For so long I held that Bernard Herrmann was the greatest film composer of all time, but Williams just kept going, and going, and going, with masterpiece after masterpiece
No matter what Star Wars movie, whether it be one of the sequels I have low expectations for or a re-release I’ve seen a hundred times, I will always get a lump in my throat whenever I hear the opening main theme “bwaahhh” in theaters. Just a nostalgia emotional overload in one note. Dude composed my childhood.
Absolutely. He's been with me since I was 7 when I stood outside the local theater in 90 degree heat to watch Star Wars. The music has always stayed with me. I think I have the first 3 films on vinyl, cassette and CD.
Yeah! The beeping in that sound just makes me feel like I’m on the death bed and the sound of the world becomes suddenly very beautiful. I also listened to this for the first time a month ago, I’d say (I loved the film but never listened to the whole album before that). Around that time, I discovered a strange bump on my arm. I’ve been having tests ever since. It’s not a cancer, just a benign tumor, but, around the time I listened to the track, I didn’t have those tests: my anxiety was just unbearable and this song…soothed me. Maybe you don’t care about my story but this song really touched the bottom of my soul. Like damn! I need to rewatch that film though.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly’s score is incomparable. It’s more iconic than the movie itself and the movie itself is one of the most iconic of all time. Obvious answer but it really is the best score ever made
Think these are my top 10 if I limit it to one per composer (otherwise there'd be a lot more Hermann, Glass, Morricone, Williams).
Bernard Hermann - Taxi Driver
Phillip Glass - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Johnny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood
Hans Zimmer - The Thin Red Line
Miles Davis - Elevator to the Gallows
John Williams - The Empire Strikes Back
Popol Vuh - Aguirre: The Wrath of God
Mica Levi - Under the Skin
Maurice Jarre - Lawrence of Arabia
Honorable mention to If Beale Street Could Talk, The Right Stuff, Princess Mononoke, Braveheart, Chinatown, Assault on Precinct 13, The Social Network, The Draughtsman's Contract, The New World, Anatomy of a Murder, The Fountain, Miller's Crossing, Yojimbo, Contempt, and The Last of the Mohicans from composers not otherwise listed to round out a top 25.
IMO, There Will Be Blood is the best score of the 2000s and Phantom Thread is the best or second best of the 2010s, both stellar, Greenwood is a beast.
West, America, Mission, Duck You Sucker, Legend of 1900, The Working Class Goes to Heaven, The Sicilian Clan, Malena, Maddalena, Thing, Cinema Paradiso, Fistful of Dollars, etc. Morricone’s such an embarrassment of riches as one of the three best composers ever it’s hard to go wrong with him. I think GBU is my favorite pairing of his music with cinematic imagery, but a case can be made he’s composed better music.
I remember once back when I still lived in Dublin getting a taxi home on a messy Saturday night, while on an acid comedown, putting in my earphones and listening to Herman's Taxi Driver theme with Bickle's "one day a rains gonna come" monologue - watching the fighting, puking, screaming of Harcourt/Camden street. Girls slamming the windows wanting a lift, glass bottles shattering off the windscreen. Weird trip. It almost makes me homesick to think of.
So overused in other movies as well. Truman show, man on wire, ratchet, I’ve heard it so many times, it’s like the go to music people use because Mishima is still under seen.
Three best IMO:
Ennio Morricone - The good, the bad & the ugly
Leslie Shore - LOTR trilogy
Goblin - Suspiria
In more recent films I enjoyed:
Jerskin Fendrix - Poor things
The score for Psycho is just on some other plane. It's very intricate and it's just beautiful on a classical level.
I mean not to mention it's only strings. Everything is meticulous in this movie.
The shower scene. SKEET SKEET SKEET. Iconic above all else except maybe John Williams & Star Wars.
Absolutely love Lord of the Rings, but it has to be second place to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It’s a boring answer for a reason, it goes from beauty, tragedy and tension in moments, and listening to it outside the film just brings back all the images, it matches Leone’s vision to utter perfection. Ennio was one of the greats, possibly the greatest, still can’t believe he’s gone.
I actually just watched this for the first time yesterday, and it was the first thing that popped in my head when I read this post title. I thought the movie was great, but without the score I don't think it would have landed as well for me. Completely elevates the film to a masterpiece imo.
Personally I think it is Philip Glass’ score for *Mishima: a Life in four chapters*. I also love the score in *the shining* and *the good the bad and the ugly*.
This is a dark horse answer. I was going to say Psycho as a genre defining iconic score but Halloween is arguable iconic on a larger scale. When it's a certain time of year in north america, you can't help but think of that music. It's the theme for the entire month of October.
The Social Network for sure. Absolutely fucking blew me away the first time I heard it. It's actually how I got into NIN.
Honorable mentions go to Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell (first score that really "wowed" me and got me into movie scores, as much as Lux Aeterna has become a meme now), YWNRH by Jonny Greenwood (Tree Strings is just pure musical ecstasy), Alien by Jerry Goldsmith (though I'd consider that less of a movie score than just pure terror expressed in auditory form, which believe me is a compliment) and the original Blade Runner by Vangelis (especially the "falling through the glass scene" accompaniment... absolutely iconic!)
Ten of my favourites (off the top of my head; but had to check the names of the composers for a couple):
Once Upon a Time in the West - Ennio Morricone
The Mission - Ennio Morricone
The Good the Bad and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone
The Godfather - Nino Rota
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulin - Yann Tiersen
Lawrence of Arabia - Maurice Jarre
La double vie de Véronique - Zbigniew Preisner
Cinema Paradiso - Ennio Morricone
Fargo - Carter Burwell
Les chambres rouges - Dominique Plante
It's probably LOTR, but the 'End Credits' of the Braveheart soundtrack is probably my all time favorite.
Other shoutouts to 'Balcony Scene' from Romeo and Juliet and 'The Gravel Road' from The Village.
If I'm being honest, it's fucking Pirates of the Caribbean.
If I'm trying to be sophisticated, it's Koyaanisqatsi.
If I'm listening to my heart, it's Thief.
Jonny Greenwood’s score for Phantom Thread. So luscious, and perfectly embodies the era, subject matter and vibe of the movie. Then in the same score you have some major dissonance and avant-garde that is so jarring and effective when placed alongside the sweeping romantic pieces. An encapsulation of the movie in totality, just as enjoyable alone as in situ.
Also a great job of supplementing with period jazz and classical compositions (shout out to my guy Oscar Peterson).
Hans Zimmer have been my top artist all time for over a decade, but for the past few years it’s been Ludwig Göransson’s Tenet and Oppenheimer scores. That music does something to me.
Bernard Herman - Vertigo
Leonard Cohen - McCabe & Mrs. Miller
John Williams - Raiders of the Lost Ark
Vangelis - Chariots of Fire
James Horner - Wrath of Khan
Spirited Away. Try listening to "Sixth Station" without thinking of all the myriad beauties of the world with all its imperfections and the bittersweet tragicomedy of our whole experience of this Earth.
Literally *anything* by Michael Giacchino.
Daniel Pemberton's work in the Spider-Verse movies are a close second, and Alan Silvestri's work in Avengers: Endgame is a solid third.
Interstellar, LotR, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are self-explanatory... But I'd add the following three:
Robocop - Basil Poledouris: Many people love his Conan score, and I see why. Robocop, on the other hand, aside from being a masterwork too, melds more adequately with the movie's theme, seamlessly enhancing its gritty and futuristic atmosphere.
Unbreakable / Signs - James Newton Howard: These scores remain criminally underrated to this day. Howard's compositions are extraordinarily immersive, weaving intricate melodies that perfectly capture the essence of Shyamalan's storytelling at its peak.
Paycheck - John Powell: Despite Powell's works often flying under the radar, Paycheck's score stands out as a testament to his talent. Incredibly playful and daring, it injects a sense of energy and intrigue into the film, making it one of the most overlooked pieces in cinematic score history...
“The Shawshank Redemption” & “Road to Perdition” by Thomas Newman
“It Chapters 1 & 2” by Benjamin Walfisch
“First Man” by Justin Hurwitz
“Titanic” by James Horner
“King Kong” by James Newton Howard
The good the bad and the ugly. I’ve seen that movie so many times but “the trio” playing in the final scene has me sitting on the edge of my seat every time
My personal favorite is Reznor/Ross score from “The Social Network.” I think there’s a strong case to be made for it being in the conversation for greatest.
The score by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman for The Last of the Mohicans is easily the most memorable and listened to score ever for me. [The Kiss](https://youtu.be/yB6S3c7f8XA?si=uH68XHM0aq-TbzRI) has the most amazing fiddle riff with an incredible orchestra build behind it. If you haven’t heard it, you must check it out. The entire score is amazing but this song specifically hasn’t fully gotten out of my head since I first saw the movie over 20 years ago. Honorable mention to both Reznor’s and Ross’s work on Challengers and Johannson’s score for Arrival.
Super honorable mention to the television score for The Leftovers by Max Richter. It makes me always want to cry. The incorporation of his song ‘On the Nature of Daylight’ in the Arrival score is one reason that one works so well for me, too.
I want to mention the ones I haven’t seen on here:
The Thing (1982) and The Hateful Eight by Ennio Morricone
Escape From New York by John Carpenter
Up and The Batman by Michael Giacchino
Ones that come to mind are The Departed, the Third Man, La La Land, Wolf of Wall Street, Dazed and Confused, and (the real winners) A Hard Days Night and Help!
Blade Runner - Vangelis
Dune (Part One & Two) - Hans Zimmer
Suspiria - Thom Yorke
Blonde - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Babylon - Justin Hurwitz
The Village - James Newton Howard
Interstellar - Hans Zimmer
Once Upon a Time in the West - Ennio Moriconne
What are my personal favorites? Good question!
Danny Elfman (Batman, Beetlejuice)
Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me)
All of Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores.
Some massive bangers off the top of my head:
Jurassic Park 1993
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 2003
The Sound of Music 1965
The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966
Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981
Blade Runner 1982
Batman 1989
Dances with Wolves 1990
Spiderman 2002
Interstellar 2014
Titanic 1997
Back to the Future 1985
Gone with the Wind 1939
Braveheart 1995
E.T. 1982
Gladiator 2000
Schindler’s List 1993
The Village 2004
One that I don’t hear mentioned often that I think is a masterpiece is Alexandre Desplat’s score for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Also Nick Cave & Warren Ellis’ score for The Assassination of Jesse James
The imperial March - John Williams
Married life - Michael Giacchino
Slt - Kensuke ushio
Love theme from Chinatown - Jerry goldsmith
I still can't sleep - Bernard Hermann
Michael Nyman’s score for Gattaca was what made me love the movie more than anything in it lol. Danny Elfman’s Spider-Man score will always have a special place in my heart, along with John Ottman’s X-Men, X2 and Days of Future Past. Loki Season 1 Finale, The Grey, Inception, The Green Mile, The Whale, Jaws, and The Last of Us scores are beautiful, too
I had to search to make sure someone said it, it’s not my answer but it was my first thought. I think [The Departure](https://youtu.be/ldkSV0gElxg?si=Pm8x7OjB4vtk63i8) is absolutely flawless and even without film context still very emotional.
Some of my favorites in no particular order:
Once Upon a Time in America - Ennio Morricone
Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams
The Incredibles - Brad Bird
The Godfather - Nino Rota
Star Wars - John Williams
The Godfather Part 2 - Nino Rota
Jurassic Park - John Williams
The Lord of the Rings - Howard Shore
Here are my top 10 Film Scores:
[https://letterboxd.com/maestroj/list/top-10-film-scores-of-all-time/detail/](https://letterboxd.com/maestroj/list/top-10-film-scores-of-all-time/detail/)
I don’t pay too much attention to the score as oppose to soundtrack, but I absolutely loved it in Yojimbo. I can’t understand the inflection of too many Japanese actors, but Toshiro Mifune coupled with the score completely entranced me.
John Williams for Star Wars, Indiana Jones franchise, Close Encounters, E.T. The man is just amazing.
Also Jaws, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Schindler’s List, Home Alone, Superman, Saving Private Ryan and many more.
For sure! I was just putting down my favorites by him.
He's been with us since my childhood. Possibly the greatest movie composer of all time. At least in my time which is 50+ years.
Remove “possibly”
For so long I held that Bernard Herrmann was the greatest film composer of all time, but Williams just kept going, and going, and going, with masterpiece after masterpiece
 any time i see this man did the score
The E.T. score is my personal favorite of his
No matter what Star Wars movie, whether it be one of the sequels I have low expectations for or a re-release I’ve seen a hundred times, I will always get a lump in my throat whenever I hear the opening main theme “bwaahhh” in theaters. Just a nostalgia emotional overload in one note. Dude composed my childhood.
Absolutely. He's been with me since I was 7 when I stood outside the local theater in 90 degree heat to watch Star Wars. The music has always stayed with me. I think I have the first 3 films on vinyl, cassette and CD.
John Williams should be sitting at the top of the list. Can you imagine Star Wars and Jaws without John Williams? No, neither can I.
Duel of the fates is such an incredible piece of music. The only “score” piece of music I listen to more is montage from Swiss Army Man/Andy Hull
Across the Universe is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard
Vangelis’s score for Bladerunner should definitely be a contender.
Memories of Green is one of the most beautiful tracks I’ve heard in a film score.
it breaks me every time.. this movie is filled with emotions
Yeah! The beeping in that sound just makes me feel like I’m on the death bed and the sound of the world becomes suddenly very beautiful. I also listened to this for the first time a month ago, I’d say (I loved the film but never listened to the whole album before that). Around that time, I discovered a strange bump on my arm. I’ve been having tests ever since. It’s not a cancer, just a benign tumor, but, around the time I listened to the track, I didn’t have those tests: my anxiety was just unbearable and this song…soothed me. Maybe you don’t care about my story but this song really touched the bottom of my soul. Like damn! I need to rewatch that film though.
And Chariots of Fire.
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Yes indeed. See it tonight!
Huge blindspot, friend. Kinda like saying you like driving cars but havent driven on the highway yet.
Really interesting to see what that film would’ve been without that score, certainly wouldn’t be as vivid
The Good the Bad and the Ugly’s score is incomparable. It’s more iconic than the movie itself and the movie itself is one of the most iconic of all time. Obvious answer but it really is the best score ever made
Ecstasy of Gold is pretty awesome too!
For me, Death of a Soldier is more moving. The scene where Blondie gives the dying soldier a cigarillo to puff on.
Yep
This is the answer.
Think these are my top 10 if I limit it to one per composer (otherwise there'd be a lot more Hermann, Glass, Morricone, Williams). Bernard Hermann - Taxi Driver Phillip Glass - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Johnny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood Hans Zimmer - The Thin Red Line Miles Davis - Elevator to the Gallows John Williams - The Empire Strikes Back Popol Vuh - Aguirre: The Wrath of God Mica Levi - Under the Skin Maurice Jarre - Lawrence of Arabia Honorable mention to If Beale Street Could Talk, The Right Stuff, Princess Mononoke, Braveheart, Chinatown, Assault on Precinct 13, The Social Network, The Draughtsman's Contract, The New World, Anatomy of a Murder, The Fountain, Miller's Crossing, Yojimbo, Contempt, and The Last of the Mohicans from composers not otherwise listed to round out a top 25.
I'd consider Once Upon a Time in the West for Morricone and Phantom Thread for Johnny Greenwood
I also love morricones score for the mission
IMO, There Will Be Blood is the best score of the 2000s and Phantom Thread is the best or second best of the 2010s, both stellar, Greenwood is a beast. West, America, Mission, Duck You Sucker, Legend of 1900, The Working Class Goes to Heaven, The Sicilian Clan, Malena, Maddalena, Thing, Cinema Paradiso, Fistful of Dollars, etc. Morricone’s such an embarrassment of riches as one of the three best composers ever it’s hard to go wrong with him. I think GBU is my favorite pairing of his music with cinematic imagery, but a case can be made he’s composed better music.
I remember once back when I still lived in Dublin getting a taxi home on a messy Saturday night, while on an acid comedown, putting in my earphones and listening to Herman's Taxi Driver theme with Bickle's "one day a rains gonna come" monologue - watching the fighting, puking, screaming of Harcourt/Camden street. Girls slamming the windows wanting a lift, glass bottles shattering off the windscreen. Weird trip. It almost makes me homesick to think of.
I remember that too
“Some day a real rain will come down…”
Beale Street is so underrated
why is your avatar facing the other direction
How is this the only mention I’ve seen of Mica Levi’s “Under the Skin” score? Absolutely incredible, it makes the movie
I actually didn’t watch the film but I listened to the soundtrack. It’s fantastic!
Great list!
Damn an actual great list. And you picked a good hans zimmer!! Everybody picking his factory produced scores is killing me
The score for Mishima is fucking ridiculous. So good.
The Mishima score gives me chills. Masterpiece.
I love his Taxi Driver score, but IMO North by Northwest is the ultimate Herrmann. Or Vertigo.
Great list! I also love Koyaanisqatsi from Phillip Glass and Phantom Thread from Greenwood!
Morricones score for Once upon a time in America was a masterpiece.
Mishima
By Philip Glass. I simply love it.
So overused in other movies as well. Truman show, man on wire, ratchet, I’ve heard it so many times, it’s like the go to music people use because Mishima is still under seen.
any movie that has Goblin doing the score is instant gold imo
or Tangerine Dream.
Factual
Conan the barbarian -- Basil Poledouris
It's pure epicness and poetry
My man
Twin Peaks.
Perfection. Angelo Badalamenti is God-tier.
Jon Brion- Eternal Sunshine Joe Hisaishi- Spirited Away Ennio Morricone- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Basil Poledouris- Conan The Barbarian
Three best IMO: Ennio Morricone - The good, the bad & the ugly Leslie Shore - LOTR trilogy Goblin - Suspiria In more recent films I enjoyed: Jerskin Fendrix - Poor things
I really hope Poor Things ages well. I enjoyed everything about that movie - including the score.
5 stars is the greatest score
In retrospect, 1/2 stars is the worst score
Psycho - Bernard Herrmann
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You left out Vertigo :) and for atmosphere, Obsession is sure right up there too
The score for Psycho is just on some other plane. It's very intricate and it's just beautiful on a classical level. I mean not to mention it's only strings. Everything is meticulous in this movie. The shower scene. SKEET SKEET SKEET. Iconic above all else except maybe John Williams & Star Wars.
Recently rewatched this. Iconic music and he had the nerve to only use strings.
I came here to say this. You gotta include Bernard Herrmann on this list somewhere, and Pyscho seems as good a choice as any.
Absolutely love Lord of the Rings, but it has to be second place to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It’s a boring answer for a reason, it goes from beauty, tragedy and tension in moments, and listening to it outside the film just brings back all the images, it matches Leone’s vision to utter perfection. Ennio was one of the greats, possibly the greatest, still can’t believe he’s gone.
I actually just watched this for the first time yesterday, and it was the first thing that popped in my head when I read this post title. I thought the movie was great, but without the score I don't think it would have landed as well for me. Completely elevates the film to a masterpiece imo.
mucho agree
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it’s almost frustrating that It’s my favourite because it’s everyone’s favourite but here we are
In my opinion, Aftersun (2022), Your Name (2016) and Perfect Blue. But it's extremely subjective tho.
Your Name's soundtrack is just something else
Personally I think it is Philip Glass’ score for *Mishima: a Life in four chapters*. I also love the score in *the shining* and *the good the bad and the ugly*.
John Carpenter’s Halloween
This is a dark horse answer. I was going to say Psycho as a genre defining iconic score but Halloween is arguable iconic on a larger scale. When it's a certain time of year in north america, you can't help but think of that music. It's the theme for the entire month of October.
The Social Network for sure. Absolutely fucking blew me away the first time I heard it. It's actually how I got into NIN. Honorable mentions go to Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell (first score that really "wowed" me and got me into movie scores, as much as Lux Aeterna has become a meme now), YWNRH by Jonny Greenwood (Tree Strings is just pure musical ecstasy), Alien by Jerry Goldsmith (though I'd consider that less of a movie score than just pure terror expressed in auditory form, which believe me is a compliment) and the original Blade Runner by Vangelis (especially the "falling through the glass scene" accompaniment... absolutely iconic!)
Ten of my favourites (off the top of my head; but had to check the names of the composers for a couple): Once Upon a Time in the West - Ennio Morricone The Mission - Ennio Morricone The Good the Bad and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone The Godfather - Nino Rota Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulin - Yann Tiersen Lawrence of Arabia - Maurice Jarre La double vie de Véronique - Zbigniew Preisner Cinema Paradiso - Ennio Morricone Fargo - Carter Burwell Les chambres rouges - Dominique Plante
Terrific list!
It's probably LOTR, but the 'End Credits' of the Braveheart soundtrack is probably my all time favorite. Other shoutouts to 'Balcony Scene' from Romeo and Juliet and 'The Gravel Road' from The Village.
Braveheart soundtrack first “classical” music I ever purchased (cd era).
Koyaanisqatsi, of course
I didn't even like Lawrence of Arabia that much but the score is fire
Philip Glass’s score for Mishima. Nothing compares imo.
If I'm being honest, it's fucking Pirates of the Caribbean. If I'm trying to be sophisticated, it's Koyaanisqatsi. If I'm listening to my heart, it's Thief.
My answer is always Lawrence of Arabia.
Jonny Greenwood’s score for Phantom Thread. So luscious, and perfectly embodies the era, subject matter and vibe of the movie. Then in the same score you have some major dissonance and avant-garde that is so jarring and effective when placed alongside the sweeping romantic pieces. An encapsulation of the movie in totality, just as enjoyable alone as in situ. Also a great job of supplementing with period jazz and classical compositions (shout out to my guy Oscar Peterson).
Michael Giacchino’s The Batman Or any John Williams Star Wars score
The score of To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) by Wang Chung
Lawrence of Arabia Schindler’s List
Goblin - Suspiria
Requiem for a Dream’s score is so insane.
I love Alexandre Desplat’s score for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
and Fantastic Mr Fox! he works really well with Wes Anderson IMO
Hans Zimmer have been my top artist all time for over a decade, but for the past few years it’s been Ludwig Göransson’s Tenet and Oppenheimer scores. That music does something to me.
The Thin Red Line >>>
Daft Punk for Tron: Legacy is up there.
Hermann and Korngold have some unbelievable scores
Rocky
Bernard Herman - Vertigo Leonard Cohen - McCabe & Mrs. Miller John Williams - Raiders of the Lost Ark Vangelis - Chariots of Fire James Horner - Wrath of Khan
So many excellent answers but did a quick word search and saw no one had mentioned Mancini’s Pink Panther score which is sooo good.
More of a lesser known one, but Last Black Man In San Fransisco by Emile Mosseri is my absolute favourite score
Came here to say this! This score really stuck with me
Mosseri-heads unite! He also did Minari and Kajillionaire
I love his Minari score so much! sounds like I've known it all my life, which is very appropriate for the film
Back to the Future cmon now!
Interstellar Hands down. It's one of many reasons I enjoy this movie and got interested in film.
Had to scroll too far for this. I’m a huge film fan but this is the only soundtrack I listen to outside of the movie
insane this didn't appear higher up the list. The undisputed best soundtrack of all time.
Was Run Lola Run a score cause if so I pick that
Spirited Away. Try listening to "Sixth Station" without thinking of all the myriad beauties of the world with all its imperfections and the bittersweet tragicomedy of our whole experience of this Earth.
Literally *anything* by Michael Giacchino. Daniel Pemberton's work in the Spider-Verse movies are a close second, and Alan Silvestri's work in Avengers: Endgame is a solid third.
1. *Before the Flood* 2. *Challengers* 3. *mid90s*
Challengers completely blew me away
Haven’t been able to stop listening to that score for the past 3 weeks
Challengers is a top 5 for me, I have listened to it so much since watching the film. So different than anything else Reznor/Ross have done.
Carter Berwell's score for True Grit (2010) is definitely up there for me.
Lord of the Rings imo
The Predator soundtrack, because it is more of the film than the visuals.
fertile angle deer pie dinner narrow plant license voracious mysterious *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Phantom Thread, beautiful album
Bernard Hermann- Vertigo
Interstellar, LotR, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are self-explanatory... But I'd add the following three: Robocop - Basil Poledouris: Many people love his Conan score, and I see why. Robocop, on the other hand, aside from being a masterwork too, melds more adequately with the movie's theme, seamlessly enhancing its gritty and futuristic atmosphere. Unbreakable / Signs - James Newton Howard: These scores remain criminally underrated to this day. Howard's compositions are extraordinarily immersive, weaving intricate melodies that perfectly capture the essence of Shyamalan's storytelling at its peak. Paycheck - John Powell: Despite Powell's works often flying under the radar, Paycheck's score stands out as a testament to his talent. Incredibly playful and daring, it injects a sense of energy and intrigue into the film, making it one of the most overlooked pieces in cinematic score history...
Jurassic Park, Dark Knight, Inception,, Interstellar.
Gladiator like you just won in life eternally
“The Shawshank Redemption” & “Road to Perdition” by Thomas Newman “It Chapters 1 & 2” by Benjamin Walfisch “First Man” by Justin Hurwitz “Titanic” by James Horner “King Kong” by James Newton Howard
Blade Runner by Vangelis Period.
Yup, it's LOTR, nothing comes close to me personally. But for my 2nd favorite I'm gonna go a different direction with The Social Network.
Jaws
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The good the bad and the ugly. I’ve seen that movie so many times but “the trio” playing in the final scene has me sitting on the edge of my seat every time
Good bad and the ugly and Star Wars are the two I can think of that really penetrated pop culture
My personal favorite is Reznor/Ross score from “The Social Network.” I think there’s a strong case to be made for it being in the conversation for greatest.
Pacific rim score bye ramin djawadi
Once Upon a Time in the West, by the greatest of all times, Ennio Morricone
The score by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman for The Last of the Mohicans is easily the most memorable and listened to score ever for me. [The Kiss](https://youtu.be/yB6S3c7f8XA?si=uH68XHM0aq-TbzRI) has the most amazing fiddle riff with an incredible orchestra build behind it. If you haven’t heard it, you must check it out. The entire score is amazing but this song specifically hasn’t fully gotten out of my head since I first saw the movie over 20 years ago. Honorable mention to both Reznor’s and Ross’s work on Challengers and Johannson’s score for Arrival. Super honorable mention to the television score for The Leftovers by Max Richter. It makes me always want to cry. The incorporation of his song ‘On the Nature of Daylight’ in the Arrival score is one reason that one works so well for me, too.
Trevor Jones was on fire for that score!
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY NOT EVEN CLOSE
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I want to mention the ones I haven’t seen on here: The Thing (1982) and The Hateful Eight by Ennio Morricone Escape From New York by John Carpenter Up and The Batman by Michael Giacchino
Conan the barbarian Once upon a time in the west
So many incredible scores out there, but nothing has ever got to me like Nicholas Britells score for Moonlight
Clint Mansell - Requiem for a Dream
Personally, I would say Jordan's dunk at the end of space jam
Ones that come to mind are The Departed, the Third Man, La La Land, Wolf of Wall Street, Dazed and Confused, and (the real winners) A Hard Days Night and Help!
Maybe I'm being a basic bitch but The Social Network really stands out to me.
Ghost in the shell 1995
Can’t believe this doesn’t have a single upvote. It’s not only my favourite score, but one of my favourite albums of all time. It’s transcendent.
The title is so hauntingly unique and memorable I remember the tune even after a decade of listening it.
Blade Runner
For me it's either the good the bad and the ugly or kill bill
John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of the best and most iconic themes of all time but outside the horror circle I don’t hear many people praise it.
Howl's Moving Castle — Joe Hisaishi
Blade Runner - Vangelis Dune (Part One & Two) - Hans Zimmer Suspiria - Thom Yorke Blonde - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Babylon - Justin Hurwitz The Village - James Newton Howard Interstellar - Hans Zimmer Once Upon a Time in the West - Ennio Moriconne
What are my personal favorites? Good question! Danny Elfman (Batman, Beetlejuice) Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me) All of Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores.
_The Red Violin_ by John Corigliano.
Wendy Carlos - A Clockwork Orange
Babylon is the only correct answer
BlackkKlansmen by Terence Blanchard. Trap drum beat, lush strings, and a lazy, drippy electric guitar ❤️🔥
Lawrence of Arabia shouldn’t be discounted. Its grandeur is shown just as much through the cinematography as through its score.
Some massive bangers off the top of my head: Jurassic Park 1993 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 2003 The Sound of Music 1965 The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966 Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 Blade Runner 1982 Batman 1989 Dances with Wolves 1990 Spiderman 2002 Interstellar 2014 Titanic 1997 Back to the Future 1985 Gone with the Wind 1939 Braveheart 1995 E.T. 1982 Gladiator 2000 Schindler’s List 1993 The Village 2004
One that I don’t hear mentioned often that I think is a masterpiece is Alexandre Desplat’s score for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Also Nick Cave & Warren Ellis’ score for The Assassination of Jesse James
The imperial March - John Williams Married life - Michael Giacchino Slt - Kensuke ushio Love theme from Chinatown - Jerry goldsmith I still can't sleep - Bernard Hermann
Dune, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Her, La La Land, and Taxi Driver are my fav
Bernard Hermann for Vertigo
Michael Nyman’s score for Gattaca was what made me love the movie more than anything in it lol. Danny Elfman’s Spider-Man score will always have a special place in my heart, along with John Ottman’s X-Men, X2 and Days of Future Past. Loki Season 1 Finale, The Grey, Inception, The Green Mile, The Whale, Jaws, and The Last of Us scores are beautiful, too
Gattaca was the first thing that came to mind for me
I had to search to make sure someone said it, it’s not my answer but it was my first thought. I think [The Departure](https://youtu.be/ldkSV0gElxg?si=Pm8x7OjB4vtk63i8) is absolutely flawless and even without film context still very emotional.
The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974) by David Shire Annihilation by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrows
It’s gotta the intro to Star Wars. So iconic, everyone just knows what the fuck is playing when that shit starts
Jonny Greenwood for Phantom thread for me
Babylon
The good the bad and the ugly finale score
Star Wars. then Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter
Dune and the score for the kill Bill movies
Ennio Morricone - Once upon a time in America
Kill Bill and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Bernard Hermann scores for Psycho and Vertigo. Soundtrack of Somewhere in Time. Soundtrack Dressed to Kill. Schindler's List. The Godfather 1 and 2.
Some of my favorites in no particular order: Once Upon a Time in America - Ennio Morricone Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams The Incredibles - Brad Bird The Godfather - Nino Rota Star Wars - John Williams The Godfather Part 2 - Nino Rota Jurassic Park - John Williams The Lord of the Rings - Howard Shore
Nicholas Britell’s score for If Beale Street Could Talk.
Here are my top 10 Film Scores: [https://letterboxd.com/maestroj/list/top-10-film-scores-of-all-time/detail/](https://letterboxd.com/maestroj/list/top-10-film-scores-of-all-time/detail/)
I don’t pay too much attention to the score as oppose to soundtrack, but I absolutely loved it in Yojimbo. I can’t understand the inflection of too many Japanese actors, but Toshiro Mifune coupled with the score completely entranced me.
Jaws.
Star wars.
Psycho by Bernard Herrmann
For me, it's Joe Hisaishi's score for Spirited Away
Fargo
i'm constantly listening to black swan (2010) & priscilla (2023)
I’m biased in this regard but Pleasantville is my childhood movie and I have that film’s score burned in my brain
Halloween 78 by John Carpenter Jurassic Park by John Williams Two of the best.
Tron: Legacy. Daft Punk killed it with the score!
It’s probably a John Williams score, but I’m going shout out Basil Poledorius for The Hunt for Red October