While Elfman is primarily known for writing large-scale orchestral works in the romantic, 20th century and Hollywood Golden Age film score traditions, his compositions have used a wide range of idioms, including rock and blues ("Midnight Run, Hot to Trot"), big band and jazz ("Dick Tracy", "Chicago"), operetta ("The Nightmare Before Christmas", "Corpse Bride"), funk and hip hop ("Dead presidents", "Notorious"), folk and indie rock ("Taking Woodstock", "Silver Linings Playbook"), Americana ("Article 99", "Sommersby", "Big Fish)," minimalism ("Good Will Hunting", "Standard Operating Procedure", "The Unknown Known"), and atonal or experimental ("Freeway", "A Simple Plan, The Girl on the Train").