Elfman's most recognisable composition is probably the theme music to the animated television series The Simpsons.
Elfman was the frontman for the 1980s rock band Oingo Boingo.
He has had a long association with the film director Tim Burton, and has scored many of his films including Beetlejuice, Batman, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Mars Attacks. Burton and Elfman also collaborated intensively on the modern opera-film The Nightmare Before Christmas, for which Elfman contributed the singing voice of the main character, as well as writing the lyrics and composing the songs and score.
He has also scored many other films including Good Will Hunting, Darkman, Dick Tracy, Freeway, Chicago and Wes Craven's Scream 2.
More recently, he worked on both movies in the Men in Black series.