Both adaptations of the comic book classic have stellar soundtracks.
The 2009 film
- "Pruitt Igoe
" from Koyaanisqatsi managed to turn the sad tale of how Dr. Manhattan came to be into the epic, tragic birth of a god. - The opening of the Watchmen movie. A six-minute montage of the characters' backstory, soundtracked all the way with Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'". Absolute perfection.
- Dan and Laurie's sex scene, with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". This is made even better by how the Cohen version was always meant as a straight Gospel song, which Jeff Buckley later covered as a sexy song. This was later reused in the trailer of Zack Snyder's Justice League.
- The melancholy "Sounds of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel is a fitting theme for The Comedian's funeral.
- From the Director's Cut, the Death of Hollis Mason... Set to the theme song of Raging Bull. It's awesome. Fun starts at around 2:10.
- My Chemical Romance's cover of Desolation Row is a Punk Rock cover with a 2000s vibe of Bob Dylan's original.
The 2019 series
When the score is composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, this is to be expected.
- "OBJECTS IN MIRROR (ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR)" sounds like something straight out of Blade Runner.
- Sister Night's insanely badass theme "NUN WITH A MOTHERF*&*ING GUN" (though granted, it's now probably better associated with the Lube Man scene from Episode 4).
- The heartwrenching "LINCOLN TUNNEL" plays both over Angela’s valiant but ultimately fruitless attempt to save her husband from the Seventh Kavalry, and later in the Dreamland Theater when Will and Angela are talking after the deaths of Doctor Manhattan, the leadership of Cyclops, and Lady Trieu.
- The instrumental version of "Life On Mars" played at the end of "An Almost Religious Awe." It even won an Emmy, putting Reznor and Ross only a Tony away from an EGOT.
- The series' usage of licensed music:
- "Little Fear of Lightning" features Nataly Dawn's gorgeous cover of "Careless Whisper", which serves as an excellent background to poor Looking Glass' existential crisis.
- "This Extraordinary Being" gives easily the best usage of The Ink Spots' "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" outside of Fallout with the fight between Hooded Justice and The Klan in the deli.
- Finally, "See How They Fly" ends on a rendition of The Beatles' "I Am The Walrus" by Spooky Tooth, which perfectly ties into and even hints at Angela gaining her husband's Reality Warper powers from the egg.
- "Little Fear of Lightning" features Nataly Dawn's gorgeous cover
- "The Hills pt. 2" by Martin Wave is a eerie and haunting theme that accompanies the Comic-Con trailer.
