Popular songs and insert tracks from the Mission: Impossible series
Tom Cruise’s blockbuster Mission: Impossible series is widely known not only for its engaging stories but also for its stylish music.
The theme from the original TV series, Mission: Impossible, composed by Lalo Schifrin, is famous for its distinctive 5/4 time signature.
It’s so iconic that even people who haven’t seen the films have likely heard it somewhere.
This time, we’re highlighting tracks used across the various Mission: Impossible films.
In addition to the film scores, we’ve selected songs played over the end credits and insert songs used in memorable scenes, so even those who’ve seen the movies might discover something new!
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Popular Songs and Insert Tracks from the Mission: Impossible Series (1–10)
I DisappearMetallica
Big-budget action movies and heavy metal really are a natural fit, aren’t they? Metallica, the world’s most famous and record-breakingly successful four-piece, contributed “I Disappear” to the 2000 film Mission: Impossible 2, releasing it as both a soundtrack cut and a single.
It’s fascinating to consider where this song sits in their career: throughout the 1990s they released massively successful albums worldwide, yet stirred controversy by shifting from traditional thrash metal toward midtempo rhythms and gritty, ground-crawling riffs influenced by grunge and alternative rock.
It also stands out as the only truly new, standalone track released between their alternative-leaning 1997 album Reload and 2003’s St.
Anger, notable for its raw, abrasive production.
Listening to its vibe—which seems to carry forward the sound they were making in the ’90s—you’d hardly have imagined they would go on to make something like St.
Anger.
As an aside, it was also the last recording to feature their second bassist, Jason Newsted.
Mission: Impossible Theme (Out With A Bang Version)Michael Giacchino
The main theme of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the fourth installment in the series, released in 2011.
As fans, there’s surely the thrill of seeing how musicians arrange this familiar piece.
Precisely because it’s so famous, a composer’s taste and skill are put to the test.
Michael Giacchino, who handled the music for the third and fourth films, delivered a solid arrangement that stays true to the fundamentals.
By not introducing the most famous phrase right at the beginning, he allows the build-up in the middle to come through—even within a score that’s less than a minute long.
The A400Joe Kraemer
When you hear “A400,” if you haven’t seen the film or you’re not a military buff, you probably won’t know what it refers to.
“A400” is the name of a military aircraft, and some of you might recall the intense, no-stunt scene where Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, clings to the outside of the plane.
It’s a famous moment used in promotional posters for the fifth installment, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
The piece that plays during this tense sequence is “The A400.” Composed by Joe Kraemer, the track is cool yet fiery, weaving in phrases from the iconic main theme while showcasing a dynamic ensemble with shifting tempo and intensity.
Popular Songs and Insert Tracks from the Mission: Impossible Series (11–20)
DreamsThe Cranberries
While it has an overall fresh sound, this track stands out for its melodic lines with a flavor different from typical rock or pop, as well as its distinctive vocal delivery.
Anyone familiar with Western music of the 1990s will quickly recognize it as a 1993 smash hit by The Cranberries, the legendary band from Ireland.
In fact, the song was also used as an insert track in the first Mission: Impossible film.
It can be faintly heard as background music from the bar in the final scene, where the protagonist Ethan and the ace hacker Luther share a toast.
Although it’s included on the soundtrack, the volume in the film was so low that many viewers may have wondered where it actually appeared.
As an aside, this song was also used as the theme song “Dreams” covered by Faye Wong in the Hong Kong film Chungking Express.
Mission: Impossible ThemeHans Zimmer
As you can tell from U2’s digi-rock-style arrangement and Limp Bizkit’s nu-metal cover, the Mission: Impossible theme meshes incredibly well with rock arrangements.
In the second installment, Mission: Impossible 2—featuring contributions from Limp Bizkit and Metallica—composer Hans Zimmer boldly gives the main theme a rock-centric treatment! While most other entries in the series stick to classic orchestral arrangements, it’s just plain cool that Hans Zimmer—an iconic film composer with multiple Oscars and Golden Globes to his name—went all-in on that kind of approach.
The score itself spans a wide range of sounds, from techno to orchestral, but it leans more toward a rock vibe overall, so definitely give the album a listen.
Finale and Curtain CallJoe Kraemer
I really think a truly moving song is indispensable at the end of a film.
This song fits that role perfectly.
The end of a movie always carries a touch of melancholy—like this song makes you feel, “Ah, it’s over…” Especially because Mission: Impossible features so many loud, flashy tracks, you really can’t do without a song like this that seems to encapsulate the entire film.
Mission: AccomplishedLorne Balfe
No matter the form, whenever that main theme phrase kicks in, you can’t help but want to throw a fist pump.
On the soundtrack for the latest entry in the series as of 2022, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the closing track Mission: Accomplished is one of the main themes where composer Lorne Balfe’s solid arrangement really shines.
The title “Mission: Accomplished” gives you a nice, satisfying feeling, doesn’t it? It’s the piece used in the film’s final scene, and when the operatic chorus comes in during the latter half, it goes full-on climax—absolutely great!