Here are my picks for the greatest film scores of all time.
1.
The Star Wars Original Trilogy (1977-1983), John Williams
The undisputed king of film scores with
his greatest masterpiece. A hundred years from now, this will still be played.
2.
Mary Poppins (1964), The Sherman Brothers
This is the best original film musical
ever made.
3.
The Passion of the Christ (2004), John Debney
Listening to this score is like an opera
of the Station of the Cross, as close to a musical devotion as any film has
come.
4.
The Ten Commandments
(1956), Elmer Bernstein
The archetypical great Biblical score
5.
Psycho
(1960), Bernard Herrmann
A perfect example of how music matches the
action on screen.
6.
Ben-Hur
(1959), Miklós Rózsa
There are so many good themes in this film
on both an intimate and epic scale.
7.
Jurassic Park
(1993), John Williams
Great example of both wonder and horror
8.
Back to the Future
(1986), Alan Silvestri
A fun, exciting score for one of the great
sci-fi series of all time
9.
Jaws (1975),
John Williams
A deceptively simple yet effective melody
that creates instant dread. Few films are easily identified by their score
alone, and they are usually John Williams scores.
10.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Klaus Badelt
A great adventure score that
perfectly matches the swashbuckling fantasies of every
schoolboy.
11.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), John Williams
It’s rare for a score to play a
significant role in the plot, but here the music is a character.
12.
Titanic (1997), James Horner
Cheesy, yes. Iconic and romantic,
absolutely.
13.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Incredibly fun and adventurous
14.
Brokeback Mountain (2005), Gustavo Santaolalla
Beautiful, haunting, sad melody
15.
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), John Williams
This brings back the fun and joy of
childhood
16.
Braveheart (1995), James Horner
A beautiful blend of Scottish music
with a modern touch
17.
Chariots of Fire (1981), Vangelis
This was the first electronic score
to get major recognition, and it’s still used in sports today
18.
Men in Black (1997), Danny Elfman
A great theme, especially for
montages
19.
Gone with the Wind (1939), Max Steiner
A mix of romance and splendor, love
for an age long gone and hope for the future.
20.
The Harry Potter Series (2001-2011), John Williams
Soft, a little spooky, and
enchanting; the real magic is the imagination of youth
21.
The Godfather (1972), Nino Rota
Tragic, sad, echoes of a life led
possibly different
22.
Batman (1989), Danny Elfman
A great, fun adventure score
23.
Koyaanisqatsi (1981), Phillip Glass
This exists because of the editing
and the score. It’s rare to see film music front and center.
24.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), John Williams
The classic adventure score.
25.
Forrest Gump (1994), Alan Silvestri
Beautiful and haunting, imitating
the random – or perhaps not so random – path of life
26.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Elmer Bernstein
Bernstein invokes childhood
innocence and also something sinister underneath.
27.
The Red Violin (1998), John Corigliano
Beautiful score that uses a variety
of styles and themes
28.
Inception (2010), Hans Zimmer
Few scores these days can be
described as epic, but this is one exception.
29.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Maurice Jarre
Beautiful and majestic, like the
dunes of its setting.
30.
Schindler’s List (1993), John Williams
So sad but hopeful
31.
Independence Day (1996), David Arnold
Moving and exciting, perfect to get
into the patriotic spirit
32.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman
It’s got a great rhythm
33.
Godzilla (1954), Akira Ifukube
All hail the king!
34.
October Sky (1999), Mark Isham
Beautiful, lyrical music evoking sad
at difficulties in the past
35.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), Ennio Morricone
The classic Western riff
36.
The Incredibles (2004), Michael Giacchino
Great adventure score
37.
The Right Stuff (1983)
Beautiful and majestic, Bill Conti
38.
High Noon (1952), Dimitri Tiomkin
A great Western and romance score
39.
Edward Scissorhands (1990), Danny Elfman
Haunting and bittersweet, perfect
Burton score
40.
Frozen (2013), Christophe Beck
Fun, adventurous, and stuck in your
head
41.
The Lion King (1994), Hans Zimmer
This was the first great modern
score of the Disney era
42.
Finding Nemo (2003), Thomas Newman
Beautiful and haunting, both sad and
adventurous
43.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003), Howard Shore
This is considered by many as the
greatest of all the fantasy scores.
44.
The Prince of Egypt (1998), Hans Zimmer
Beautiful melodies evoke one of the
greatest stories of the ancient world
45.
North by Northwest (1959), Bernard Herrmann
Besides Spielberg and Williams, this
is probably the greatest director/composer pairing in film history.
46.
Beauty and the Beast (1991), Alan Menken
Classic Disney Renaissance
47.
Munich (2005), John Williams
An underrated Williams score,
powerful and haunting
48.
The Pink Panther (1964), Henry Mancini
People probably remember Mancini’s humorous
take on a suspense score more than Sellers brilliant performance.
49.
Superman (1978), John Williams
The first great superhero score
50.
Spaceballs (1987), John Morris
A great parody of classic sci-fi
scores
Honorable
Mention: Black Robe, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Dragonheart, Exodus,
Gladiator, The Hurt Locker, Interstellar, Kundun, La La Land, Life is
Beautiful, Life of Pi, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Nightmare Before
Christmas, The Truman Show, Rocky, and Wall-E
Multiple
Mentions: John Williams (10), Danny Elfman (3), Hans Zimmer (3), Elmer
Bernstein (2), Bernard Hermann (2), James Horner (2), Alan Silvestri (2)
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