Superman March
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The various film and theatre appearances of the
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
character have been accompanied by musical scores.


''Superman''

The score for the 1978 film ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'', composed and conducted by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
, was performed by the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, with John Georgiadis as concertmaster. Recording took place on July 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14; September 9–11; October 6 (
Irvine Arditti Irvine Arditti (born 8 February 1953) is a British violinist, as well as the leader and founder of the Arditti Quartet. Biography Arditti attended the Central Foundation Boys' School in London before continuing his studies at the Royal Academy ...
, concertmaster), 15, 24, 31 (Richard Studt, concertmaster), 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. The score was orchestrated by Williams, Herbert W. Spencer,
Alexander Courage Alexander Mair Courage Jr. (December 10, 1919May 15, 2008) familiarly known as "Sandy" Courage, was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and film. He is best known as the composer of the theme mus ...
,
Angela Morley Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an England, English composer and Conductor (music), conductor who became familiar to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s under the name of Wally Stott. Morley provided incidental music for ''The Go ...
and Arthur Morton. The
music editor The term music editor may refer to one of several occupations. In publishing, a music editor is a person who prepares music manuscripts for publication. The use of music editors began at the onset of music publishing in Europe in the late 15th cent ...
was Bob Hathaway, assisted by Ken Ross. Williams's "Superman Theme", which is first heard during the opening credits to the film ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'', has been reused (with varying arrangements) 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 Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was consid ...
's score to the 1984 film ''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
'' during a scene in which the title character sees a poster of
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
. In the 2017 film ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'',
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
reused Williams's Superman theme, as well as his themes from Tim Burton's ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' and ''
Batman Returns ''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters (screenwriter), Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman (1989 film), Batman'' (1989) and th ...
'' for the new incarnation of the character.
Blake Neely Blake Neely (born April 28, 1969) is an American composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards for his work on '' Everwood'', '' The Pacific'', ''Pan Am'', '' Pamela, a Love Story'', '' Good Night Oppy'' and ...
, the composer for the
Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American Superhero fiction, superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series ...
crossover "
Crisis on Infinite Earths ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' is a 1985 to 1986 American comic book fictional crossover, crossover series published by DC Comics. Written by Marv Wolfman and penciller, pencilled by George Pérez, it was first released as a 12-issue limited ser ...
", incorporated the march theme and "Can You Read My Mind?" with Brandon Routh reprising his role as the Superman of Earth-96. In the 2019 film '' Shazam!'', a rendition of Williams's Superman theme (composed by
Benjamin Wallfisch Benjamin Mark Lasker Wallfisch (born 7 August 1979) is a British composer, conductor, and music producer known for his work on film scores. He has contributed to over 50 feature films since the mid-2000s, including notable works like ''Blade Ru ...
) was played during Superman's appearance at the end of the film. In the 2022 film ''
Black Adam Black Adam (Teth-Adam) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' '' The Marvel Family'' comic book ...
'', a rendition of Williams's Superman theme (composed by
Lorne Balfe Lorne Balfe (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish composer of film, television and video game scores. A veteran of Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions, Balfe's scoring credits include the films '' Megamind'', ''Penguins of Madagascar'', ...
) was heard in a mid-credit scene featuring actor
Henry Cavill Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill ( ; born 5 May 1983) is a British actor. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Superman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), beginning with '' Man of Steel'' (2013) and reprising the role in '' Batman v S ...
as Superman, rather than Hans Zimmer's ''Man of Steel'' theme. Cavill noted that Williams's theme is immediately recognizable to audiences around the world. A reimagined version of Williams's theme was used to promote
James Gunn James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...
's 2025 film ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'', the first film of the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
. Gunn later confirmed that the theme would also be included in John Murphy and David Fleming's score of the film itself, as a tribute to when he first heard it as a child.


Leitmotifs

* "Superman Fanfare" is a short harmonic-based motif, played just before the "Main Theme", or as a standalone when Superman appears in a quick-cut on-screen. It is also restated many times in the "Superman March". * "Superman March" or "Superman Main Theme" is 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" is typically used when Lois and Superman (or sometimes Clark) find themselves alone together. A portion of this theme is introduced as an interlude in the midst of the "Superman March". Lyrics for the melody were written by longtime
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
collaborator
Leslie Bricusse Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' D ...
, for the purpose of having a song during the film's extended "flying sequence".
Margot Kidder Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018) was a Canadian and American actress and activist. She amassed List of Margot Kidder performances, several film and television credits in her career spanning five decades, including her bes ...
, who plays Lois Lane, speaks the lyrics in the film, but cover versions of the song have been recorded by
Maureen McGovern Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her renditions of the songs " The Morning After" from the 1972 film '' The Poseidon Adventure''; " We May Never Love Like This Again" from ' ...
,
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...
and others. * "
Krypton Krypton (from 'the hidden one') is a chemical element; it has symbol (chemistry), symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless noble gas that occurs in trace element, trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere, atmosphere and is of ...
fanfare" is 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 is a 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 is a melody related to the duality of Superman and Clark Kent which musically connects the "Fanfare" to the "Love Theme". * "
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
" or "Leaving Home Theme" is an 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 John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
for the 1972
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
western film ''
The Cowboys ''The Cowboys'' is a 1972 American Western film starring John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Bruce Dern, and featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Slim Pickens. It was the feature film debut of Robert Carradine. Based on the 1971 novel of the sam ...
''. * "The March of the Villains" or "Lex Luthor theme" is a comedic
Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...
-inspired march associated with the villain Lex Luthor and his henchman Otis.


Source music

A selection of existing songs were featured in the 1978 film ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'', not included on any version of the soundtrack albums, but readily available elsewhere: *"
Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was reco ...
", by
Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band formed in 1947 and continuing until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...
, was playing on the radio of the " Woodie" being driven by some of Clark Kent's high school classmates. The song seems out of context, as it was presumably 1964 at that point in the narrative, yet this song debuted in 1955. It is later established that Kal-El's ship crashed in 1951, and in ''Superman III'' it is established that Clark graduates high school in 1965. However, coincidentally (or not) the song introduces
Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006), known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of th ...
's final scene in the film. Ford starred in the 1955 film ''
Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brook ...
'', in which that song was prominently featured. Incidentally, this song was not used in the television versions of the film, which instead used an original
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
source cue composed and recorded for the film, called "Kansas Kids". *" Only You", by
The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...
, is playing on the teenage Clark's bedside radio when he is awakened by the sound that leads him to the discovery of his spacecraft beneath the barn. This song was also not heard in the television cuts, which instead used only radio static. * Ten seconds of
Supertramp Supertramp were a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending p ...
's 1977 song, "
Give a Little Bit "Give a Little Bit" is the opening song on Supertramp's 1977 album '' Even in the Quietest Moments...'' The song was released as a single that same year and became an international hit for the band, peaking at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' P ...
" from the album ''
Even in the Quietest Moments Even may refer to: General * Even (given name), a Norwegian male personal name * Even (surname), a Breton surname * Even (people), an ethnic group from Siberia and Russian Far East **Even language, a language spoken by the Evens * Odd and Even, a ...
'', were heard on Lois Lane's car radio just prior to the climactic earthquake scene. The song was a then-recent hit. Its appearance in the film seems to be for no ''obvious'' thematic reason, though there could be a subtle message or two: The group having "Super" in its name; and the words heard on-screen, "Give a little bit... 'llgive a little bit of my life for you". Source music written for the film: A Hawaiian-themed cue called "Luthor's Luau", heard in the background in Lex Luthor's secret hideaway the day after Superman's debut around the city was composed by
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
, who also wrote additional pieces of source music that were not used in the film. In some cases these were replaced by the existing songs listed above. Some of Williams' versions were used in the extended television broadcast versions of the film in place of these.


Concert suites

These are regularly performed in symphony and pops concerts, including those by composer
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
, and have also been featured in re-recordings for various CD compilations. * "The March of the Villains" (''Superman''). * "Love Theme from ''Superman''" (''Superman''). * "Theme from Superman" (''Superman''). This suite includes "Superman Fanfare", "Superman March" and the "Love Theme".


Soundtrack releases


Warner Bros. Records

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 John Cardon Debney (born August 18, 1956) is an American composer and conductor of film, television, and video game scores. His work encompasses a variety of mediums and genres, including comedy, horror, science fiction, thriller, fantasy and ...
and performed by the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) () is a Scottish orchestra, based in Glasgow. It is one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an important part in Scotland’s ...
, 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
Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
Records. This 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 (1978-1988)'' 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. Unlike the prior Rhino Records release, this version of the soundtrack did not include any of the source music cues. Those cues were made available in La-La Land Records' 2018 combined release of ''Superman II'' and ''III'', on Disc 2.


''Superman II''

The score was composed, orchestrated and conducted by
Ken Thorne Kenneth Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a British television and film score composer. Early life Thorne was born in Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands ...
(from original material composed by John Williams). 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 25–27, 29; April 17, 18, 25; and May 2, 1980, at CTS Studios (The Music Centre) 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 A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...
s

Composer/arranger
Ken Thorne Kenneth Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a British television and film score composer. Early life Thorne was born in Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands ...
was mandated to reuse the first film's themes for ''
Superman II ''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David Newman (screenwriter), David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment i ...
''. 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.


Source music Source Music () is a South Korean record label established in 2009 by So Sung-jin. In July 2019, the company was acquired by Hybe Corporation, making the company part of the collective term "Hybe Labels". The company manages girl group Le Sserafim ...

*" Pick up the Pieces", by
Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) was a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They were best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their alb ...
, can be heard in the East Houston sequence. This replaced a piece called "East Houston Café" composed by
Ken Thorne Kenneth Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a British television and film score composer. Early life Thorne was born in Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands ...
, which was not used. Thorne had been asked by director
Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, mo ...
to write a "sound-alike" version of "Pick Up the Pieces", but this was used for the scene in Don's Diner at the end of the film. Thorne wrote a few other pieces for various radios as well as "Honeymoon Hotel", a piece played as Clark Kent and Lois Lane are shown around a tacky hotel suite at Niagara Falls.


Soundtrack releases


Warner Bros. Records

1980: Single LP from Warner Bros. Records. This album and the original album for ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...
'' were combined for an out-of-print Japanese CD release.


Film Score Monthly

February 29, 2008: part of ''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)'' 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.


La-La Land Records

October 30, 2018: 3-CD set from La-La Land Records. This release is presented on discs 1 and 2 of this 3-disc set, with source music from ''Superman'', ''Superman II'' and ''Superman III'' filling the rest of disc 2, and the score for ''Superman III'' on disc 3.


''Superman III''

The score was composed, orchestrated and conducted by Ken Thorne (with original Superman themes by John Williams). Recording took place on February 14–16; March 7–9 and 18, 1983 at CTS Studios (The Music Centre) in Wembley, Middlesex, England. The recording engineer was John Richards and the music editor was Bob Hathaway.


Leitmotif A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...
s

Ken Thorne Kenneth Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a British television and film score composer. Early life Thorne was born in Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands ...
was given a freer hand in the scoring of ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...
'' 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 Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...
. Lois Lane's theme is not present in the score because she only appears in the film briefly.


Source music Source Music () is a South Korean record label established in 2009 by So Sung-jin. In July 2019, the company was acquired by Hybe Corporation, making the company part of the collective term "Hybe Labels". The company manages girl group Le Sserafim ...

*"
Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...
", the
Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...
hit as performed by
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, and " Earth Angel" by
The Penguins The Penguins were an American doo-wop group from Los Angeles, California, that were active during the 1950s and early 1960s. They are known for their 1954 hit song, " Earth Angel", which was one of the first rhythm and blues songs to cross ov ...
can be heard at Clark Kent's high school reunion. The use of a Beatles song was something of an in-joke referencing the films '' A Hard Day's Night'' and ''
Help Help may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Help (2010 film), ''Help'' (2010 film), a Bollywood horror film * Help (2021 theatrical film), ''Help'' (2021 theatrical film), a British psychological thriller film * Help (2021 TV ...
'', both helmed by ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...
'' director
Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, mo ...
.
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...
was also commissioned to write several original songs for ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...
'', some of which can be heard as source music in various scenes.


Soundtrack releases


Warner Bros. Records

1983: LP from Warner Bros. Records. ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...
'' 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 Kenneth Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a British television and film score composer. Early life Thorne was born in Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands ...
's score, while Side B contained music composed and produced by pop mogul
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...
. These included three sung versions (with lyrics by
Keith Forsey Keith Forsey (born 2 January 1948) is an English pop musician and record producer. Early life Forsey began his career as a percussionist in the mid-late 1960s as the drummer for The Spectrum and as the drummer in Udo Lindenberg's Panik Orche ...
) of songs heard as source music in the film, plus Moroder's love theme for Clark Kent and Lana Lang (used by Thorne as the basis for his own theme), and ending with a completely synthesized version of the ''
Superman II ''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David Newman (screenwriter), David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment i ...
'' main title march. This album and the original album for ''
Superman II ''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David Newman (screenwriter), David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment i ...
'' were combined for an out-of-print Japanese CD release.


Film Score Monthly

February 29, 2008: part of ''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)'' 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.


La-La Land Records

October 30, 2018: 3-CD set from La-La Land Records. This release is presented on disc 3 of this 3-disc set, with the score for ''Superman II'' on discs 1 and 2 and source music from ''Superman'', ''Superman II'' and ''Superman III'' filling the rest of disc 2.


''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace''

The score was adapted and conducted by
Alexander Courage Alexander Mair Courage Jr. (December 10, 1919May 15, 2008) familiarly known as "Sandy" Courage, was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and film. He is best known as the composer of the theme mus ...
(from music by John Williams). 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 (The Music Centre) in Wembley, Middlesex, England, performed by the
National Philharmonic Orchestra The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA Records producer and conductor Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader and contractor Sidney Sax. The orchestra was creat ...
. Recording engineer was Dick Lewzey, assisted by Steve Price and Jonathan Ruttley. The score was orchestrated 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.


Leitmotifs

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
composed three new themes for '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'', 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.
Alexander Courage Alexander Mair Courage Jr. (December 10, 1919May 15, 2008) familiarly known as "Sandy" Courage, was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and film. He is best known as the composer of the theme mus ...
adapted Williams' themes for the film, integrating the three new ones with all of the existing themes from ''Superman''. He also supplied two new themes of his own: a "missile" motif for when nuclear arms are shown or discussed, and a "Russian" motif, a minor mode march used when Soviets and their weapons appear.


Source music

* "
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (sometimes rendered "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On") is a song written by Dave "Curlee" Williams and sometimes also credited to James Faye "Roy" Hall. The song was first recorded by Big Maybelle, though the best-k ...
" by
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
can be heard in Lenny Luthor's car when he's about to release his uncle, Lex Luthor, from prison. Paul Fishman, head of the 80s rock group Re-Flex, was commissioned to write original songs for the film, but only one of these, "Workout", was used in the released version of the film, when Clark and Lacy are seen at the Metropolis Fitness Center. Some of Fishman's other songs were intended for a deleted Metro Club discothèque sequence. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", Fishman's "Workout", "Headphone Heaven" and "Revolution Now" (the latter two were for the deleted scene) would have all appeared on the cancelled soundtrack album.''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)''; "The Quest For An LP," p. 135 of liner notes All songs except for Lewis' are included on ''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)'' box set.


Soundtrack releases


Film Score Monthly

February 29, 2008: part of ''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)'' 8-CD set from Film Score Monthly. Alexander Courage completed a 100-minute score for a version of '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' 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 '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' was produced in 1987, it was aborted when the film was shortened. As with ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...
'', it was to contain several songs (by Paul Fishman of Re-Flex) and a small sampling of the score by
Alexander Courage Alexander Mair Courage Jr. (December 10, 1919May 15, 2008) familiarly known as "Sandy" Courage, was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and film. He is best known as the composer of the theme mus ...
(adapting
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
' themes). In 2008, the 8-CD box set ''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)'' premiered the entire score for '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' 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 (
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
's " Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On", heard in the film, would also have been included). 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 John Ottman (born July 6, 1964) is an American film composer, director, and editor. He is best known for collaborating with director Bryan Singer, composing and/or editing many of his films, including '' Public Access'' (1993), ''The Usual Suspec ...
, conducted by Damon Intrabartolo, with orchestrations provided by Ottman, Intrabartolo, Rick Giovinazzo, Kevin Kliesch, Frank Macchia, Lior Rosner, Jeffrey Schindler and John Ashton Thomas and was performed by the
Hollywood Studio Symphony The Hollywood Studio Symphony (sometimes the Hollywood Freelance Studio Symphony) is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', ''Suc ...
. Director
Bryan Singer Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed, as well as multiple television series. After graduating from the Univ ...
originally wanted John Williams to score the film, but Williams declined due to working on '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' at the time; he had also turned down an offer to score Richard Donner's version of ''Superman II'' for the same reason.


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 Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with ''Dawn of the Dead (2004 film), Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), of the same name ...
's 2013 reboot of the series, '' Man of Steel'', is scored by
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
, 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. ;Music appearing in the film and not included on the soundtrack


''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.


Source music not included on the soundtrack


''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 Jackson Beck (July 23, 1912 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio's '' The Adventures of Superman'' and the voice of Bluto in the Famous era Popeye theatrical shorts. Early years Beck was born on July 23, ...
. Initially, the radio series had no theme tune under its introductory lines. * The ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' cartoon series produced by the
Fleischer Studios Fleischer Studios () was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures in 1942, the parent company and the distri ...
during the 1940s included a triad-based theme composed by Fleischer musical director
Sammy Timberg Samuel Timberg (May 21, 1903 – August 26, 1992) was an American musician and composer for the stage, film studios, and television. Biography Timberg was born in New York City to a Jewish family originating in Austria, youngest son of Israel an ...
. 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 Bud Collyer (born Clayton Johnson Heermance Jr., June 18, 1908 – September 8, 1969) was an American radio actor and announcer and game show host who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars. He is best remembered for ...
reprised his radio role as the Man of Steel. * The two ''Superman''
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
serials of the late 1940s, starring
Kirk Alyn Kirk Alyn (born John Feggo Jr.; October 8, 1910 – March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Superman in live-action for the 1948 movie serial ''Superman'' and its 1950 sequel '' ...
, 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 ''Superman and the Mole Men'' (titled onscreen as ''Superman and the Mole-Men'', but all posters and advertising omit the hyphen) is a 1951 American independent black-and-white superhero film released by Lippert Pictures. Produced by Barney ...
'' 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 Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
musical '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman'', starring
Bob Holiday Bob Holiday (November 12, 1932 – January 27, 2017) was an American actor best known for playing Superman in the 1966 Broadway musical '' It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman''. Historically, Holiday was the next "live-action" Superman a ...
, featured music by
Charles Strouse Charles Louis Strouse (June 7, 1928 – May 15, 2025) was an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to the Broadway musicals ''Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause (musical), Applause'', and ''Annie (musical), Annie''. Backgrou ...
and lyrics by
Lee Adams Lee Richard Adams (born August 14, 1924) is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse. Biography Lee Adams was born in Mansfield, Ohio, on August 14, 1924. He is the son of Dr. Leopold Adams, ori ...
. The script was written by David Newman and
Robert Benton Robert Douglas Benton (September 29, 1932 – May 11, 2025) was an American film director and screenwriter. He, along with his co-writer David Newman, was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1967 film '' Bonnie and Clyd ...
, who would go on to write the second draft of the screenplay for the first ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' film, released in 1978. All of the above (as well as some TV and film themes) were recorded by a modern orchestra and released on a 1999 CD called ''Superman: The Ultimate Collection'', released by
Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and cast recording, original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as ...
Records.


Adventures of Superman: The Original 1950s TV Series

The TV theme for the 1950s series '' Adventures of Superman'', starring
George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He was best known for portraying Superman, Clark Kent/Superman in the television series ''Adventures of Superman (TV series), Adventures of ...
, 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 (the "
Phyllis Coates Phyllis Coates (born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell; January 15, 1927 – October 11, 2023) was an American actress with a career spanning over fifty years. She was best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film '' Superman and th ...
episodes"), were released in 2000 on the CD ''Adventures of Superman: The Original 1950s TV Series'' from
Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and cast recording, original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as ...
Records. The liner notes make the point that although series musical arranger
Leon Klatzkin Leon Steven Klatzkin (1914–1992) was an American music arranger, composer, and conductor remembered for his long career in the Hollywood motion picture and television industries.Terrace p.93 Biography A prolific film and television composer, or ...
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 John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
theme from the
Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...
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 (13 episodes) 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 (1978-1988)'', issued by
Film Score Monthly ''Film Score Monthly'' is an online magazine (and former print magazine) founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as ''The Soundtrack Correspondence List''. It is dedicated to the art of film and television sc ...
in 2008.


Other music

* The theme for the 1990s series '' Lois & Clark'', starring
Dean Cain Dean George Cain ( né Tanaka; born July 31, 1966) is an American actor. From 1993 to 1997, he played Clark Kent / Superman in the TV series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Cain was the host of '' Ripley's Believe It or Not! ...
and
Teri Hatcher Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997). She also played Paris Carver in the ''Production ...
, was composed by Jay Gruska, the son in-law of
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
, composer of the score for the 1978 film ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
''. This was another dramatic orchestral rendition, with a triad again in evidence, but not so prominently placed in the theme's score. * ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'', starring
Tom Welling Thomas John Patrick Welling (born April 26, 1977) is an American actor, director, producer, podcaster, and model. He is best known for his role as Clark Kent in The WB (now The CW) superhero drama ''Smallville'' (2001–2011). He also co-starr ...
, has a vocal, rock-oriented main theme rather than a traditional "heroic" one. Written by band
Remy Zero Remy Zero was an American alternative rock band from Birmingham, Alabama, formed in 1989. It was composed of August Cinjun Tate (vocals, guitar), Shelby Tate (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Cedric LeMoyne (bass), Jeffrey Cain (guitar, vocals), and ...
, the song takes the name " Save Me", from its chorus. Composer
Mark Snow Mark Snow (born Martin Fulterman; August 26, 1946) is an American composer for film and television. Among his most famous compositions is the theme music for science fiction television series '' The X-Files''. ''The X Files'' instrumental wa ...
employs traditional orchestral underscore regularly. In several episodes, he has also musically alluded to themes from
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
' score for the 1978 film ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
''. 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 Louis Scheimer (October 19, 1928 – October 17, 2013) was an American producer and voice actor who was one of the original founders of Filmation. He was also credited as an executive producer of many of its cartoons. Early life and education ...
's and
Norm Prescott Norman Zachary Prescott (born Pransky; January 31, 1927 – July 2, 2005) was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Associates, an animation studio he created with veteran animator Lou Scheimer. Life and career Born to a Polish Jew ...
'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 Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood during her career. Walker was one of ...
's theme for the 1996 '' Superman: The Animated Series'' is yet another brassy orchestral piece with a triad-based melody. It was occasionally used as Superman's
leitmotif A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...
in episodes of ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
''. * When the later '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and ''Superman: The Animated Series'' were combined to form a "new" series, ''
The New Batman/Superman Adventures ''The New Batman/Superman Adventures'' is a name given to an animated package series that combined '' Superman: The Animated Series'' with ''The New Batman Adventures'' produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It aired from 1997–2000 on Kids' WB ...
'', another new theme was composed by
Shirley Walker Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood during her career. Walker was one of ...
. Her theme was later used in a Kraft Mac n Cheese commercial in the 2000s. * 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. * "HERO" was songwriter Christopher Santangelo's tribute to Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Superman. Christopher Reeve died October 10, 2004. Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes was released on August 14, 2004, making 'HERO" the official last song about Superman to appear in a movie before the passing of Christopher Reeve, who statistically is considered the best Superman of all time. *In the 2022 animated film ''
DC League of Super-Pets ''DC League of Super-Pets'' is a 2022 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Animation Group, DC Entertainment, and Seven Bucks Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Produced and directed by Jared Stern, who co- ...
'', Williams’ ''Superman'' score is heard throughout the film, from the opening sequence of the infant Kal-El and puppy
Krypto Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the character Superman. In most continuities, Krypto is Superman's pet dog, usually depicted as a ...
playing together and “Planet Krypton Fanfare” played during the destruction of the planet as they escape for Earth; Krypto (voiced by
Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
) briefly singing his praises about his relationship with Superman to the tune of the “Superman Theme;” when Krypto breaks out of Stryker's Island prison after getting back his powers and in several confrontations with the hairless guinea pig, Lulu, the film’s main antagonist.


References


General references

* ''Superman: The Music (1978-1988)'', 2008, liner notes. *
Ken Thorne Kenneth Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a British television and film score composer. Early life Thorne was born in Dereham, a town in the English county of Norfolk. Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with the big bands ...
, Film Score Monthly, February 2008, vol. 13, no 2. * ''Superman: Serial to Cereal'', Gary H. Grossman, Popular Library, 1976.


Inline citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Superman Music Film scores Film soundtracks Music by media franchise Film music compositions by John Williams