Man of Steel (soundtrack)

While popular among fans, the score was polarizing among critics. Some were quite disappointed by the score, citing it as being repetitive, simplistic and over-reliant on drums, while others reacted more positively.

In her review of the film, Ann Hornday, from The Washington Post, called the score "turgid" and "over-produced".{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/man-of-steel-henry-cavill-stars-as-superman-in-this-bombastic-reboot/2013/06/12/6d77d5d0-d36c-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html|title='Man of Steel': Henry Cavill stars as Superman in this bombastic reboot|author=Ann Hornaday|date=13 June 2013|newspaper=Washington Post}}

Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK commended the tracks "Flight" and "What are You Doing When You're Not Saving the World?" as the best in the soundtrack album, but criticized the lack of development of those themes and the simplicity of the writing: "For [Superman] to be saddled with witless percussion, such predictable string writing, and such a simplistic and repetitive thematic statement is disappointing in the extreme".{{cite web|url=http://moviemusicuk.us/2013/06/17/man-of-steel-hans-zimmer/|title=MAN OF STEEL – Hans Zimmer - MOVIE MUSIC UK|work=MOVIE MUSIC UK|date=18 June 2013 }}

Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks.com dismissed the score as a "lowest common denominator" effort, criticizing the excessive use of percussion over other instruments, such as woodwinds or chimes. He concluded by saying: "Ultimately, Zimmer was right. He was the wrong man for this assignment".{{cite web|url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/man_steel.html|title=Filmtracks: Man of Steel (Hans Zimmer/Various)|work=filmtracks.com}}

James Southall, of Movie Wave, cited concerns with the score's over-reliance on a brass effect, dubbed "horn of doom" (made popular with the music from Inception) and wrote: "Man of Steel – the film – may not have the ambition of Inception – but it still has its unique musical needs, and they’re just not satisfied".{{cite web|url=http://www.movie-wave.net/?p=3683|title=Man of Steel|work=movie-wave.net|date=15 June 2013 }}

Conversely, James Christopher Monger, writing for Allmusic, called the soundtrack "grittier and darker than any of its predecessors, due in large part to Zimmer's proclivity for non-stop, thunderous percussion, though it retains enough goose bump-inducing moments to be called a proper Superman score, especially on the elegiac "Look to the Stars" and its soaring counterpart "What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?", both of which dutifully reflect the iconic superhero's propensity for both goodness and might".{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/man-of-steel-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0002543533|title=Man of Steel [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] - Hans Zimmer - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic|author=James Christopher Monger|work=AllMusic}} Chris McEneany of AVForums stated that Zimmer, despite his excessive use of drums, "[came] up with a work that is blistering, beautiful, bold and, I have to say it, brilliant".{{cite web|url=http://www.avforums.com/movies/Man-of-Steel-Soundtrack--Deluxe-Edition-review_11264/soundtrack.html|title=Movies Reviews, News & Articles|work=avforums.com|access-date=2013-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624035913/http://www.avforums.com/movies/Man-of-Steel-Soundtrack--Deluxe-Edition-review_11264/soundtrack.html|archive-date=2013-06-24|url-status=dead}} Jørn Tillnes of Soundtrackgeek gave the score a rave review: "The purists, the soundtrack geeks of old will no doubt hate this score and will use every ounce of their energy to bash it as nothing more than generic droning music. For the rest of us, I believe the new bold direction the Superman franchise is taking is both brilliant and brave. Superman deserves this score and so do you".{{cite web|url=http://www.soundtrackgeek.com/v2/soundtrack-review-man-of-steel/|title=Soundtrack Review: Man Of Steel (2013)|author=Jørn Tillnes|work=Soundtrack Geek V2 - Film Scores and Soundtrack Reviews - Your home for movie scores, game music and television scores|access-date=2013-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104015/http://www.soundtrackgeek.com/v2/soundtrack-review-man-of-steel/|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=usurped}}

All music by Hans Zimmer, except where noted.

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc 1 – Flight

| total_length = 57:04

| title1 = Look to the Stars

| length1 = 2:54

| title2 = Oil Rig

| length2 = 1:31

| title3 = Sent Here for a Reason

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = DNA

| length4 = 3:18

| title5 = Goodbye My Son

| length5 = 1:57

| title6 = If You Love These People

| length6 = 3:02

| title7 = Krypton's Last

| length7 = 1:58

| title8 = Terraforming

| length8 = 9:46

| title9 = Tornado

| length9 = 2:46

| title10 = You Die or I Do

| length10 = 3:04

| title11 = Launch

| length11 = 2:29

| title12 = Ignition

| length12 = 1:12

| title13 = I Will Find Him

| length13 = 2:57

| title14 = This Is Clark Kent

| length14 = 3:36

| title15 = I Have So Many Questions

| length15 = 3:21

| title16 = Flight

| length16 = 4:09

| title17 = What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

| length17 = 5:26}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc 2 – Experiments from the Fortress of Solitude

| total_length = 85:15

| title1 = Man of Steel

| note1 = Hans' Original Sketchbook

| length1 = 28:11

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc 1 – Flight

| total_length = 57:04

| title1 = Look to the Stars

| length1 = 2:54

| title2 = Oil Rig

| length2 = 1:31

| title3 = Sent Here for a Reason

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = DNA

| length4 = 3:18

| title5 = Goodbye My Son

| length5 = 1:57

| title6 = If You Love These People

| length6 = 3:02

| title7 = Krypton's Last

| length7 = 1:58

| title8 = Terraforming

| length8 = 9:46

| title9 = Tornado

| length9 = 2:46

| title10 = You Die or I Do

| length10 = 3:04

| title11 = Launch

| length11 = 2:29

| title12 = Ignition

| length12 = 1:12

| title13 = I Will Find Him

| length13 = 2:57

| title14 = This Is Clark Kent

| length14 = 3:36

| title15 = I Have So Many Questions

| length15 = 3:21

| title16 = Flight

| length16 = 4:09

| title17 = What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

| length17 = 5:26}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc 2 – Experiments from the Fortress of Solitude

| total_length = 115:08

| title1 = Man of Steel

| note1 = Hans' Original Sketchbook

| length1 = 28:11

| title2 = Are You Listening, Clark?

| length2 = 2:39

| title3 = General Zod

| music3 = {{hlist|Hans Zimmer|Junkie XL}}

| length3 = 7:21

| title4 = You Led Us Here

| length4 = 2:59

| title5 = This Is Madness!

| music5 = {{hlist|Hans Zimmer|Junkie XL}}

| length5 = 3:48

| title6 = Earth

| length6 = 6:11

| title7 = Arcade

| music7 = {{hlist|Hans Zimmer|Junkie XL}}

| length7 = 7:25

}}

;Music appearing in the film and not included on the soundtrack

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;Primary artist

• Hans Zimmer – composer, producer, arranger{{cite web|url=http://www.hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=1153|title=Man of Steel Soundtrack| publisher = Hans Zimmer|access-date=June 10, 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770828/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=Man of Steel Soundtrack Personnel| publisher = IMDb|access-date=June 10, 2013}}

;Production

• Peter Asher – co-producer

;Orchestrators

• Bruce Fowler
• Elizabeth Finch
• Kevin Kaska
• Rick Giovinazzo

{{col-2}}

;Additional music

• Tom Holkenborg – additional music
• Atli Örvarsson – additional music
• Andrew Kawczynski – additional music
• Steve Mazzaro – additional music
• Geoff Zanelli – additional music

;Additional personnel and recording

• Mel Wesson – ambient music design
• Czarina Russell – score coordinator
• Steven Kofsky – music production services
• Melissa Muik – music editor
• Howard Scarr – synth programmer
• Mark Wherry – digital instrument design
• Alan Meyerson – music score mixing
• Hilda "Thórhildur" Örvarsdóttir – vocals

;Percussion Session Musicians{{cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2013/06/every-drummer-you-can-think-of-appears-on-the-man-of-steel-soundtrack/|title=Man of Steel Dummers|date=27 June 2013 | publisher = Consequence of Sound|access-date=June 4, 2020}}

• Matt Chamberlain
• Josh Freese
• Danny Carey
• Jason Bonham
• Pharrell Williams
• Sheila E.
• John JR Robinson
• Satnam Ramgotra
• Toss Panos
• Jim Keltner
• Vinnie Colaiuta
• Bernie Dresel
• Curt Bisquera
• Trevor Lawrence Jr.
• Ryeland Allison

;Musicians

• Martin Tillman
• Ann Marie Calhoun
• Bryce Jacobs

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.watertower-music.com/releases/release.php?title=manofsteel Official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713090927/http://www.watertower-music.com/releases/release.php?title=manofsteel |date=2017-07-13 }}

{{Superman in popular media}}

{{DC Extended Universe}}

{{Hans Zimmer}}

Category:2013 soundtrack albums

Category:2010s film soundtrack albums

Category:Hans Zimmer soundtracks

Category:WaterTower Music soundtracks

Category:Superman soundtracks

Category:DC Extended Universe soundtracks

Category:Superhero film soundtracks