| Year | Film | Role/Directed by | Type of recording / Album | Released by | Notes / Accolades |
| 1977 | I Never Promised You a Rose Garden | Yri drummer / Directed by Anthony Page | | | Also featured Richard Elfman |
| Hot Tomorrows | Singer / Directed by Martin Brest | | | |
| 1981 | Urgh! A Music War | Himself | | | Part of Oingo Boingo |
| 1982 | Forbidden Zone | Satan / Directed by Richard Elfman | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| 1984 | Good Morning, Mr. Orwell | Himself | | | Part of Oingo Boingo |
| 1985 | Pee-wee's Big Adventure | Tim Burton | Original score released in part with selections from Back to School. | Varèse Sarabande; score later released as part of the Elfman/Burton box set by Warner Bros. Records | |
| 1986 | Back to School | Himself / Directed by Alan Metter | Soundtrack with one Elfman track | MCA; score later released with selections from Pee-wee's Big Adventure by Varèse Sarabande | Part of Oingo Boingo |
| Wisdom | Emilio Estevez | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| 1987 | Summer School | Carl Reiner | Soundtrack with one Elfman track | Chrysalis Records | Only unreleased Elfman film score to date |
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Geffen Records | |
| Midnight Run | Martin Brest | Soundtrack | MCA | |
| Big Top Pee-wee | Randal Kleiser | Soundtrack | Arista (reissued by PEG); expanded album without dialogue released by La-La Land Records | |
| Hot to Trot | Michael Dinner | Suite included on Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 1 | | |
| Scrooged | Richard Donner | Suite included on Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 1; complete score released by La-La Land Records | | |
| 1989 | Batman | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Warner Bros. Records; re-released with complete score from La-La Land Records |
Won his only Grammy 32nd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| 1990 | Nightbreed | Clive Barker | Soundtrack | MCA | |
| Dick Tracy | Warren Beatty | Soundtrack | Sire Records | Nominated for 33rd Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television |
| Darkman | Sam Raimi | Soundtrack | MCA | |
| Edward Scissorhands | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | MCA | Nominated for 34th Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television |
| 1992 | Article 99 | Howard Deutch | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Batman Returns | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Warner Bros. Records; re-released with complete score from La-La Land Records | |
| 1993 | Sommersby | Jon Amiel | Soundtrack | Elektra | |
| Army of Darkness | Sam Raimi | "March of the Dead" theme by Danny Elfman. Rest of the score by Joseph LoDuca | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Nightmare Before Christmas, TheThe Nightmare Before Christmas | Henry Selick | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records | Singing voice of Jack Skellington |
| 1994 | Black Beauty | Caroline Thompson | Soundtrack | Giant; expanded edition released by La-La Land Records | |
| 1995 | Dolores Claiborne | Taylor Hackford | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Dead Presidents | Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Soundtrack (one Elfman track; suite also included on Music for a Darkened Theatre Vol. 2) | Capitol Records | |
| To Die For | Gus Van Sant | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| 1996 |
Mission: Impossible |
Brian De Palma |
Soundtrack with three Elfman tracks | Phillips | |
| Score | Point Music | |
| Frighteners, TheThe Frighteners | Peter Jackson | Soundtrack | MCA | |
| Freeway | Matthew Bright | Suite included on Music for a Darkened Theatre Vol. 2 | | |
| Extreme Measures | Michael Apted | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Mars Attacks! | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Atlantic; expanded edition released by La-La Land Records |
First Elfman score to get an expanded release |
| 1997 |
Men in Black |
Barry Sonnenfeld |
Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks | SME |
Nominated for 70th Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score & for 40th Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television |
| Score | Columbia Records |
| Flubber | Les Mayfield | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records | |
| Good Will Hunting | Gus Van Sant | Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks; score released by Music Box | Capitol Records & Music Box Records |
Nominated for 70th Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score |
| 1998 | Simple Plan, AA Simple Plan | Sam Raimi | Soundtrack | Compass III | |
| A Civil Action | Steven Zaillian | Soundtrack | | |
| 1999 | Instinct | Jon Turteltaub | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Anywhere But Here | Wayne Wang | Soundtrack with one Elfman track | Atlantic | |
| Sleepy Hollow | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Hollywood Records | |
| 2000 | Proof of Life | Taylor Hackford | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| The Gift | Tommy Lee Ballard / Directed by Sam Raimi | | | |
| Family Man, TheThe Family Man | Brett Ratner | Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks | Sire Records | |
| 2001 | Planet of the Apes | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | SME; complete score released by La-La Land Records | |
| 2002 |
Spider-Man |
Sam Raimi |
Soundtrack |
|
Nominated for 45th Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| Score | |
| Men in Black II | Barry Sonnenfeld | Soundtrack | Columbia Records | |
| Red Dragon | Brett Ratner | Soundtrack | Decca Records | |
| Chicago | Rob Marshall | Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks | | |
| 2003 | Hulk | Ang Lee | Soundtrack | Decca Records | |
| Big Fish | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Sony Classical |
Nominated for 76th Academy Award for Best Original Score, for 61st Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score & for 47th Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| 2004 |
Spider-Man 2 |
Sam Raimi |
Soundtrack | Columbia Records | |
| Score | Sony Masterworks | |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Abbey Road Studios |
Nominated for 48th Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Wonka's Welcome Song) |
| Corpse Bride | Bonejangles / Directed by Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Warner Bros. Records | |
| 2006 | Deep Sea 3D | Howard Hall | Serenada Schizophrana | Sony Masterworks | |
| Nacho Libre | Jared Hess | "Ramses Suite" Rest of the album by Various Artists | Lakeshore Records | |
| Charlotte's Web | Gary Winick | Soundtrack | Sony Classical | |
| 2007 | Meet the Robinsons | Stephen Anderson | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records | |
| Kingdom, TheThe Kingdom | Peter Berg | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| 2008 | Standard Operating Procedure | Errol Morris | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Wanted | Timur Bekmambetov | Soundtrack | Lakeshore Records | |
| Hellboy II: The Golden Army | Guillermo del Toro | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Milk | Gus Van Sant | Soundtrack | Decca Records |
Nominated for 81st Academy Award for Best Original Score & for 52nd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| 2009 | Notorious | George Tillman, Jr. | Soundtrack with one Elfman track | Universal Music Group | |
| Terminator Salvation | McG | Soundtrack | Warner Bros. Records | |
| 9 | Shane Acker | Soundtrack. Elfman's music themes only, score composed by Deborah Lurie. | Reprise Records | |
| Taking Woodstock |
Ang Lee |
Soundtrack with four Elfman tracks |
Rhino Records | |
| Score |
La-La Land Records | |
| 2010 | Wolfman, TheThe Wolfman | Joe Johnston | Soundtrack | Varèse Sarabande | |
| Alice in Wonderland | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records |
Nominated for 68th Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score & for 53rd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media |
| Next Three Days, TheThe Next Three Days | Paul Haggis | Soundtrack | Lionsgate | |
| 2011 | Restless | Gus Van Sant | Soundtrack | La-La Land Records | |
| Real Steel |
Shawn Levy |
Soundtrack with one Elfman track |
Interscope | |
| Score |
Varèse Sarabande | |
| 2012 |
Dark Shadows |
Tim Burton |
Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks | | |
| Score |
WaterTower Music | |
| Men in Black 3 | Barry Sonnenfeld | Soundtrack | Sony Classical | |
| Frankenweenie | Tim Burton | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records | |
| Silver Linings Playbook |
David O. Russell |
Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks | Sony Classical | |
| Score |
SME | |
| Hitchcock | Sacha Gervasi | Soundtrack | Sony Masterworks | |
| Promised Land | Gus Van Sant | Soundtrack | Relativity Music Group | |
| 2013 | Oz the Great and Powerful | Sam Raimi | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records | |
| Epic | Chris Wedge | Soundtrack | Columbia Records | |
| American Hustle | David O. Russell | Song album with one Elfman track | Madison Gate Records | |
| 2014 | Mr. Peabody & Sherman | Rob Minkoff | Soundtrack | Relativity Music Group | |
| The Unknown Known | Errol Morris | Soundtrack | La La Land Records | |
| Big Eyes | Tim Burton | Soundtrack with six Elfman tracks | Interscope | |
| 2015 |
The End of the Tour | James Ponsoldt | Soundtrack | Lakeshore Records | |
| Fifty Shades of Grey |
Sam Taylor-Wood |
Soundtrack with two Elfman tracks | Republic Records | |
| Score | Republic Records | |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | Joss Whedon | Soundtrack (composed with Brian Tyler) | Hollywood Records | |
| Goosebumps | Rob Letterman | Soundtrack | Sony Classical | |
| 2016 |
Alice Through the Looking Glass | James Bobin | Soundtrack | Walt Disney Records | |
| Before I Wake | Mike Flanagan | Soundtrack (composed with The Newton Brothers) with three Elfman tracks | Varèse Sarabande | |
| The Girl on the Train | Tate Taylor | Soundtrack | Sony Classical | |
| Tulip Fever | Justin Chadwick | Soundtrack | | |
| 2017 | Fifty Shades Darker | James Foley | Soundtrack | | |
| The Circle | James Ponsoldt | Soundtrack | | |