What are your top 10 favourite soundtracks?
- This topic has 29 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 2 months, 4 weeks ago by
.
-
Posts
-
An old-school topic that’s been done many times on many different boards, but I’d like to create some life here again — if possible.
So, what are your top 10 favourite soundtracks of all time?
I already did mine in the very first episode of Celluloid Tunes in 2013, and it hasn’t changed much since, but I’m curious to hear yours.
Graeme Revell – The Siege
Jerry Goldsmith – Congo
Paul Haslinger – Sleeper Cell season 1
Daniel Licht – Bad Moon
Vangelis – Blade Runner
Gary Chang – Storm of the Century
Tangerine Dream – Firestarter
Elliot Goldenthal – Alien 3
Graeme Revell – Strange Days
James Newton Howard – SignsGreat list, and almost all of them from before you were born. Impressive! We have a mutual interest in synth scores, both old and new.
Of course these lists are quite fluid. But currently I would go with this list.
The Empire Strikes Back- John Williams
E.T. – John Williams
Raiders of the Lost Ark – John Williams
The Force Awakens – John Williams
Unbreakable – James Newton Howard
Hana-Bi – Joe Hisaishi
The Magnificient Seven – Elmer Bernstein
Quo Vadis – Miklós Rózsa
El Cid – Miklós Rózsa
Tess – Philippe SardeHana-Bi was my first Hisaishi score. Mononoke was second. I love both, but Hana-Bi is somehow more special to me.
Top Ten Film scores:
Of course, this is an “old favorite topic”. And that question gets often asked like it’s a clean question. But there are many ways to answer it. What am I going to list? I can love the way the music sits in the movie, how it underscores scenes. Or I can love it on its own, stripped of image, just as music, without much concern about the movie. Or both.
So I try to “go with the flow” and lists scores that are… well… simply favorites. Maybe it’s one of the scores that pulled me into the world of film music. Maybe it’s the one that lit the match for your favorite composer. Or maybe it’s the one that really kept lingering and spoke to me and I wondered: “What is this? And why does it feel like it knows me?”Okay, so here is mine, my personal “top ten” list. Not etched in stone, it’s a “new” list every time I’m asked, though perennial favorites keep shaking hands on this list. So it’s not about rankings. It’s chronological in the way the music came out (not in the way I encountered it… would be a different chronology). It’s about those scores that, for one reason or another, are “essential” for me.
Jerome Moross: THE BIG COUNTRY (1958)
The perfect, quintessential Western score. And sheesh, I’m not really a genre guy, but I think I always liked Westerns a bit more than the other genres. This one I first saw as a kid, and it stuck.Bernard Herrmann: NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
It’s nervous, sleek, always on the move… just one of Herrmann’s coolest scores. And the music is thrilling, often nervous; it is the anxiety Herrmann scores, civilization is a chase scene, and the music knows it.Alex North: THE MISFITS (1961)
I have always loved Alex North’s film music. When I first noticed his music, it was when I caught a movie called BITE THE BULLET channel zapping as a teenager… at first, I thought the music must have been composed by Jerry Goldsmith, but it turned out to by by Alex North, a composer I had never heard of. And there are many favorites I could list, including of course his big epic scores for SPARTACUS and CLEOPATRA. But there is something about his music for THE MISFITS which makes it an album I just love. The music is dry and haunted, a mix of American West, but mixed with a bit of (then) contemporary jazz/rock/pop sounds. Very eloquent at times.Miklós Rózsa: EL CID (1961)
Ah, wonderful music. The first time I saw this on TV I did not have a lot of Róza music, maybe just one CD or so. This movie changed that.
Leonard Rosenman: THE CAR (1977)
Dissonant, aggressive, and that great “Dies Irae” tune… from the “Main Title” forward the music announces: “Here comes Evil”. Of course, it’s ludicrously silly, because “Evil” in this movie comes in form of a murder-shark… I mean murder-car, but it’s a lot of fun. Indeed, JAWS in the desert with a car instead of a shark. Yes, it sounds as bonkers as it is, the car doesn’t just kill people, it kills sound reason. But who cares when you get such a terrific piece of horror scoring that is composed through by Hollywood’s most forward looking composer? Rosenman has written more famous works, but this is one of his best.Ennio Morricone: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)
This music doesn’t accompany myth, it is myth. Every theme is a psychological symbol, the feminine, the outlaw, the man with the harmonica, Morton, Cheyenne. I guess so much has been said about this score, I don’t have to add anything.John Williams: STAR WARS (1977–2019)
Same with STAR WARS… it’s the biggest longest opera of pop culture… I can take or leave STAR WARS (except for the first two movies, which are really great), but the music in all movies has been fantastic.Jerry Goldsmith: STAR TREK – THE MOTION PICTURE (1979)
Adventure and awe. That’s what this is. This is, perhaps along with STAR WARS, the one film score that single handedly made me a film score afficionado… and a Goldsmith fan.Philip Glass: KOYAANISQATSI (1982)
I came across this when I had a summer job at a film distributor. I had never heard anything like it, it was like a new type of music…. Music as a mosaic. Mesmerizing.Howard Shore: THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001–2003)
Wow, Shore… now this is another big, long piece of wonder. Ancient modes, prophetic themes, leitmotifs that grow like characters. Shore’s music doesn’t just support the story, it is part of the story, Shore’s music completes it. This is the sound of Tolkien’s myth remembering itself. I always loved it, but I love it now even more than when I first heard it.Of course, this is an “old favorite topic”. And that question gets often asked like it’s a clean question.
True, but since this is a ‘fresh’ board, I think some of the classic evergreen topics are worthwhile to re-explore.
Interesting list, btw. THE CAR was an unusual choice, but I know you dig Rosenman. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it.
THE CAR is an interesting movie… it took the setting from DUEL and the plot from JAWS… It sounds like a cheap exploitation rip-off, but the production values are quite high actually. Great team behind the camera and a solid cast. (So maybe it was a mid-price exploitation rip-off. 😉 )
I saw this as a kid and it stuck… It was probably among the first Rosenmann scores I noticed, and it’s quite a dark score. I mean, the music sells this…
It’s one of the scores I never thought would see the light of day and was elated when it did.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVlUDaI-HwITHE CAR – Opening Scene
Reminds me somehow of that weird horror movie De Lift from the Netherlands. In the late 70s and early 80s the, made horror movies about everything. Cars, animals, any household appliance.
The German Rolling Stone put out (or re-published?) a list of the 60 best scores of all time:
https://www.rollingstone.de/die-60-besten-soundtracks-aller-zeiten-1406911/Surely saw worse lists 😉
The German Rolling Stone put out (or re-published?) a list of the 60 best scores of all time:
https://www.rollingstone.de/die-60-besten-soundtracks-aller-zeiten-1406911/Surely saw worse lists 😉
Sure, but you can tell it’s done by “normies”. Almost all classics, few original surprises.
Yes, of course. although classics are classics for a reason. At least no Reznor & Ross who most always make such “normie” list 😉
Yes, of course. although classics are classics for a reason. At least no Reznor & Ross who most always make such “normie” list 😉
I would actually have loved to see that. CHALLENGERS is one of the best scores of the 2020s!
But in general, although I give kudos to the German Rolling Stone for having a film score feature in the first place, I prefer to see original lists with a subjective “favourite” slant rather than “all time best” — you know, those lists that always get film score fans riled up because it doesn’t include this or that classic that they personally love. Those are the ones I like!
Earlier this year, after a bit of consideration, I finally managed to wrap up my list of favorite film and TV scores of all time. There’s no less than 33 scores in the list, as well as some special categories hehe. I can change it at any given time, depending on my mood, though 🙂
Top 10 favorite scores of all time
In no specific order
The Last Samurai (Hans Zimmer)
Legends of the Fall (James Horner)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (John Williams)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (John Williams)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Jerry Goldsmith)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Howard Shore) – if I had to choose one of them, it’d be Fellowship of the Ring, but here the three of them count as one.
Water for Elephants (James Newton Howard)
The Light Between the Oceans (Alexandre Desplat)
The Horse Whisperer (Thomas Newman)The Runner Ups (they can enter the top 10 at any given moment, depending on my mood)
The Shawshank Redemption (Thomas Newman)
The Green Mile (Thomas Newman)
Apollo 13 (James Horner)
A Beautiful Mind (James Horner)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Hans Zimmer)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Alex North)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (John Williams)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (John Williams)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (John Williams)
Dinosaur (James Newton Howard)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (James Newton Howard)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (John Powell)
Pocahontas (Alan Menken)
Dances with Wolves (John Barry)
The Matrix Revolutions (Don Davis)
Once Upon a Time in the West (Ennio Morricone)
Spider-Man (Danny Elfman)
A Hidden Life (James Newton Howard)
The New World (James Horner)
The Thin Red Line (Hans Zimmer)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
The House on the Haunted Hill (Don Davis)
King Kong (James Newton Howard)Favorite TV score
Lost (Michael Giacchino)Favorite video game score
God of War (Bear McCreary)Favorite electronic (100% synth, no orchestra) score
Gone Girl (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross)Favorite Golden Age (1930s – 1950s) score
Ben-Hur (Miklós Rózsa)Favorite score for a movie or show made in Asia
Tie between The Haindmaiden (Jo Yeong-wook) and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Evan Call)Favorite score for a movie or show made in Latin America
The Liberator (Gustavo Dudamel)Favorite marriage between pictures and music (live action)
Tie between Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann) and Once Upon a Time in the West (Ennio Morricone)Favorite marriage between pictures and music (animation)
Pocahontas (Alan Menken)Honorary Award
Terrence Malick, for inspiring some of my favorite composers, including Morricone, Zimmer, Horner, Desplat and JNH, to write some of their best music, and for using their music and others to create some of the most poetic and mesmerizing reflections on life in cinematic form.Leonard Rosenman: THE CAR (1977)
Dissonant, aggressive, and that great “Dies Irae” tune… from the “Main Title” forward the music announces: “Here comes Evil”. Of course, it’s ludicrously silly, because “Evil” in this movie comes in form of a murder-shark… I mean murder-car, but it’s a lot of fun. Indeed, JAWS in the desert with a car instead of a shark. Yes, it sounds as bonkers as it is, the car doesn’t just kill people, it kills sound reason. But who cares when you get such a terrific piece of horror scoring that is composed through by Hollywood’s most forward looking composer? Rosenman has written more famous works, but this is one of his best.I saw this movie at the cinema when it came out. I loved it. And I remember the score being quite memorable – probably because of hearing the familiar DIES IRAE being used.
It is a score I had wanted for years and was so glad when it was finally released.
THE CAR was showing with THE DAY OF THE ANIMALS. A great double-header!
As of today? An ost-only list
1. The Phantom Menace (Would be Star Wars, but the sound is, uhhh, debatable)
2. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (It’s so much more than the last 15 minutes)
3. E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial (ditto)
4. Poltergeist (I prefer Jerry’s music in the films, but this one is terrific)
5. Totall Recall (ditto)
6. Apollo 13 (James Horner and Tim Morrison are at least 50% responsible for starting my love of music)
7. Sorcerer’s Stone (A terrific score, but an even better album)
8. Jurassic Park (Ah, the other 50%)
9. Amistad (The best of JW’s world-music scores, and a terrific album)
10. King Kong (2005) (I wish JNH was pickier about his projects)Mine is ranked. Because I believe in living dangerously.
Earlier this year, after a bit of consideration, I finally managed to wrap up my list of favorite film and TV scores of all time.
Nice list, Tiago! I’m impressed by some of the older titles on your list too, like North’s A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Didn’t really expect that from you.
And I should really give WATER FOR ELEPHANTS another chance…
Mine is ranked. Because I believe in living dangerously.
He, he…also nice list, Sophie. It’s hard to escape the big titles for things like this, but AMISTAD was a cool selection. Very underrated score (and film!), if you ask me. Just listened to it again a couple of days ago.
6. Apollo 13 (James Horner and Tim Morrison are at least 50% responsible for starting my love of music)
Ah, Sophie, we are very similar in our musical favorites! I’m a huge Tim Morrison fan too, and Apollo 13 is my top score of all time. And it’s a long story, but Tim is also a friend of mine. I’m not a trumpet player or anything, but I believe his beautiful, pure tone is unmatched!
And, another Total Recall? I’ve never listened it, and now feel like I’ve totally been missing out! On my way to remedy that! I never really got too much into Jerry Goldsmith other the years. Not for any particular reason, just probably film exposure or not finding his CD albums in secondhand stores (how my collecting really got going) since you all grabbed them before me! 🙂
I’m a huge Tim Morrison fan too, and Apollo 13 is my top score of all time.
He’s on my trumpet Mt. Rushmore (formerly-professional trumpet player, here) along with Maurice Murphy, Bud Herseth, and Louis Armstrong.
not finding his CD albums in secondhand stores
John Williams has a way of writing very complicated music in an accessible way. He’s like Mahler. Jerry could when he wanted to, like in Star Trek, he just didn’t want to all that often. A long way of saying his stuff didn’t sell as well, or more to aficionados, who are less likely to get rid of it, so you’re less likely to find it second-hand.
As far as specialty soundtrack releases go, Jerry Goldsmith is one of the biggest sellers there is, which is why the labels like Varèse Sarabande, Intrada, La-La Land, Quartet etc. keep releasing and re-releasing and remastering Jerry Goldsmith releases.
John Williams is an even bigger seller though (I’d guess), mostly because he composed music for many big time box office hits and beloved franchises, like STAR WARS, JURASSIC PARK, HARRY POTTER, INDIANA JONES, and, and…Jerry could when he wanted to, like in Star Trek, he just didn’t want to all that often. A
Not sure what you mean by that… you don’t find Jerry Goldsmith’s music accessible? I am wondering, because I have a very different reaction to the music. In fact, even more avant-garde scores like PLANET OF THE APES I find musically fully coherent and very accessible. PLANET OF THE APES is one of the most accessible serial scores I know.
As far as specialty soundtrack releases go, Jerry Goldsmith is one of the biggest sellers there is
Yes, but as those labels are mostly funded by my aforementioned aficionados, it kind of proves my point. It’s not that I never find Goldsmith scores in a second-hand store, they’re just less common than Williams, Horner, or Barry. At least, in my experience. I’ve had to buy most of them off eBay or Discogs.
most accessible serial scores I know.
It is very coherent, and very well done. I love it, but I think “accessible serialism” is a bit of a contradiction in terms. I think for your average film score fan, or general music enthusiast, the Second Viennese School is something of a rubicon. Melody sells.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.