SUICIDE SQUAD SOUNDTRACKS: SONGS FROM BOTH FILMS

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Do you love the Suicide Squad songs: 2016 edition and 2021? Then you've come to the right place!

We live in an age in which superhero flicks rule Hollywood – and, thanks to Warner Bros, supervillain films too.

In 2016, the stalwart film studio released Suicide Squad as part of their DCEU (DC Extended Universe) starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis and an array of other A-listers.

Directed by American filmmaker David Ayer, the film disappointed comic book readers, film fanatics and critics alike – viewers couldn’t help but feel that Ayer and co wasted an opportunity to explore the rich characters (e.g. Joker, Harley Quinn, Enchantress, Deadshot and Amanda Waller) and make the most of the film’s star-studded cast.

In 2021, Warner Bros took a second shot at releasing a film inspired by the comic book antihero team. This time, they enlisted the help of James Gunn: a man renowned for taking the little-known Guardians of the Galaxy team from Marvel comics and making two – soon to be three – of the most talked-about MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) films to date.

The DCEU team evidently thought to themselves, if anyone can revive the Suicide Squad name, surely, it’s Gunn?

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As expected, James Gunn’s take on a Suicide Squad film – simply titled The Suicide Squad – was nothing short of spectacular. Gunn proved, once again, that he can bring a group of largely overlooked rebels together – such as Polka Dot Man, King Shark and Ratcatcher 2 – and turn them into heroes.

Bar Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag and Jai Courtney’s Boomerang Man, the two films don’t have an awful lot in common. But one thing audiences may take from the two films is that music is paramount to telling an antihero tale: both Suicide Squad (2016) and The Suicide Squad (2021) are blessed with remarkable soundtracks.

Below, we look at the soundtracks to the Suicide Squad films, exploring the standout songs from each.

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Suicide Squad Soundtrack

Suicide Squad’s soundtrack – officially titled Suicide Squad: The Album was released in 2016 by Atlantic Records.

In 2017, the album was nominated for a Grammy (Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media) and won the Kid’s Choice Award for Favourite Soundtrack.

Suicide Squad Soundtrack List

1. ‘Purple Lamborghini’ – Skrillex and Rick Ross

2. ‘Sucker For Pain’ – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons Logic, Ty Dolla $ign, X Ambassadors

3. ‘Heathens’ – Twenty One Pilots

4. ‘Standing in the Rain’ – Action Bronson, Mark Ronson and Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys)

5. ‘Gangsta’ – Kehlani

6. ‘Know Better’ – Kevin Gates

7. ‘You Don’t Own Me’ – Grace (ft. G-Eazy)

8. ‘Without Me’ – Eminem

9. ‘Wreak Havoc’ – Skylar Grey

10. ‘Medieval Warfare’ – Grimes

11. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – Panic! At The Disco

12. ‘Slippin’ Into Darkness’ – War

13. ‘Fortunate Son’ – Creedence Clearwater Revival

14. ‘I Started a Joke’ – ConfidentialMX (ft. Becky Hanson)

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Suicide Squad: Collector’s Edition Soundtrack List

1. ‘Purple Lamborghini’ – Skrillex and Rick Ross

2. ‘Sucker For Pain’ – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons

3.  ‘Heathens’ – Twenty One Pilots

4. ‘Standing in the Rain’ – Action Bronson, Mark Ronson and Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys)

5. ‘Gangsta (Harley Quinn and Joker Flashback Version)’ – Kehlani

6. ‘Know Better’ – Kevin Gates

7. ‘You Don’t Own Me’ – Grace (ft. G-Eazy)

8. ‘Without Me’ – Eminem

9. ‘Super Freak’ – Rick James

10. ‘Wreak Havoc’ – Skylar Grey

11. ‘Medieval Warfare’ – Grimes

12. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – Panic! At The Disco

13. ‘Slippin’ Into Darkness’ – War

14. ‘Fortunate Son’ – Creedence Clearwater Revival

15. ‘Spirit in the Sky’ – Norman Greenbaum

16. ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ – Etta James

17. ‘I Started a Joke’ – ConfidentialMX (ft. Becky Hanson)

Suicide Squad Songs

Want to know which songs are in which scenes? Keep reading to find out!

Suicide Squad Opening Song

In David Ayer’s take on Suicide Squad, ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by The Animals plays to set the sombre tone of the opening prison scene and of the antihero film as a whole.

Want to use folk-rock music for your film? Check out our acoustic folk music playlist.

Suicide Squad Trailer Song

Trailer music is super important – it’s used to capture viewers’ attention to entice them to take a trip to the cinema. For Suicide Squad, Warner Bros opted for Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

The song choice is apt for multiple reasons: 1) the various sections of the song represent the distinct members of the Suicide Squad 2) the rock sound of the track teases the rip-roaring action of the film and 3) the song is used at the end of the film.

Want to know more about music they use for trailers? Check out our trailer music article.

Song at the End of Suicide Squad

As mentioned above, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is used at the very end of the film.

The lyrics of the track pair well with the final scene as the team members find themselves in the same position that they were in at the beginning of the film: stuck in prison-like the events that had just played out were merely a dream.

Suicide Squad Harley Quinn Song

The song that becomes indivisible from Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn during David Ayer’s Suicide Squad is ‘You Don’t Own Me’.

Whilst Lesley Gore’s original version of the song is the one that features in the film, it’s the updated take by Grace and G-Eazy that makes it to the album.

‘You Don’t Own Me’ ties well with the character of Harley Quinn because her boyfriend Joker, the Belle Reve prison guards and Amanda Waller all believe that she is their possession. But in fact, no one owns Quinn but herself – a notion emphasised by the song’s lyrics.

Suicide Squad Single

Hollywood love a tie-in movie single, and for 2016’s Suicide Squad Atlantic Records released ‘Sucker For Pain’ by Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Logic and Ty Dolla $ign.

The dark hip hop track conveys the sense of foreboding created by the villains and the rebellious nature of their intentions.

The Suicide Squad Soundtrack

The Suicide Squad soundtrack – officially titled The Suicide Squad (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – was released in 2021 by WaterTower Music (a Warner Bros imprint formally known as New Line Records).

Alongside the album, director James Gunn released a Spotify playlist 'Songs Not Used in The Suicide Squad’ that consists of songs that almost made it into the film but, for some reason or another, were dropped.

The Suicide Squad Soundtrack List

1. ‘Folsom Prison Blues (Live)’ – Johnny Cash

2. ‘Sucker’s Prayer’ – The Decemberists

3. ‘Samba Na Sola’ – Céu

4. ‘Whistle For The Choir’ – The Fratellis

5. ‘Point Of No Return’ – Kansas

6. ‘Sola’ – Jessie Reyez

7. ‘Can’t Sleep’ – K.Flay

8. ‘Quem Tem Joga’ – Drik Barbosa, Gloria Groove and Karol Conká

9. ‘Rain’ – grandson and Jessie Reyez

10. ‘Just A Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody (And Nobody Cares For Me) (Medley)’ – Louis Prima

11. ‘Hey’ – Pixies

12. ‘So Busted’ – Culture Abuse

13. ‘Oh No!!!’ – grandson

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The Suicide Squad Songs

Want to know which songs are in which scenes? Keep reading to find out!

The Suicide Squad Opening Song

James Gunn has a reputation for integrating recognisable music tracks into his projects, so it pleased Gunn fans to hear The Suicide Squad open with a Johnny Cash track.

For obvious reasons, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ is fitting for a film that focuses on prison inmates. The bluesy song reminds audiences that most members of the Suicide Squad sign up to Amanda Waller’s team to escape the dismal set-up of Belle Reve prison.

The Suicide Squad Trailer Song

For the official trailer, Warner Bros opted for ‘Rain’, an original song by Grandson and Jessie Reyez that features on The Suicide Squad album.

Just like the plot of the film, the music used in the trailer is fast-paced, action-packed and filled with big moments.

Song At The End Of The Suicide Squad

Canadian-American singer Grandson also worked on another song for James Gunn’s film titled ‘Oh No!!!’. The track is selected to play during the credits of the film as the lyrics reflect the film’s narrative.

Want an alternative rock track for your project? Check out our alt-rock playlist.

The Suicide Squad Harley Quinn Song

By far the best scene in 2021’s The Suicide Squad is the one in which Harley Quinn escapes from captivity and knocks out everyone in her way.

Whilst the action plays out, Louis Prima’s ‘Just A Gigolo/ I Ain’t Got Nobody’ plays, the lyrics highlighting the fact that Quinn can handle things on her own. Additionally, the light-hearted sound of the song plays well with the sweet-yet-psycho demeanor of the antihero and her perception of the world.

The Suicide Squad Single

‘Rain’ –  the same song that’s used in the red band trailer – was released as a single to promote The Suicide Squad’s cinematic release.

The music video for ‘Rain’ is inspired by the late-night bar scenes of the film; during the video, grandson and Jessie Reyez appear as if they’re part of the action.

Music for Film

Looking to create your own soundtrack? Well, look no further. Here at Audio Network, we’ve got over 200,000 high-quality licensed tracks that are ready and waiting to be used by creatives across the world.

Within our catalogue, you can find songs from all different genres – including the types of songs that are featured in both Suicide Squad films. Start exploring our expansive collection of songs, and try sampling tracks in our production genre playlists.

Want to read a little more about movie music to gain inspiration? Fortunately for you, we’ve a wealth of information on the subject, which you can find over on our editorial page called The Edit. Here, you can find articles such as Best 90s Soundtracks, Best Selling Movie Soundtracks and Best Action Movie Soundtracks.

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