edition includes all the tracks in the standard edition, as well as the tracks shown here. The digital version of the deluxe edition lists the track "What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?" as the first track of the second disc rather than the last track of the first disc.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Soundtrack Releases
Standard edition
March 18, 2016: on CD from WaterTower Music.Deluxe edition
The deluxe edition includes all the tracks in the standard edition, as well as the tracks shown here. Many tracks featured in the film were not released with the official soundtrack in March 2016. These tracks were later released in the film's complete score nearly two years later, on March 6, 2018.Superman: The Ultimate Collection
- The radio shows of the early 1940s already had the famous phrases, "Faster than a speeding bullet... It's a bird... it's a plane... it's Superman!" uttered by studio announcer Jackson Beck. Initially, the radio series had no theme tune under its introductory lines.
- The Superman cartoon series produced by the Fleischer Studios during the 1940s included a triad-based theme composed by Fleischer musical director Sammy Timberg. The cartoons were clearly intended to extend the characters from radio, as Jackson Beck again provided the introduction voiceover of the famous phrases, and Bud Collyer reprised his radio role as the Man of Steel.
- The two Superman Columbia Pictures serials of the late 1940s, starring Kirk Alyn, featured a theme that began with a triad, repeated once. The rest of the theme was a standard orchestral march, in a minor key, that did not refer back to the original triad. This theme was composed by Mischa Bakaleinikoff, who scored a number of the Columbia serials' themes.
- The 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men initially had an orchestral score by Darrel Calker featuring standard "sci fi" film overtones. That film was eventually edited down into the two-part episode which closed the TV series' first season, with the standard TV theme wrapped around it.
- The 1966 Broadway musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, starring Bob Holiday, featured music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. The script was written by David Newman and Robert Benton, who would go on to write the second draft of the screenplay for the first Superman film, released in 1978.
Adventures of Superman: The Original 1950s TV Series
The TV theme for the 1950s series Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, had the unusual lead-in of a harp playing a kind of stringed "drumroll" as the camera moved through space, segueing into a dramatic brass triad accompanied by cymbals, drums, etc., at the moment when a shooting star explodes on the screen and the title card appears. A variation on the classic "Faster than a speeding bullet..." was rendered by deep-voiced actor Bill Kennedy. Three of the main characters from the show utter the famous lines "Look, up in the sky!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!". They are actors Robert Shayne, who played Inspector Henderson, George Reeves himself and Phyllis Coates who played the first Lois Lane. The actors just happened to be in the studio when the recording was being made.The opening and closing theme, as well as a number of recurring underscore themes from the first season, were released in 2000 on the CD Adventures of Superman: The Original 1950s TV Series from Varèse Sarabande Records. The liner notes make the point that although series musical arranger Leon Klatzkin is conventionally credited with composing the theme, that credit is in some doubt. The use of the Superman theme in the show became ingrained in viewers' minds because the same section of music was played nearly every time the scene cut to Superman flying. The episodes themselves were tracked with existing "library music." One particularly notable instance was a cue called "Tumult and Commotion," extracted from Miklos Rozsa's "Theme, Variations, and Finale," Op. 13, from 1933. Rozsa was one of Hollywood's leading composers during the 1950s, but he had no involvement in this repurposing of his music.
Superman (1988 Animated Series)
The 1988 animated series from Ruby-Spears was scored by Ron Jones. Its main titles opened with the John Williams theme from the Christopher Reeve films, then segueing into a similarly-styled original theme by Jones which was used as the primary Superman leitmotif in the episodes' underscores. This short-lived series was distinctive for its "Superman's Family Album" vignettes, which each presented an event from some point during Clark Kent's Smallville upbringing. For these mini episodes, Jones continued to follow Williams' lead by employing a Coplandesque Americana sound.Jones' music for this series was released in its entirety on its own CD as part of the 8-disc collection Superman: The Music , issued by Film Score Monthly in 2008.
Other Music
- The theme for the 1990s series ', starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, was composed by Jay Gruska, the son in-law of John Williams, composer of the score for the 1978 film Superman. This was another dramatic orchestral rendition, with a triad again in evidence, but not so prominently placed in the theme's score.
- Smallville, starring Tom Welling, has a vocal, rock-oriented main theme rather than a traditional "heroic" one. Written by band Remy Zero, the song takes the name "Save Me", from its chorus. Composer Mark Snow employs traditional orchestral underscore regularly. In several episodes, he has also musically alluded to themes from John Williams' score for the 1978 film Superman. The Williams theme also featured prominently during the series finale's closing moments.
- The 1966 series The New Adventures of Superman, produced by Lou Scheimer's and Norm Prescott's Filmation Associates, was scored by John Gart, under the name John Marion. Its main theme was based on a rising four-note motif evocative of previous Superman themes, but jazzier in style. No commercially available recordings of Gart's music were known to exist as of early April 2016.
- Shirley Walker's theme for the 1996 ' is yet another brassy orchestral piece with a triad-based melody. It was occasionally used as Superman's leitmotif in episodes of Justice League.
- When the later and Superman: The Animated Series were combined to form a "new" series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, another new theme was composed by Shirley Walker.
- Brandon Routh reprised his role as Superman for the 2019-20 Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths." In the first scene where Clark changes into his Kingdom Come inspired costume, the John Williams theme can be heard.
General references
- Superman: The Music , 2008, liner notes.
- Ken Thorne, Film Score Monthly, February 2008, vol. 13, no 2.
- Superman: Serial to Cereal, Gary H. Grossman, Popular Library, 1976.
Inline citations