10 Great Songs About Superheroes

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Fans show their love for comic book heroes in many ways – by watching movies and TV shows, buying collectibles, and even getting tattoos. But a true sign of a hero’s popularity comes when they inspire a popular song.

Discovering that a popular song is inspired by well-known superheroes from DC Comics, Marvel, or other sources often makes listening to it even better. Plus, these songs can sometimes deepen fans’ appreciation for those characters.

Many admire Superman and imagine their lives would be better with his powers. But John Ondrasik, who performs as Five for Fighting, offers a different perspective, a sentiment he explores in his Grammy-nominated song, “”

This piano piece really gets to me – it’s about Superman dealing with feeling lost and a little scared of flying, and this deep longing for a home he barely remembers, Krypton. But it’s crazy how much the song’s meaning changed after 9/11. It became this powerful tribute to all the real-life heroes – the firefighters, police, everyone – who rushed in to help and, sadly, some who gave everything that day. It’s a super emotional song because of that.

In 2015, Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, turned heads at both his prom and Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s wedding by wearing a white suit inspired by Batman. Many news sources wondered why the actor and musician chose such a unique outfit for these events, but it seemed clear he was simply a big Batman fan.

The connection became obvious two years later when he released a hip-hop song titled after Bruce Wayne’s superhero persona, from his first studio album, Syre. The song features a music video where Smith again wears a white Batman suit. He also includes other random pop culture nods, like the line “You ain’t ready for the war, Skywalker with the Force.” However, what’s compelling is how the artist seems to use the DC Comics hero to represent his own challenges, suggesting he also faces difficult people in his life – his own ‘Jokers’.

The idea of seeing time differently, as if you were the fastest person on Earth, is intriguing. But in the song “”, from Jim’s Big Ego’s 2003 album They’re Everywhere!, it actually feels a little slow and boring.

The song portrays The Flash struggling to relate to people who can’t keep up with his super speed, making him regret the accident that gave him his powers. Interestingly, the lead singer of the band, Jim Infantino, has a personal connection to The Flash: he’s the nephew of Carmine Infantino, one of the comic book artists who created the character.

Before 2007, despite Aerosmith’s cover of the classic Spider-Man theme, no movie soundtrack featured an original song specifically about the superhero. That changed with the release of Spider-Man 3, which included the song “Proportions” by The Flaming Lips.

This unusual rock song, originally written as a joke by the band’s singer, Wayne Coyne, vividly imagines a fight between Spider-Man and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. But it seems the song is actually about Spider-Man’s emotional difficulties and his complicated relationship with Mary Jane in the movie.

Many people see Harley Quinn as a tragic figure among Batman’s villains, understanding that her relationship with the Joker was deeply harmful. Anna Murphy is definitely one of those people.

A song on Swiss singer-songwriter Cellar Darling’s 2013 album is about the Joker’s girlfriend, Harley Quinn, and her inner turmoil over her obsessive love for him. The song even begins with a clip of Mark Hamill, as the Joker, from the classic Batman: The Animated Series episode “Mad Love,” referencing how their relationship started.

Spin Doctors, the alternative rock band famous for their song “Two Princes,” released their first album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, in 1991. The album title comes from a line in the opening track, which hints at Superman. However, the song isn’t actually about him.

This song is sung from Superman’s perspective, where he openly admits his feelings for Lois Lane and expresses his annoyance at constantly competing with Clark Kent for her attention. The song’s meaning is very straightforward, laid out clearly in the lyrics, which is part of what makes it enjoyable for those familiar with the comic book story.

Modern comic books originated in the late 1800s, but the idea of superhuman heroes is as old as storytelling itself, drawing inspiration from ancient myths and legends. The band Coldplay, along with The Chainsmokers, recognized this connection in their 2017 song, “.”

The song’s lyrics feature Coldplay’s Chris Martin referencing classic Greek heroes like Achilles and Hercules, then shifting to modern heroes like Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman – suggesting comic book characters are America’s version of mythology. But the song goes beyond just fantastical heroes, also comparing the idea of being a superhero to the powerful, and often difficult to achieve, feeling of being in love.

The Incredible Hulk quickly became a pop culture phenomenon. Just seven years after his 1962 debut, a song was written about him. “Hulk” by the New York garage rock band The Traits became a hit, boosted by publicity from Marvel Comics themselves.

The song tells the story of a large, green ‘monster’ – how he became that way through a scientific accident, and the government’s unsuccessful attempts to stop him. Though often considered a fun, lighthearted tune, some believe the band, The Traits, used the Hulk’s story to represent the struggle for equality faced by minority groups. This is particularly evident in a lyric delivered from the perspective of the government, which declares, “We don’t allow no green skin people here!”

Nur-D, a hip-hop and R&B artist from Minneapolis, cleverly lives up to the sound of his name by weaving references to pop culture – like comic book characters – into his music. These references are noticeable, but never feel forced or silly; instead, they add a surprisingly genuine and relatable touch to his songs, as perfectly demonstrated in his track, “.”

In his 2022 mixtape track, “Just For Fun,” Nur-D raps from the perspective of Peter Parker, admitting he’s content with his relationship with Mary-Jane Watson but can’t help wondering what life would be like if he’d been able to save his first love. It’s surprising how a song about Spider-Man’s romance can be such a thoughtful exploration of how powerfully we remember past loves.

In 1989, Prince wrote original songs for Tim Burton’s popular film, Batman, which starred Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as The Joker. While the soundtrack isn’t considered one of Prince’s best, the final track is particularly strong and deserves more attention.

This six-minute song is a fantastic mix of different musical styles, seamlessly blended by a truly exceptional artist. For Batman fans, it’s essential listening because it features important sound clips from the movie and a fun nod to the classic Adam West television series – it even recreates the famous theme song from the 1960s show. It truly feels like a vibrant, energetic performance.

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2025-11-01 06:16