Although the CD of the “Batman Forever” soundtrack says “Original music from the motion picture,” only three (maybe four) songs of the 14 included on the disc were in the film. If peppering the soundtrack with songs by U2, Seal, Brandy, Method Man, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, and Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn sounds like a money grab, it probably was — and one that paid off. According to the Wiki on the soundtrack, it reached double platinum status in the U.S., platinum in Canada and Australia, and silver in the U.K. It also reached number 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and did quite well internationally. So, overall not a bad bit of business for Atlantic records.
Two songs, in particular, helped to move record sales from the red into the black: “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal and “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” by U2. Both are solid songs, but “Kiss from a Rose” was also part of another soundtrack the year before (“The NeverEnding Story III“). Indeed, “Kiss from a Rose” was written in 1987 and Seal said it was embarrassing to him, so he “threw the tape in the corner” until his producer (Trevor Horn) took what Seal thought was trash and turned it into treasure. So much gold was made out of that perceived trash that it won three Grammys in 1996 (Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Make Pop Vocal Performance) and topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, Top 40, and Mainstream Top 40.
U2’s “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” also did really well as a single. It was a top 10 single in many parts of the world and topped the Irish charts, Billboard U.S. Album Rock Tracks, and Modern Rock Tracks charts. On the Hot 100, it reached number 16. U2 also got two Grammy nominations for the song (Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song). They lost to Blues Traveler for “Run-Around” and Alanis Morissette for “You Outta Know” respectively.
Still, both Seal and U2 probably made oodles of cash by including the songs on their own albums: “Seal” and U2’s “The Best of 1990-2000.” So, in a purely economic sense, the two biggest songs on the soundtrack really carried it for the other artists featured. But are the other songs any good? Like many soundtracks assembled as a way to get the public to buy a compilation album of new songs by established artists, this one is better than most. Even if you exclude Seal and U2, the vast majority of songs are solid, and they tend to work well in the album sequence.
Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn’s cover of the Smokey Robinson penned “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game” is worth the price of admission, as is Eddi Reader’s “Nobody Lives Without Love.” Both songs could have done well on the Modern Rock charts had they been released as singles. Brandy’s “Where Are You Now?” and Michael Hutchence’s he-made-it-his-own cover of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” are also standout tracks. Not everything works, however. Mazzy Star’s “Tell Me Now” was a little too sleepy for me, but it does do a good job of maintaining the overall mood of the album. And it’s that mood that makes the soundtrack not only consistently good from start to finish but also reflects the musical tastes of Gen X — who were in their 20s and 30s when this soundtrack was released.
It’s that Gen X sound that I want to focus on for a bit here. For certain generations like Baby Boomers, there’s a core group of artists who tend to be associated with them. Gen X was a little harder to market to since music in the ’90s was fractured, leaving genres more siloed. Indeed, U2 (a holdover from the ’80s) was one of a few bands who could continue into the ’90s because they had consciously jettisoned the style that made them popular in the first place. “Achtung Baby,” “Zooropa,” and “Pop” repositioned the band into that fractured music landscape, so when “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” was recorded during the “Zooropa” sessions, it wasn’t out of step with the kind of music they were already making. Even Michael Hutchence from INXS seems very much at home creating far more industrial music than what he and his bandmates in INXS were known for.
The most frothy and light-sounding song in the collection is by The Devlins (“Crossing the River”) which, lyrically, isn’t all that light and frothy. But the vocal delivery and the rhythmic bass keep the song from really heading over to the dark side. The final two tracks on the album “8” by Sunny Day Real Estate and “Bad Day” by The Flaming Lips are good counterpoints to the more heavy production of the songs that preceded them. The jangly guitar work and a xylophone used by The Flaming Lips or the more aggressive (grungy) work by Sunny Day Real Estate are nice flourishes, but while the songs don’t sink into the level of musical stuffing — they only do so by degrees.
The beauty of a soundtrack album like this is, except for “Kiss from a Rose,” all songs feel like deep cuts. Too often, soundtracks of this type are frontloaded with a couple of strong singles and the rest is more generic filler. “Batman Forever” does sidestep that particular trap by assembling a collection of songs that could have been included in the movie in some form or fashion. But the fact that they weren’t doesn’t really take away from this ’90s artifact. It also should be noted as a successful example of a time when marketing to Gen X wasn’t as easy as the previous generation.
ChatGpt’s Post
Hello. I’m ChatGpt. Ted plugged in the prompt: “Write a blog post about the “Batman Forever” soundtrack as a collection of songs that reflect Gen X’s musical tastes.” Here’s what I wrote. I think it’s better than Ted’s post.
The Batman Forever soundtrack, released in 1995, was a reflection of the diverse musical tastes of Gen X at the time. With artists ranging from R&B and hip hop to alternative rock and even a bit of industrial, the soundtrack showcased the wide range of genres that were popular among Gen Xers in the 1990s.
One of the standout tracks on the soundtrack was “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal, which became a massive hit and earned Seal multiple Grammy Awards. The song’s soulful, emotive vocals and smooth production made it a perfect fit for the Batman Forever soundtrack, and it remains one of the most memorable songs from the era.
Another notable track on the soundtrack was “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” by U2. This upbeat, guitar-driven track perfectly captured the energy and attitude of Gen X, and it became a fan favorite.
Other artists on the Batman Forever soundtrack included Brandy, who contributed the R&B ballad “Where Are You Now?”, and The Flaming Lips, whose psychedelic rock sound was showcased on “Bad Days”.
Overall, the Batman Forever soundtrack was a diverse and exciting reflection of the musical tastes of Gen X in the 1990s. From soulful ballads to upbeat rock tunes, the soundtrack had something for everyone and remains a classic to this day.