Figure timeline
Daniel Robert Elfman 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 first studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 feature film scores as well as compositions for television, stage productions, a…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
entertainment · American composer (born 1953) · singer · composer · actor · record producer · film score composer · singer-songwriter · recording artist · musician · also Danny Elfman, Elfman
Born 29 May 1953 · Q193338
147 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
3 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
But it never gets any easier. Tim is just as complex now, maybe more so. Every time I play music for him I
85%The GuardianSource
“t run into one another again until a party six years later. The connection was enough, though, that it enabled them to strike up a conversation. And the rest is history. Not surprisingly, Elfman seems awfully fond of his score for that unsettling movie.”
“But it never gets any easier. Tim is just as complex now, maybe more so. Every time I play music for him I”
“s influence on classic film composers such as Herrmann, Steiner, Waxman and Korngold, as he was unfamiliar with Wagner”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Public attention spiked: 9,697 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.4× the usual 2,868, with 1 article edits. Editors noted: Personal life No source for this
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Cinema Sounds: Film Music”.
Elfman made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing drums with A$AP Rocky during the song "Punk Rocky"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reprised his singing role as Jack Skellington for the 10th anniversary of the live version, which starred Janelle Monáe, Keith David and John Stamos
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“s Golden Age, such as Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Max Steiner, David Tamkin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Carl Stalling; 20th century classical composers Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Carl Orff; and jazz, experimental and minimalist composers Kurt Weill, Duke Ellington, Harry Partch, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich. Influences on specific scores include Erik Satie (Forbidden Zone), Nino Rota (Pee-wee”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Composed the music for Luc Besson's big-budget French film Dracula
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Percussion Concerto / Wunderkammer”.
Abadi sued Elfman for defamation for statements he made to Rolling Stone
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for Wednesday (2023).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
By Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at St Mark's Episcopal Church in Washington, D
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Danny Elfman: Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven" / Adolphus Hailstork: Piano Concerto no. 1”.
With Danny Elfman: From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess to Beyond
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Utilizing Giacchino's theme to the original Doctor Strange film, as well as themes from WandaVision and X-Men: The Animated Series, and music from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Bach's Toccata and Fugue
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Disney Branded Television announced that Elfman would compose score and songs of the upcoming Disney Television Animation and 20th Television Animation stop-motion animated comedy series Rhona Who Lives by the River crea
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elfman released a remix of "True" with lead vocals shared between Elfman and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Big Mess”.
The MasterClass online educational series released "Making Music out of Chaos," presenting 21 compositional and career lessons from Elfman's four decades of experience primarily in the film industry
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven" / Piano Quartet”.
Selections from Elfman's Midnight Run score were used in the third season of Netflix's Stranger Things, including "Stairway Chase" in episodes 5 and 6, and "Wild Ride" and "Package Deal" in episode 6
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot”.
Released album “Fifty Shades Freed: Original Motion Picture Score”.
Released album “Justice League (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”.
With Sandy Cameron on violin and John Mauceri conducting the Czech National Symphony Orchestra; the Piano Quartet, co-commissioned by the Lied Center for Performing Arts, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the Berlin Ph
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “The Circle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Tulip Fever: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Before I Wake: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Fifty Shades Darker (Original Motion Picture Score)”.
And the Society of Composers & Lyricists Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (Original Motion Picture Score)”.
Released album “The Girl on the Train”.
Awarded Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction (2016).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Rabbit & Rogue (Original Ballet Score)”.
Released album “Alice Through the Looking Glass: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Elfman and Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek performed the song "Dead Man's Party" with an orchestra as an encore to a live-to-film concert of The Nightmare Before Christmas score at the Hollywood Bowl
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Goosebumps”.
Released album “The End of the Tour: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Awarded Disney Legends (2015).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.
Released album “Fifty Shades of Grey: Original Motion Picture Score”.
Released album “The Danny Elfman Batman Collection”.
Released album “The Unknown Known”.
Released album “Mr. Peabody & Sherman”.
Released album “Restless”.
Released album “Epic”.
Released album “Oz the Great and Powerful”.
Composed the music and provided the English-language vocals for the Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Mystic Manor
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Hitchcock: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Silver Linings Playbook”.
Released album “Promised Land: Music From the Motion Picture”.
Released album “Frankenweenie”.
Released album “Men in Black 3”.
Released album “Dark Shadows: Original Score”.
Released album “Real Steel: Original Motion Picture Score”.
Released album “Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box”.
Released album “Le Monde de Tim Burton”.
And incidental music for the Broadway production of Taylor Mac's Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “The Next Three Days: Music From the Motion Picture”.
Released album “The Wolfman”.
Criticized Tim Burton for using the "same" music in all his films, referring to Elfman's scores
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Alice in Wonderland”.
Released album “9: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Taking Woodstock”.
Released album “Terminator Salvation: Original Soundtrack”.
Released album “Milk: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “The Film Music of Danny Elfman”.
Released album “Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”.
Released album “Wanted: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Standard Operating Procedure”.
Elfman expressed support for Barack Obama
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elfman accepted his first commission for the stage, composing the music for Twyla Tharp's Rabbit and Rogue ballet, co-commissioned by American Ballet Theatre and Orange County Performing Arts Center and premiering on Jun
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “The Kingdom”.
Released album “Meet the Robinsons”.
Scored the Disney animated film Meet the Robinsons, taking inspiration from other cartoon composers like Carl Stalling (who was responsible for most of the music for the original Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies carto
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Charlotte’s Web: Music From the Motion Picture”.
Released album “Serenada Schizophrana”.
“I began composing several dozen short improvisational compositions, maybe a minute each. Slowly, some of them began to develop themselves until finally I had six separate movements that, in some abstract, absurd way, felt connected.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (Deutscher Original Film-Soundtrack)”.
Released album “Tim Burton's Corpse Bride”.
Released album “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”.
Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for Desperate Housewives (2005).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wrote the score and songs for Burton's Corpse Bride and provided the voice of the character of Bonejangles, and provided the score, songs and Oompa-Loompa vocals for Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that sam
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Spider‐Man 2: Original Motion Picture Score”.
Elfman and Fonda were married
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Hulk”.
They began dating and on November 29, 2003, Elfman and Fonda were married.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Red Dragon”.
Released album “Spider‐Man: Original Motion Picture Score”.
Wrote the music for Honda's "Power of Dreams" advertising campaign, which was the first cinema commercial to be shot in the IMAX format
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
And Spider-Man 2 in 2004, themes and selections from which were used for Raimi's Spider-Man 3, scored by Christopher Young
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Scrooged”.
Released album “Planet of the Apes: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Spy Kids”.
Released album “Men in Black II”.
Released album “Proof of Life”.
Released album “Sleepy Hollow: Music From the Motion Picture”.
Released album “Instinct”.
Released album “A Civil Action”.
And for the Tim Burton exhibition at MoMA in 2009
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “A Simple Plan”.
Released album “Psycho”.
Elfman scored the movie, A Simple Plan, where he met the leading actress, Bridget Fonda
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Men in Black: The Score”.
Released album “Flubber”.
Released album “Good Will Hunting: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Mars Attacks!”.
Released album “Music for a Darkened Theatre: Film & Television Music, Volume 2”.
Released album “Extreme Measures: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “The Frighteners”.
Released album “Mission: Impossible: Music From the Original Motion Picture Score”.
Scored the first film in the Mission: Impossible series, adapting themes for the original television series by Lalo Schifrin as well as composing his own
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “To Die For”.
With a series of five sold-out final concerts at the Universal Amphitheatre ending on Halloween night
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Dolores Claiborne”.
Released album “Black Beauty”.
Released album “Shrunken Heads (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”.
Released album “Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: Colonna sonora originale italiana”.
Released album “L’Étrange Noël de Monsieur Jack”.
Released album “The Nightmare Before Christmas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Sommersby”.
Released album “Pesadilla antes de Navidad de Tim Burton: Banda sonora en español”.
Elfman wrote the score and ten songs for the Burton-produced stop motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick, and also provided the singing voice for main character Jack Skellington, as
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Batman Returns”.
Released album “Article 99”.
Released album “Edward Scissorhands: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
Released album “Music for a Darkened Theatre: Film & Television Music, Volume One”.
Released album “Darkman”.
Awarded Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for Batman (1990).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Wisdom”.
Released album “Nightbreed”.
Released album “Dick Tracy”.
Released album “Batman: Original Motion Picture Score”.
Elfman's influential, Grammy-winning score for Burton's Batman marked a major stylistic shift to dark, densely orchestrated music in the romantic idiom
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Beetlejuice”.
Released album “Big Top Pee-wee”.
Released album “Midnight Run”.
Released album “Pee-wee's Big Adventure / Back to School”.
Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 feature film scores as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Released album “Pee-wee's Big Adventure”.
Released album “So-Lo”.
Released album “Forbidden Zone: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”.
“s original songs 1979–1994 and has made residuals on the titular two-word opening phrase sung in his The Simpsons theme since the series first aired in 1989. Personal life As a teenager, Elfman dated his classmate Kim Gordon, who would later become one of the members of the rock band Sonic Youth. After returning from France and Africa, he met and married Geri Eisenmenger. He adopted Eisenmenger”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Pared the group down to eight players to record and tour as a ska-influenced new wave band
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
In Los Angeles, California to a Jewish family of Russian descent
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born 1953-05-29.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
s Golden Age, such as Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Max Steiner, David Tamkin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Carl Stalling; 20th century classical composers Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Carl Orff; and jazz, experimental and minimalist composers Kurt Weill, Duke Ellington, Harry Partch, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich. Influences on specific scores include Erik Satie (Forbidden Zone), Nino Rota (Pee-wee
Connections
Family we also track