If you were in a surf or garage band in 1966, you played the theme from Batman. There was no avoiding it. You may not have released it on record, it may only have been in practice, but you can bet your Gotham dollars that the "Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na" sing-along was part of your repertoire.

Today, the Neal Hefti composition remains a surf, rockabilly, mod and television classic. Additionally, there have been heavy metal and acid house covers of the theme song, ranging from the sincere to novelty tunes. We'd be curious to know if another TV theme song has been covered more often.

In 1966, Batman was a pop culture phenomenon. Not only were there dozens of rock & roll bands ripping through the theme song, the actors from the show dropped records themselves. This is not a complete list of covers, but the most notable and oddest. And, yes, there definitely are differences between them.

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1. Neal Hefti 1966 We begin with the writer himself, Hefti, a former jazz trumpeter who became a composer and arranger for Count Basie. After Batman, Hefti penned the theme song to The Odd Couple. Image: Discogs

2. The Who 1966 The inimitable British quartet bashed through a handful of covers on its EP Ready Steady Who, released between the band's first two albums. Pete Townshend and Keith Moon add significant flair to this quick cut, which can now be found as a bonus track on A Quick One. Image: Discogs

3. The Kinks 1967 Alas, the Kinks never cut an official studio version of the theme, but jumped into the jam during a gig at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, in 1967. It can be heard in the live recordings. Image: Discogs

4. The Jam 1977 If it worked for the Who and the Kinks, by golly the Jam were gonna do it, too. The mod-punks absolutely rocket through "Batman Theme" on their debut album, In the City, kicking off with a frantic drum fill by Rick Buckler. Image: Discogs

5. Jan and Dean 1966 The harmonic surf duo took a strange detour from the beach at the tail end of their career, releasing the Jan and Dean Meet Batman concept album, which went far beyond mere theme on songs like "Mr. Freeze" and "Flight of the Batmobile." Image: Discogs

6. Link Wray 1966 If you need a tough, cool take on the theme, look no further than Link Wray, the rockabilly king who bit into each twisting riff like a shark. This take also injects some bizarre voice-overs with Robin asking about "nuclear power for the Batmobile." Image: Discogs

7. Nelson Riddle 1966 On the show's official soundtrack, Frank Sinatra's frequent collaborator Riddle jazzed up the joint, jumping into a swing-a-ding-ding interlude complete with flute solo. Though, he does surprisingly zip through the opening riff with greater velocity than even the Jam. Image: Discogs

8. The Marketts 1966 Perfect for BBQs and beach blanket bingos, this brassy version comes courtesy of some serious studio talent. The Marketts were an L.A. band of session musicians, including rhythm section Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine, who powered the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Image: Discogs

9. The Ventures 1966 Dig the cartoon art on this Japanese single release. The instrumental surf act changes up the tempo with some stop-and-go moments. What exactly is that machine gun sound rattling away in the left channel? The Penguin? Nifty guitar and whistle solos, though. Image: Discogs



10. Bruce & The Robin Rockers 1966 This cash-in from England was likely for Brits who couldn't get their hands on an import. Fun band name, even if it mixes secret identities with hero names. Here we have a sax solo. Image: Discogs

11. The "V" Rangers 1967 Austria had its own take, too, an enjoyable raw slice of garage fuzz with buzzing organ, bouncing bass and searing guitar solo. It rocks hard and slips into a surprising groove. Image: Discogs

12. The Revengers 1966 After an intro of echoing, galloping guitars, this funky version essentially turns the tune into "Wooly Bully." Great bass line, too. Image: Discogs

13. Bob Kuban & The In-Men 1966 This take differentiates itself with a soulful organ solo, but we mostly wanted to include it for the fantastic cover to The Cheater, the album on which is it found. Image: Discogs

14. Al Caiola and His Orchestra 1966 The guitarist tackled just about every TV theme of the era, as demonstrated by this promo 45 from '66. Images: Discogs

15. The Sensational Guitars Of Dan & Dale 1966 A toy company released this record, but there was no kidding around when it came to "The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale." The group actually included members of Sun Ra's Arkestra and Al Kooper's Blues Project. Yep, one of the most forward-thinking jazz acts of the 20th century earning some side money with DC characters. Image: Discogs

16. The Standells 1966 The cult proto-punks recorded a hot take on the song, as well. It can be heard as a bonus track on some reissues of Dirty Water. The Standells were one of many 1960s garage acts to appear on television comedies, too. Image: Discogs

17. R.E.M. 1992 And here we get into the oddities. R.E.M. submitted a new take on "Batman Theme" for Batman Returns, but the song was not used in the film or its soundtrack. The band released it as a B-side to "Drive," cheekily retitling it "Winged Mammal Theme." It's strikingly different, though Michael Stipe does provide the obligatory "Batman!" Image: Discogs

18. John Zorn 1990 While the jazz players behind "Dan & Dale" played it straight, avant-guard saxophonist Zorn turned the tune into challenging skronk for the opening track to his Naked City. Image: Discogs

19. The Well Paid Scientists 1998 Sure, why not turn it into an aggressive '90s rave cut, too. Image: Discogs