Danny Elfman Popular Song Rankings [2025]

Main TitlesDanny Elfman8rank/position

Main Titles

This is the opening theme from Tim Burton’s gothic horror film Sleepy Hollow.

Its weighty orchestration intertwines with eerie choral voices, drawing you into a dark, fantastical world of fog-shrouded forests haunted by the Headless Horseman.

Composed by the master of film music, Danny Elfman, the piece appears on the soundtrack of the 1999 film of the same name.

Its exceptional musicality earned high praise, including the Saturn Award for Best Music.

If you want to create an authentically horror-tinged Halloween party, you couldn’t choose better.

Put this track on, and your space is sure to transform into a creepy old mansion.

Mission Impossible ThemeDanny Elfman9rank/position

Mission Impossible Theme (Full Theme)

It’s the main theme from the spy film Mission: Impossible.

The composer is Lalo Schifrin, who also worked on the music for Dirty Harry.

Once you hear it, it sticks in your head.

It’s full of an unbroken sense of tension and driving momentum.

Beyond the flashy surface, it also conveys the dangerous aura of espionage.

Remains of the DayDanny Elfman10rank/position

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride main song – Remains of the Day

This is a song from the 2005 film Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, directed by Tim Burton, who also directed The Nightmare Before Christmas and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Sung within a work themed around “death,” this upbeat track is sure to boost the Halloween mood!

Victor’s Piano SoloDanny Elfman11rank/position

Victor’s Piano Solo

This is a piano piece composed by Danny Elfman, renowned for his music for films such as Batman and Edward Scissorhands.

Its delicate, somewhat melancholic melody enhances a Gothic atmosphere perfect for Halloween.

The piece seems to express the protagonist’s shy, awkward heart and the faint hope that resides within it.

The romantic mood that drifts through the quiet moments is lovely.

This work was composed for the 2005 film Corpse Bride, directed by Tim Burton, and is included on the soundtrack Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).

It’s perfect as background music for a mellow Halloween party.

How about bringing this mysterious world to life on the piano?

What’s This?Danny Elfman12rank/position

Danny Elfman – What’s This? (From “The Nightmare Before Christmas”)

This number is sung in the scene where the protagonist, tired of the same Halloween every year, is captivated by the sights of Christmas Town he visits for the first time.

The song sets the surprise and joy of discovering an unknown world—snow, colorful lights—against a sparkling orchestral backdrop.

And in fact, the singer is none other than American composer Danny Elfman himself! His rapid-fire delivery perfectly matches the protagonist’s explosive elation and really amps up the excitement.

It’s a song from the 1993 Disney film The Nightmare Before Christmas, included on the album The Nightmare Before Christmas (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).

Whenever you’re craving something new in your everyday life, listening to this track is guaranteed to fill you with a sense of wonder!

Wonka’s Welcome SongDanny Elfman13rank/position

Wonka’s Welcome Song

When it comes to Tim Burton films featuring a standout performance by Johnny Depp, it has to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Its theme song is Wonka’s Welcome Song, a piece composed by Danny Elfman.

It’s the music that plays at the beginning of the film when the young protagonist, Charlie, visits Willy Wonka’s factory, portrayed by Johnny Depp.

It’s also used as the first track in the end credits, and it perfectly captures the atmosphere of the film with its unique worldview.

This is HalloweenDanny Elfman14rank/position

The Nightmare Before Christmas – This is Halloween

The musical “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” beloved by passionate fans around the world.

The story is set in Halloween Town, a city of the dead.

Jack, a slender and handsome skeleton who reigns as its king, draws the townspeople into his plan to bring a dazzling Christmas to their dark and frightening world.

“This Is Halloween” is the signature song of the work.

And the composer is none other than the charismatic figure who popularized industrial rock, Marilyn Manson.

It’s a track that fuses fairy-tale whimsy with a sense of horror!