Danny Elfman, Batman (1989)

Tim Burton’s Batman established that Superman wasn’t the only comic book hero who could lead a big-screen adventure. The 1989 film hewed closer to the mid-1980s comic book incarnations of the Dark Knight than the campy 1960s TV series. So Burton needed just the right composer to capture the dark but still fun aesthetic of his film. Thankfully, frequent collaborator Danny Elfman — who had previously composed the music for Beetlejuice and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure for Burton — was up to the task. Elfman contributed a energetic, moody tune for Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego, instantly setting up Michael Keaton’s version of the character. Even the animated series that launched in 1992 kept Elfman’s theme in place. Wise move.