Barty Presents: The 100 Greatest Pieces of Film Music [Archive]

Barty

01-14-2013, 08:48 AM

The 100 Greatest Pieces of Film Music
A List by Barty
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJDlMYLxmCk/UIwjrCbG-dI/AAAAAAAAM6g/reMwML1EIyE/s320/Film+Music+%231.jpg

Film music is one of my passions in addition to things I already enjoy like Lincoln bashing, cats, pictures of cats, dogmatically asserting people wrong, and eating deliciously unhealthy food.

In fact, you could go as far to say I am unhealthily obsessed with film music, to the point where I can accurately hum the entire score to Lord of the Rings if needed. Ironically, I have zero training or detailed knowledge in music, reading notation, or even playing an instrument. Typically, I should be more inclined to modern pop, and definitely not the classically derived art of film scoring.

But alas, I love film scores, listen to them almost exclusively, and feel myself confident to offer up a nice long lists, with samples, of some of my favorites.

A few notes:

I'm inclined to "epic" or melodic pieces
My list skews modern, for a few reasons. One being the art of film scoring developed slower than the art of filmmaking, so modern scores tend to be, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the art form. Also, recording techniques didn't allow the clarity nor availability of film music to really take off until after the middle of the last century, so there's that natural disadvantage.
Making a list of 100 pieces was nearly impossible, rankings beyond the top few are really a toss up in many cases, and would shift depending on my listening mood in many cases
I'm not ranking based on any type of objective standards, pure subjective listening pleasure is my standard for this list.
I have included TV pieces on here, as many of them simply transcend to the level of quality that can't be neglected
In my definition, a "piece" of film music is a specific track on the album, or sequence in a film, accompanied by a piece of music with a definite beginning and end.
This is only made up of original music written specifically for a film, also know as the "Original Score"

Barty

01-14-2013, 08:53 AM

100. Titles - Chariots of Fire - Vangelis

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Vangelis' iconic piece has certainly lost some of it's potency since it's inception, mainly due to most people's association of it not with the film (which isn't very good anyway), but due to the accompaniment of it to nearly every cheesy scenario editors professional, and amateur alike, could put it to in the decade following the film.

But damn, it's a uplifting piece of classical and synth done right.

Barty

01-14-2013, 08:58 AM

99. ROAR! Overture - Cloverfield - Michael Giacchino

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The best part of Cloverfield was definitely the end credits. And for this reason. A surprising and amazing addition to an otherwise....actually, I don't recall much about the film itself, except that this track is awesome. An obvious ode to Godzilla and monster movie music, and what a wonderful tribute it is.

Barty

01-14-2013, 09:05 AM

98. Bud on the Ledge - The Abyss - Alan Silvestri

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The Abyss is Cameron's best film, and by extension I think his most underrated as well, since not many people have seen it compared to his other films. Silvestri composed an alien like and wondrous score for the film, exemplified in this track, which takes place during the lowest point (non pun intended) of the climax. His use of choir and angelic feelings push this sequence, combined with Cameron's visual style, into an awe inspiring bit of movie magic.

Barty

01-14-2013, 09:15 AM

97. Barbarian Horde - Gladiator - Hans Zimmer

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Funny thing about the battle music in Gladiator is it's all composed in the style of a waltz. The music in Gladiator also borrows a lot of style from Holst & Wagner, and it's the better for it. This track is a sample of the chaotic and unique sound, and ultimately powerful sound Zimmer can come up with that get's your blood flowing and more importantly, musically gets stuck in your head. See the last few minutes of the track that showcases Zimmer's ability to think up these little tunes and play with them and manipulate them into any type of music.

MadMan

01-14-2013, 10:22 AM

Wahoo, a Barty thread that has nothing to do with politics :pritch:

That Gladiator piece is epic. *Waits for ETM to bust in and bash Hans Zimmer :P*

baby doll

01-14-2013, 11:15 AM

Wahoo, a Barty thread that has nothing to do with politics :pritch:I don't know about that. As Barty himself says, the music in Gladiator borrows from Wagner. Ergo, Barty is a closet fascist.

Fezzik

01-14-2013, 12:35 PM

oooh, love the thread idea, Barty. I'm subscribed.

I agree about the Gladiator piece. Zimmer has been on autopilot for a while, but I really like what he did in that particular moment.

Dukefrukem

01-14-2013, 12:54 PM

Solid so far. I have a few in mind that I hope make the list.

[ETM]

01-14-2013, 03:51 PM

*Waits for ETM to bust in and bash Hans Zimmer :P*

It is known.
Zimmer is a hack, but most of his best tunes are collaborations so you won't be hearing much from me on the subject.

ledfloyd

01-14-2013, 04:57 PM

i was disappointed there wasn't a Barty 2012 Film Music video, but this will do nicely.

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:08 AM

96. Climbing Up Iknimaya - Avatar - James Horner

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I never really loved the Avatar score when I first heard it out of context, and found Horner's reliance on children's choir to not be up to par to his other outstanding efforts. But in context of the film, and accompanied by the beautiful visuals, this track clicks so extremely well and provides a fitting musical elegance that has grown on me everytime I listen to it.

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:12 AM

i was disappointed there wasn't a Barty 2012 Film Music video, but this will do nicely.

It may still happen, it just takes a lot of work. At least with this I can do it one at a time. :lol:

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:14 AM

95. A Building Panic - Titanic - James Horner

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I'm a big defender of Titanic in all it's forms, but one thing I don't usually have to defend is Cameron's outstanding portrayal of the sinking of the famous ship. Masterfully directed, it's one of the single greatest extended action scenes, and it's not even an action sequence. Horner's music is a blend of foreboding and romance, blended together into a pulsating track that reeks of despair and panic. It's a beautiful and emotional scoring effort, perfectly realized with Cameron's touch, and showcasing an even superior use of child vocals.

Listen at 4:20 for the Wow!

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:19 AM

94. Roll Tide - Crimson Tide - Hans Zimmer

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A classic Zimmer 90's action piece, which won him a Grammy for his blend of synth, orchestra, and naval hymns is a rip roaring fun piece of music that would fit in any deadly serious cheesy action sequence, and of course has been replicated numerous times throughout the years in style, mainly by Zimmer himself. Which, I love.

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:23 AM

93. They'll Remember You - Valkyrie - John Ottman

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I think Valkyrie is an underrated little gem of a movie, with some fine performances and suspense, and John Ottman provides a very neglected score, which is highlighted by this stunningly sad and lyrical musical piece to the fallen traitors who tried to bring down Hitler. It's so neglected I almost totally forgot about this piece until a few months ago.

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:31 AM

92. The Conspirators - JFK - John Williams

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It can be extremely hard to select choice from William's career, as there is just so many damn good ones. JFK is a particular favorite score of mine, but there is one piece that sticks out mainly in my head for the film, and that's William's amazing music for the Conspirators, played notably during sequences of rapid fire editing as the conspiracy is piece together by Costner & in the courts. This is one of the most un-Williams pieces you will hear, but true to his form, it has excellent listenability for a piece that is a collection of dissonance, and unique rhythms and sounds. This piece puts you on the edge of your seat and firmly makes you feel like something isn't right with what you're seeing, which is exactly what is needed in JFK.

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:40 AM

91. Storm Shelter - Take Shelter - David Wingo

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I had never even heard of David Wingo until this score, and my, my, what a powerful score this is. A beautiful and haunting piece that builds incredible tension and release as we wait for Michael Shannon to make the ultimate life decision about whether he will control his life, or his fear will. This is a melancholy piece, with a beautiful theme, and truly a masterful scoring job.

Barty

01-15-2013, 05:50 AM

90. Main Title - Terminator 2: Judgement Day - Brad Fiedel

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Easily one of the best traditional opening title sequences every, the very bad-ass Terminator theme has been stripped down to a melodic and simple theme for the destruction of humanity. Haunting, and a classic.

Morris Schæffer

01-15-2013, 10:59 AM

Brad "where is he now" Fiedel may have deserved an Oscar nom or even win for that score. It's incredibly exciting, but also appropriately metallic, robotic.

Ezee E

01-15-2013, 11:32 AM

The JFK choice is one of my favorites.

Dukefrukem

01-15-2013, 11:56 AM

T2 is epicly ominous. Should be lower.

dreamdead

01-15-2013, 12:30 PM

That Terminator 2 soundtrack is a total blowback to childhood. So many influences (industrial, ambient) and a marvelous build-up. Still rather impressed that more metal musicians (beyond Fear Factory's "Zero Signal") haven't appropriated elements of it.

Hoping that the Contempt score appears much further down the line.

Yxklyx

01-15-2013, 04:24 PM

...
My list skews modern, for a few reasons. One being the art of film scoring developed slower than the art of filmmaking, so modern scores tend to be, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the art form. Also, recording techniques didn't allow the clarity nor availability of film music to really take off until after the middle of the last century, so there's that natural disadvantage. ...

Will there be any Nino Rota, Michelle Legrand, or Ennio Morricone?

amberlita

01-16-2013, 04:31 AM

James Horner is a genius, and I expect to see more of his work on this list (Wrath of Khan, Braveheart, Legends of the Fall, etc). While I know that composers often draw from their prior work, the heavy sampling of Titanic and Glory in the Avatar score bothers me to, what is probably, an unreasonable degree.

MadMan

01-16-2013, 05:27 AM

The Terminator 2 theme is badass. The opening credits rule, too.

Lucky

01-16-2013, 09:48 PM

I'm a big fan of the Take Shelter score as well, but I think "At the Beach" is the highlight track for me.

Spun Lepton

01-16-2013, 10:50 PM

This list will be meaningless if nothing from Requiem for a Dream and Amelie appear.

Barty

01-22-2013, 11:40 PM

89. Lux Aeterna - Requiem for a Dream - Clint Mansell

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Overused in every way, but still extremely powerful. 'Nuff said.

Barty

01-22-2013, 11:54 PM

88. Mr. Glass & End Title - Unbreakable - James Newton Howard

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As a huge fan of Unbreakable, I enjoy the slow unweaving of the story, into something the audience isn't expecting, the real life super hero story. Not only is JNH's score a triumph of his usual melodic skill and composing technique, but the score, and especially the above piece, can be described as a superhero theme filtered through real life. David's melodic theme with a hint of sadness, if only orchestrated different, would be a bombastic piece for a superhero to save the world too, but instead, JNH makes is a wonderfully beautiful and emotionally charged piece, with a heavy weight to reflect David's journey.

Barty

01-24-2013, 04:55 AM

87. Success Montage - Wanted - Danny Elfman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tQgslSXuDE

I think Wanted is an underrated, extremely fun film featuring some good performances, action, and an awesome score by Danny Elfman, in fact one of his best and most underrated. This is a great montage score piece, that has an eastern European and electronic flavor, and really makes the sequence pop. This is the kind of score piece you hear in theaters, and immediately want to go home and play separately.

Barty

01-24-2013, 05:00 AM

86. Where? - Mission to Mars - Ennio Morricone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hql-U8Okheg

Now this is a score I'm not even sure Morricone lovers really know about. The film itself, I believe, has some decent love from De Palma fans on the boards, including myself for the very good performances, excellent effects, and one of the best damn sci-fi scores around precisely because it's so Morricone, and less traditional sci-fi. This piece is a perfect blend of epic and stunningly beautiful. It's a soaring piece of grandeur, and hopefully now, a little less unknown.

Barty

01-24-2013, 05:08 AM

85. Main Title - Children of Dune (TV Miniseries) - Brian Tyler

http://youtu.be/SguJsXDWyw0

I don't know many people who have listened to this score, but these Main Titles are so well know, after being in a slew of movie trailers, that it's instantly recognizable. It's not hard to see why. This is a piece, and a score, worthy of a major film, even an Oscar.

Barty

01-24-2013, 05:16 AM

84. To the Stars - Dragonheart - Randy Edelman

http://youtu.be/UTKSUlMbp9A

A definitive song of pure emotion and melodrama, this beautiful song is a simple blend of of chorus, melody, and strings, and of course an instantly recognizable classic. This is a track composer try and copy when they want the music to carry the overwrought emotion, but very few can do it like this.

Barty

01-24-2013, 05:22 AM

83. Untouchables (End Title) - The Untouchables - Ennio Morricone

http://youtu.be/P1aPPsSB6SM

Another one of those "wow" pieces from Morricone, a brilliant and energetic piece, that scream heroism and incorruptibility. Amazing use of horns and strings to build to a never ending series of crescendos.

Barty

01-24-2013, 05:29 AM

82. Death & Transfiguration - Hancock - John Powell

http://youtu.be/9SHPUwgP7aY

One reason horrible films don't bother me, is because at least once or twice per year, a horrible, terrible film, will have a score that is just amazingly good. Meet this piece from Hancock. It doesn't necessarily blend perfectly with the film, but I can imagine John Powell watching the dailies, and simply saying, "fuck it, I'm going to write this epic piece". This is way better than the film itself deserved.

Barty

01-24-2013, 05:44 AM

81. War - Pearl Harbor - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/nA8fIEpbHyU

As if to continue the trend of horrible movies...but amazing scores, Zimmer's patriotic work on Pearl Harbor even gets me feeling patriotic. This isn't so much war music despite the title, but a heroic blend of a love theme set against the backdrop of the war. This piece makes you feel accomplished, and has a beautiful sense of romanticism. Something the movie is unfortunately majorly lacking in.

MadMan

01-24-2013, 05:55 AM

Morricone's work on The Untouchables is one of his most underrated scores, right up there with John Carpenter's The Thing as being another example of how his brilliance extends beyond Leone movies.

PS: 83. Untouchables (End Title) - The Untouchables - Ennio Morricone=listening to this again reminds me that the movie has one truly fantastic ending. It gives me chills, really.

Barty

01-24-2013, 06:02 AM

Watashi

01-24-2013, 06:05 AM

The Hancock score rules so hard.

Barty

01-24-2013, 06:15 AM

79. St. Crispin's Day - Henry V - Patrick Doyle

http://youtu.be/a-dR8HD45qs

2:00 - 4:35, listen and have joy.

MadMan

01-24-2013, 06:15 AM

Barty

01-24-2013, 06:25 AM

78. Elegy for Dunkirk - Atonement - Dario Marianelli

http://youtu.be/EVuRWdu_Ifg

Not only is the sequence for which the piece is named a masterful scene in it's own right, with extraordinary camera work and images, but it's highlighted by this heartbreaking score, with it's unique mixing of the melodic theme composed by Marianelli as our camera crosses into the group of soldiers singing, creating one of the most powerful emotional scenes in recent years.

Barty

01-24-2013, 06:46 AM

77. Sacred Pool of Tears - Kung-Fu Panda - Hans Zimmer & John Powell

http://youtu.be/91aEl1DHz9A

A wonderful suite of music. The Asian inspired instrumentation is perfectly done with Zimmer & Powell's catchy melodic tunes and graceful kung-fu music. The best parts are the quiet and subdued ethereal tunes in the middle of the track, that rise with Po's skills. Just an awesomely fun and beautiful track.

Barty

01-24-2013, 06:50 AM

76. The Finals - Hoosiers - Jerry Goldsmith

http://youtu.be/k2nzeTaoocI

Jerry Goldsmith is the master of sports music. And even in the era of electronics and synths, he put them to masterful effect in the score to Hoosiers, usually regarded as one of the pinnacles of sports scores. This suite of music for the last part of the movie is a pulse pounding, uplifting collection of themes and beautiful melodies, underscored with some brilliant percussion simulating the dribbling on the basketball. This track makes you feel like your courtside waiting for the final shot to sink in.

Barty

01-24-2013, 06:53 AM

Barty

01-24-2013, 07:01 AM

74. Letting Go - Super 8 - Michael Giacchino

http://youtu.be/jiJRkzCQJJc

Giacchino has a knack for writing some really great scores, punctuated by absolutely brilliant tracks. You can almost always bet one of the pieces from his scores will be a classic, and the above is no exception. An achingly beautiful melody for loss and love, with a soaring string accompaniment. A sci-fi tear jerker.

[ETM]

01-24-2013, 08:37 AM

85. Main Title - Children of Dune (TV Miniseries) - Brian Tyler

I don't know many people who have listened to this score

I've had it on repeat once upon a time. I'm guessing there'll be one more track from it on the list later on? That one was in even more trailers.

amberlita

01-25-2013, 12:40 AM

75. Death is the Road to Awe - The Fountain - Clint Mansell

http://youtu.be/ihF_aXi-Huk

Clint Mansell's rock inspired scores are easily recognizable by the unique blend of melody and instrumentation. The man knows how to build a track so exceptionally well. There's not much to be said about this track, except everyone who listens to it is blown away.

Oh hell yes.

Appreciate you putting this list together Barty. Some fantastic choices. Sad it's movies alone and so we'll have to miss out on Giacchino's brilliant LOST score. Oh hell, doesn't mean I can't put one in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mTmjP-TJ0

Still, I'm a little disappointed in some of the bland choices. The Pearl Harbor track has a only its common melodic strain to make it memorable. The rest is as transferrable a standard action score as it gets. Certainly doesn't belong above The Untouchables choice that reaches such grand and dizzying music heights it makes me want to jump off a building.

Barty

01-25-2013, 05:38 AM

Oh hell yes.

Appreciate you putting this list together Barty. Some fantastic choices. Sad it's movies alone and so we'll have to miss out on Giacchino's brilliant LOST score. Oh hell, doesn't mean I can't put one in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mTmjP-TJ0

Still, I'm a little disappointed in some of the bland choices. The Pearl Harbor track has a only its common melodic strain to make it memorable. The rest is as transferrable a standard action score as it gets. Certainly doesn't belong above The Untouchables choice that reaches such grand and dizzying music heights it makes me want to jump off a building.

Oh it's not just movies, there is TV too. ;)

And like I said, ranking 100 tracks in order is incredibly hard. One day I'll think one track is better, another the other is better. But War from PH still rules. :P

Barty

01-25-2013, 05:51 AM

73. Summon the Worms - Children of Dune (TV Miniseries) - Brian Tyler

http://youtu.be/mtcnt_VkvGU

And ETM was right, there is one more left from this film, another absolutely spectacular piece that is as thrilling and epic was anything you'll find in the best science fiction scores.

Barty

01-25-2013, 05:55 AM

72. Klendathu Drop - Starship Troopers - Basil Poledouris

http://youtu.be/CIGHCoVzqtk

This is the type of bombast that makes you want to drop everything you're doing, join a fascist military intervention in a foreign world, and sacrifice your pitiful life for no reason. That's how good this action music is.

Barty

01-25-2013, 06:02 AM

Barty

01-25-2013, 06:10 AM

70. Hand Covers Bruise - The Social Network - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

http://youtu.be/9SBNCYkSceU

Sometimes the most simplistic and minimalist tracks can be the best, and this is a textbook example. A ingenious blend of a hopefully piano melody with a uneasy match of underlying strings, this track is a perfect start to the film, and sets a brilliant tone for the rest of the movie. The track itself is an addicting piece to listen too, drawing you in with it's unique sound.

Barty

01-25-2013, 06:29 AM

69. Anything is Possible - The Matrix - Don Davis

http://youtu.be/8iaV1cv6bKE

Don Davis' work on the Matrix Trilogy is one of the pioneering scores in major film series. It's a fantastic blending of atonality, percussive metals, melodic sequences, and electronics. The scores literally feel like the music of the Matrix itself, and give a gravitas to sequences like the above track parallel. The ending to this piece was not used, instead the Rage Against the Machine song was put in place instead, but pay attention to the end because it's a brilliant melodic interpretation that finally got to be heard in the ending to the Matrix Revolutions.

Barty

01-25-2013, 06:34 AM

68. Battle of Endor II - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - John Williams

http://youtu.be/eIl0H2yF3aY

Picking tracks from Star Wars is hard because let's be honest, there are so many amazingly good choices. This one is a nice suite highlight of battle music, emotional themes, and your classic Star Wars motifs. But let's be honest, this track contains some of William's most amazing compositions, the positively dark chorus of the Vader/Luke and Luke/Emperor fight. Absolutely chilling and emotional charged scoring.

5:04. Wow.

Barty

01-25-2013, 06:47 AM

67. The Journey to the Grey Havens - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Howard Shore

http://youtu.be/iAz5QfH1uxg

Some of the most beautiful sad music ever written for cinema. I cry like a little baby everytime I watch the scene with this music. Utterly unbelievably scoring job by Howard Shore brave.

Barty

01-25-2013, 07:00 AM

66. October Sky - October Sky - Mark Isham

http://youtu.be/xHVk6t-q1aE

October Sky is another underrated film, a phenomenally acted and told film, with solid emotion and a story that celebrates science and using your brain. The score is a melancholy take on the small town of Coalwood, and in this climatic piece blends the tinge of sadness with amazing beauty, to send this tracking soaring high.

Barty

01-25-2013, 07:23 AM

65. Prelude - The Ten Commandments - Elmer Bernstein

http://youtu.be/EilEV7lZRZ0

One of the great classic hollywood epics and scores of all time, Bernstein's work on The Ten Commandments is worthy of the lofty subject matter, and he delivers a sprawling epic score, with romanticism and godly power. The prelude track serving as the overture, shows all the themes in their splendor.

[ETM]

01-25-2013, 07:43 AM

73. Summon the Worms - Children of Dune (TV Miniseries) - Brian Tyler

I absolutely love such evocative pieces - it paints the scene on its own even without watching it. It builds by literally summoning the Worm with rhythmic pulses sent into the ground, and the beast slowly announces its arrival until it bursts out of the ground in all it's majestic size and power. Gives me the shivers every time.

amberlita

01-26-2013, 02:13 AM

Oh it's not just movies, there is TV too. ;)

Ah! Then I can safely assume I'll get to hear the Band of Brothers theme?! :D

Sort of invalidates the title of "100 Greatest Pieces of Film Music" thread title though. Still, I would rank Murray Gold's I Am The Doctor theme above nearly anything I've heard in film in years.

Not only have I never heard any of those Children of Dune pieces, but I've never even heard of that movie. Netflix'd.

Morris Schæffer

01-27-2013, 01:21 PM

Morris Schæffer

01-27-2013, 01:38 PM

79. St. Crispin's Day - Henry V - Patrick Doyle

http://youtu.be/a-dR8HD45qs

2:00 - 4:35, listen and have joy.

This is great. It was the trailer for Lurhmann's Australia that set me on the path to discovering this track. Grand Central, another Doyle track for Carlito's Way is one of the most pulse-pounding tracks ever. Perhaps it has yet to make an appearance on this list.

Morris Schæffer

01-27-2013, 01:41 PM

71. Main Titles - The Final Countdown - John Scott

http://youtu.be/-m2NzNuC_9o

Now this is the perfect example of a score this list allows me to highlight, one most people definitely don't know about. But this score and main titles is a masterful adventure piece, just brilliantly memorable, soaring, a perfect piece of music for a film that is quite enjoyable.

Goddarnit, don't that sound fucking heroic!? An underrated sci-fi flick, very fun and here's my hoping you'll include another great track from another underrated 70's sci-fi gem even if that one sounds far more foreboding and sinister.

[ETM]

01-27-2013, 02:32 PM

Damn, I had completely forgotten about The Final Countdown. Talk about wish fulfilment - I had also dreamed, as a kid, about having modern jets somehow go back to kick some Nazi ass as they bombed Belgrade in 1941. And again, when NATO bombed us in 1999.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:02 AM

64. Anakin's Betrayal - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - John Williams

http://youtu.be/JRt-dieB3rs

While William's epic lightsaber battle music from the Prequels is typically the most acclaimed of his pieces from them, I think this piece really is the top one. A beautiful and incredibly sad piece of scoring, that made the Order 66 sequence one of the very, very, few great sequences in the prequels. William's use of the force and Jedi motifs are outstanding, has he uses the strings and chorus to portray the devastation to the Jedi.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:10 AM

63. End Credits - Miller's Crossing - Carter Burwell

http://youtu.be/W2YPsfwSPGg

The opening titles to Miller's Crossing features the same theme but in the End Titles it comes to it's fullest statement courtesy of Burwell. Needless to say, the first time I saw the movie I was absolutely amazed by this music. It's a beautiful, breezy, piece. It literally could be the must you would listen to if you were floating on the air. Which, I clearly think is the intention.

amberlita

01-29-2013, 06:16 AM

While William's epic lightsaber battle music from the Prequels is typically the most acclaimed of his pieces from them, I think this piece really is the top one.

Whoa. So you mean we're not going to be getting Duel of the Fates on this list? That's very surprising.

Nice one you chose though. Agreed how much it elevates that scene in the film. I was in no way attached to any of those characters but Williams always knows how to squeeze a drop of emotion from me.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:19 AM

62. Remembrances (with Itzhak Perlman) - Schindler's List - John Williams

http://youtu.be/nLSbOGxyZm0

Schindler's List is the film William's considered his most difficult task, simply because he felt the film was too amazing and emotional and he didn't know if he could compose music that would live up to it. Well, he did, his score is neither the bombast nor orchestral complexity of Star Wars, instead it's a score, and especially this piece, that is tragically beautiful. A wordless summation of the horror and hope the film itself shows.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:28 AM

61. Disc Wars - Tron: Legacy - Daft Punk

http://youtu.be/EB2-ijxjTs0

When I was younger, I listened to cheesy Techo music almost as much as I did film scores, it's always been something I've loved the sound of. Now of course, Daft Punk is no cheese, and the term techno to their music would be a pejorative, but the electronic duo's combination of artificial and traditional is sublime in Tron: Legacy, easily becoming the best part of the film. The way this track builds is nothing short of pulse pounding, addictive, the type of song I put on repeat over and over again. The faux chorus at the end to highlight the rising of the tension is especially a treat.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:30 AM

Whoa. So you mean we're not going to be getting Duel of the Fates on this list? That's very surprising.

Nice one you chose though. Agreed how much it elevates that scene in the film. I was in no way attached to any of those characters but Williams always knows how to squeeze a drop of emotion from me.

Nope, no Duel of the Fates. Don't get me wrong, I love the track, but with this list I went with all my personal favorites, and when ranking it, surprisingly I had a lot of standard omissions.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:35 AM

60. First Entrance to the Desert - Lawrence of Arabia - Maurice Jarre

http://youtu.be/H6sg6IJw6hQ

@ 1:20

Come on, one of the great moments in not only film music, but all of film.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:42 AM

59. Truman Sleeps - The Truman Show - Phillip Glass

http://youtu.be/hjvspeLgeww

Simply put, one of the great piano compositions ever for a film. No orchestra, no flash, beautiful and simple piano music that is wonderfully engaging.

Barty

01-29-2013, 06:55 AM

58. Waiting for a Train - Inception - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/FTfPzDHMa-8

A slow building, very Zimmer piece, starts off with the low bass sounds of Mal & Cobb, and builds it's way to the stunning, stunning conclusion when Zimmer interweaves Piaf and unleashes his most outlandish use of bass, percussion, and horns. Literally the type of sound that could be used as a defibrillator. And by god, do I love it.

@ 8:40 is when shit gets real.

[ETM]

01-29-2013, 07:00 AM

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:02 AM

57. Charging Fort Wagner - Glory - James Horner

http://youtu.be/9-G4xAijMq4

One of the classic Horner pieces, it owes much to it's temp music O'Fortuna. But damn if this isn't one of the most stirring and dramatic rip-offs pulled off in film music history. It has it's own flavor though, but above all, this is epic music at it's most finest and dramatic.

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:09 AM

56. Sacrament: Voices of Light - The Passion of Joan of Arc - Richard Einhorn

http://youtu.be/ig53a-qML0M

This score to the Passion of Joan of Arc, written almost 70 years after the film itself, is universally considered by those who have heard it to be one of the greatest scores they have ever heard. It's not hard to understand why, and choosing a favorite from this score is an incredibly difficult task. I picked my favorite above because of it's vocal beauty and later intensity. The way the score works with the film has to be seen, not just heard, but needless to say even without the film, it's utterly stunning.

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:19 AM

55. The Grand Finale - Edward Scissorhands - Danny Elfman

http://youtu.be/AFmkjBqkloA

This theme is first heard in the track, "The Ice Dance", but here in the finale to the film we hear the full statement of the theme with the full orchestra. This piece is wonderfully innocent sounding and beautiful, a piece that reflects pure goodness and love. A truly beautiful job by Mr. Elfman.

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:32 AM

54. The Mural - Pleasantville - Randy Newman

http://youtu.be/oXinfJK4jHA

This little short track by Newman is one of those miraculous little pieces that is bursting with so much beauty, energy, elegance that I still get chills down my spine when I watch the sequence it accompanies. Just listen if you never have, that is all I can say.

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:41 AM

53. Heaven & Hell: Part I - Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - Vangelis

http://youtu.be/hBjeUS18DoY

Vangelis is the best electronic composer in film history because of tracks like the above. While I don't have a ton of Vangelis on my list, I do frequently get caught listening to his scores from all his different films in my collection. The signature theme to Cosmos is my favorite, the way it builds with Vangelis' beautiful piano melody to the chaotic sounds of electronics and synths mixed with a chorus. It's a piece that feels like your in space, seeing the heavenly beauty while experiencing the awe inspiring power of stars and galaxies.

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:47 AM

52. On Earth as it is in Heaven - The Mission - Ennio Morricone

http://youtu.be/nye62rh7aaQ

I love this track because of it's brilliant blend of religious music, tribal chant, and pure melodic goodness. We have the beautiful theme for Gabriel's Oboe, the theme for the village, and the religious chorus all overlapping and blending into a nearly chaotic, but majestically harmonic track. Masterful scoring and music by Morricone.

Barty

01-29-2013, 07:54 AM

51. End Credits (Raiders March)- Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade - John Williams

http://youtu.be/ya6TH__3rng

This track contains the best and most heroic rendition of the Raiders March of all the films. It's a little cheating with this piece, as being end credits music (except for the very first few minutes of the track), we get a suite of all the music from the film, including the brilliant motorcycle chase music. But the best part is still the very beginning of the track that contains an absolutely beautiful rendition of the Grail Theme/Father Son Theme, which I consider to be one of William's most amazing themes. And of course, it goes straight into the Raiders March ride into the sunset for a brilliant finale.

Barty

01-29-2013, 08:07 AM

50. Labor of Love - Star Trek - Michael Giacchino

http://youtu.be/azgt-oCbdOs

The problem with an opening sequences as good as the one in Star Trek is the rest of the movie just can't hold a candle to it. An emotional, visually stunning sequence, on paper if I had read it I might think it to be way too cheesy and on the nose to open a Star Trek film too. But by god, thanks to Giacchino, we have one of the finest examples of out of the box scoring. No epic chorus, no laser effects, pure emotion written on the page to reflect the visuals. It's a masterpiece.

dreamdead

01-29-2013, 12:18 PM

Love the Miller's Crossing track. The depth and power of that song absolutely sneaks up on you--partly it's the folkiness, but mostly it's the sense of yearning that is so universal.

Dukefrukem

01-29-2013, 12:27 PM

Indiana Jones is too low.

amberlita

01-30-2013, 02:11 AM

55. The Grand Finale - Edward Scissorhands - Danny Elfman

This theme is first heard in the track, "The Ice Dance", but here in the finale to the film we hear the full statement of the theme with the full orchestra. This piece is wonderfully innocent sounding and beautiful, a piece that reflects pure goodness and love. A truly beautiful job by Mr. Elfman.

This track happened to come on my ipod when I was walking home from dinner about a month ago. I have to pass through a field between a church and a large pond that is never devoid of ducks and geese all year round. It was our first big snowfall of the year. I entered another plane of existence. This music is truly transcendent.

MadMan

01-30-2013, 02:47 AM

I don't have enough rep for this thread.

Barty

01-30-2013, 06:26 AM

49. Bag End - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Howard Shore

http://youtu.be/a8lNjBu_Cao

Howard Shore's scores for Lord of the Rings are unparalleled in nearly every category. For someone who wrote nearly 13 hours of film music, nearly every single piece is memorable, vibrant, and wonderful. Take the Bag End cue from Fellowship, with it's remarkable playfulness and beauty and it's thematic brilliance. Anyone who hears this track and especially the piccolo high notes feels instantly transported to the Shire. Just beautiful in every way.

Barty

01-30-2013, 06:32 AM

48. Scene D'amour - Vertigo - Bernard Herrmann

http://youtu.be/ytC5jUBpMls

Herrmann's best piece is the lush and mysterious "kiss" music in Vertigo. Most recent used in the Artist to some controversy, this brilliant piece is at once a mysteriously building slow track that blooms into one of the most stunning love motifs in all of film, before ending on a ecstatic full rendition of it. Perfection.

Barty

01-30-2013, 06:42 AM

47. Brandon - Shame - Harry Escott

http://youtu.be/HRsj6nLhJvI

The best parts of Shame were the merging of visuals and sound, especially when this motif for Brandon is building and building and building and never reaching full climax. No pun intended of course, and this piece owes a lot to The Thin Red Line in both structure and sound, but it's an addicting piece, a brilliant piece of background music that puts us right in the emotional state of Fassbender, and is simply one of my favorite pieces of recent memory.

Barty

01-30-2013, 06:51 AM

46. Life & Death - Lost (TV Show) - Michael Giacchino

http://youtu.be/twHXrNtG-7c

Now I never watched Lost past the middle of season 2 when I lost interest, but even excluding possible pieces I am missing from the later seasons, there's no doubt Giacchino's work on the first season also is amazing, even better than most major motion picturing scoring. The piece that still sticks with me, and I imagine most people, is the above theme with the brilliant use of a slow and sad piano and especially the layered used of the strings on top. It gives you a lump in your throat, and cements Giacchino as one of the composers who is best able to squeeze emotion out of his music.

Barty

01-30-2013, 06:56 AM

45. Neodammerung - The Matrix Revolutions - Don Davis

http://youtu.be/MYZBAmE7tT0

When one thinks of epic music, especially battle music, I don't think you can get anymore batshit epic than this song. It literally is the entire orchestra unleashed, with full choir, in sanskrit. It has the same techniques Davis' used throughout the Matrix trilogy, including the short battle motifs for injury or victory, but it's wrapped up in one of the most amazing and heart pounding unleashes of film scoring in modern times. The score here is so good and epic that it actually makes the scene a little silly, because the filmmaking in Revolutions took such a nose dive. But ah well, I'm judging music, not the film, and this track rules.

Barty

01-30-2013, 07:05 AM

44. Building the Barn - Witness - Maurice Jarre

http://youtu.be/iw28_kQK1FA

In the 80's, electronic and synth scores were the fad, for even the most unexpected movies. Look no further than Witness for it, as the electronic score would be out of place, if Jarre wasn't such a master. It takes some considerable skill to make a completely synth piece into a perfect track for the building of a barn on an Amish Farm, pretty much the opposite of what synth would be. But this track is brilliantly memorable, descriptive in it's writing, like building piece of wood by piece of wood, technique with technique, this track does it parallel completely electronically and feels perfect for the scene and as a listening experience.

Barty

01-30-2013, 07:14 AM

43. I Don't Think Now is the Best Time - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/dbrHBzWeP04

The music for the Pirates films is pretty good on the whole, Jack Sparrows theme is a fantastic theme, but never really gets going to it's full potential until the third film. Even Zimmer's score for Dead Man's Chest isn't very memorable, but he turns out a marvelous scoring job in the third film, highlighted by numerous musical flourishes and themes, and his usual unique recording techniques. This suite piece containing the highlights of the final battle sequence has some amazing battle music and dramatic intensity, including the dramatic chorus as the villain is blown to bits in a hail of slow motion cannon fire. The best part though, is the wonderfully action packed scoring during the duel on the sinking ships while the marriage is being conducted by Barbarossa for Will & Elizabeth. Starting @ 6:45 on the track we get a rip roaring love theme intercut with the battle cues and the main Pirates Theme. It's a giddy piece of scoring, and it gets me everytime.

Watashi

01-30-2013, 07:18 AM

I actually prefer this track (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mTmjP-TJ0) in LOST.

Also, this list is incomplete because I know Barty is watching Battlestar Galactica right now and Bear McCreary needs to be on this list. Behold. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8zsE5zdlsQ)

Barty

01-30-2013, 07:24 AM

42. Anthem: Part I - Powaqqatsi - Philip Glass

http://youtu.be/vU04Jah-ojY

I think the best use of this track is in The Truman Show, when Truman has his discovery while walking through the streets, so I will review accordingly. This minimalist piece, like most of all Glass' work, is brilliantly memorable and striking in how it captures a sense of wonder and discovery. It's the kind of piece that would make you, if listening to it, excited to walk across the street. You can understand, when the Truman Show was temp tracked before an actual scoring, while this track was kept it. It's hard to top a masterpiece.

Barty

01-30-2013, 07:33 AM

41. Clocktower - Back to the Future - Alan Silvestri

http://youtu.be/pmcg1MX_PM4

One of the things I love about Back to the Future, besides the amazing theme itself, is how it's scored like a full on epic or action movie. Reading up on each piece, this was intentional by Zemeckis and Silvestri to impress Spielberg. When one really think's about the score to Back to the Future, it really isn't a traditional way you would score a action comedy nowaways. The theme could fit in any big blockbuster, but indelibly it fits perfectly right here. The Clocktower shows fine suspense scoring by Silvestri, punctuated by brass and percussion flourishes, and of course the best parts are the full statements of the theme as Marty goes back. I especially love the moment @ 1:35 when the snare drum kicks in and builds the theme with the beautiful subdued horns. Wonderful way to wave the motif into the emotional moment of the sequence.

Barty

01-30-2013, 07:47 AM

40. The Battle of Yavin - Star Wars - John Williams

http://youtu.be/SEEOcqbeclg

The Battle of Yavin music is William's iconic action music, that pretty much set the standard for all his others to come. In here you will find all the William's touches. The classical inspired war music, the mickey mousing music which parallels intense moments, and best of all his unparalleled integration of themes into the most emotional and story specific moments. Moments such as when the X-Wings first turn in to engage the Death Star, or where Luke focused, hears Obi-Wan and the score turns on a dime to the noble force theme with the strings. The music to Star Wars is seriously probably the single most vital element to the success of the entire picture, as without it, you don't believe the stakes or the intensity. In fact, without the music you would easily perceive the models as merely movie slowly through the air as an effect, but with the music you believe they are flying fast through the trenches, and it puts you on the edge of your seat.

Barty

01-30-2013, 07:50 AM

39. Cloud Atlas Finale - Cloud Atlas - Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil.

http://youtu.be/kpMMinJiPb0

The most recent film on here. Please just listen.

And the Music Branch of the Academy can go fuck themselves.

amberlita

01-31-2013, 04:29 AM

I actually prefer this track (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mTmjP-TJ0) in LOST.

Yeah, that's my favorite as well. I posted it earlier. But Life and Death and Landing Party are also pretty damned fantastic.

Barty

02-01-2013, 06:04 AM

38. The Burning Bush - The Prince of Egypt - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/GrUTsJ-8s1k

The Prince of Egypt not only has some of the best songs in any musical animated movie (I mean, The Plagues is out of this world good), but the score itself by Zimmer is damn fantastic. Especially the highlight track of the Burning Bush. Zimmer combines his trademark horns and samples with a heavenly chorus that blends nicely into an otherworld sound for the voice of God. His crescendos are breathtaking, and goosebump worthy.

Barty

02-01-2013, 06:10 AM

37. Finale - Batman - Danny Elfman

http://youtu.be/FYvQYzlUm-o

Before Zimmer put his spin on the Batman franchise, Danny Elfman made one of the greatest themes and scores ever with the 89 Batman & Returns. His Batman theme is masterpiece of dark heroic material, and the way he works it in his score is some of the most fun and wonderful superhero music every written. The finale sequence to Batman is a brilliant piece of heroic music, featuring the full statement of the Batman theme.

@ 1:00 is perhaps some of the greatest 45 seconds of film music ever written.

Barty

02-01-2013, 06:25 AM

36. Genesis Countdown - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - James Horner

http://youtu.be/h1PejM57F8s

One of Horner's great strengths throughout his entire career is his ability to combine tense and exciting music with the themes he has created, and to pull the emotion out of any sequence his music accompanies. The first part of the track is some of the finest "ticking clock action" music written. He weaves his Star Trek theme through a flourish of horns and strings, as we wait for Spock to save the ship. After the dramatic conclusion, the track switches into the beautiful Genesis theme both celebrating the birth of the new planet, but hinting at the sacrifice that was necessary to save the ship.

[ETM]

02-01-2013, 06:26 AM

I still associate Elfman's themes with Batman. So iconic.

Barty

02-01-2013, 06:42 AM

35. Main Title - Gone with the Wind - Max Steiner

http://youtu.be/fm-FqoA89xI

Steiner was the great innovator in film music of his time. He understood you didn't need music to just highlight what was happening on the screen, but for the music itself to be it's own character. For themes to exist to highlight things under the surface, and to make scores bold and brilliant. His main title and Tara's Theme still stand as one of the best and most powerful of all film themes. It's long, drawn out notes throw you back into a feeling of romanticism and history, and is exceptionally crafted.

Barty

02-01-2013, 07:01 AM

34. "Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch" - Titanic - James Horner

http://youtu.be/5t68oWAtyUo

My favorite single piece from the Titanic score is this little cue for when the ship gets to full speed, and Leo does his famous, "I'm King of the World!" The theme for the ship itself is brilliant and memorable, Horner's construction here pulsates like gears going faster and faster on the ship, before exploding into the thematic brilliance and wonderful ethereal chorus. Horner gives the voices an electronic touch which ends up being one of the defining and most loved parts of the score, turning the Titanic experience into something magical. It's one of the most beautiful and inspiring tracks written by Horner.

Also, it starts a trend where Bernard Hill issuing orders to people is accompanied by amazing music. More on that later.

[ETM]

02-01-2013, 07:03 AM

Also, this list is incomplete because I know Barty is watching Battlestar Galactica right now and Bear McCreary needs to be on this list. Behold. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8zsE5zdlsQ)

Most definitely. I wouldn't even be able to choose the right track, because so many are simply astounding.
EDIT: Dammit, I'm listening to S4 tracks again and I literally have tears in my eyes.

Barty

02-01-2013, 07:16 AM

Barty

02-04-2013, 06:59 AM

32. Vide Cor Meum - Hannibal - Patrick Cassidy

http://youtu.be/j2Wv5AvqzfE

Composed specifically for the opera sequence in Hannibal, this brilliant and beautiful aria by Patrick Cassidy is stunning to listen to, and became one of the key sequences, and certainly the key music from the film. It was also used to amazing and heartbreaking effect during the funeral sequence for King Baldwin in Kingdom of Heaven. Even those unfamiliar with film music, and not even inclined at all to Opera, tend to recognize this piece and it's beauty.

Barty

02-04-2013, 07:07 AM

31. My Name is Lincoln - The Island - Steve Jablonsky

http://youtu.be/_iu-t1n821M

Steve Jablonsky has unfortunately during his career been the composer to some of the most god awful films imagined. The Island, the Transformers films, Battleship, and the Texas Chainsaw films. Yet he has managed to craft some very impressive and exciting scores, that occasionally feature some absolutely stunning tracks, like the one above, which has been used in multiple trailers and inspirational videos because of it's qualities. Watching this film at an advance screening back in the 05 comic con, the film itself was mind numbingly awful until the final sequence, which, solely due to this music, made me perk up with Jablonsky's fantastic use of guitar, percussion, and stunning choir interlaced with his beautiful thematic work.

Barty

02-04-2013, 07:14 AM

30. Khazad-Dum - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Howard Shore

http://youtu.be/VZ7I0WYKXHg

The Khazad-Dum sequence features Shore's stunning work in all it's full thematic glory. Showcasing his perfect use of powerful march music, full chorus with full verses, and his thematic elegance weaved in and out of tense and exciting music. Of course, it also features one his best traits from Lord of the Rings, his achingly good heartbreaking music, exemplified by the low hum of the chorus against the single boy voice singing for Gandalf.

@ 5:50 tears start to shed.

Barty

02-04-2013, 07:21 AM

29. A Watchful Guardian - The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/KipH9GLuiiI

Zimmer's wonderful work on all the Batman films is one of my favorite series of modern scores, but it's his work at the end of The Dark Knight, which he copied verbatim into the end of Rises, that really is the highlight for me. It starts with the beautiful piano theme from Begins, and goes into Zimmer's full rendition of one of his themes for Batman, but in the most noble, sad, and beautiful way. On the screen with the voiceover it's a brilliant and bold montage, completely turning the Dark Knight ending into one of the most satisfying and expectation exceeding endings I've ever seen. When the beautiful music ends and erupts into the heroic Batman theme @ 4:00 with Gordon's voiceover, Zimmer pulls it all together into a perfect ending track that takes you back to the enraptured feeling of first watching it.

Barty

02-04-2013, 07:30 AM

28. The Ultimate War - Hook - John Williams

http://youtu.be/xUFrOHRK7wI

Hook is easily one of the greatest scores ever written, and William's adventure music is probably the best of his entire career as taken as a whole piece, so it's hard to pick an individual track that perfectly captures the brilliance of the music, but I think this does it. From the powerful and adventurous tuba line in the beginning, to the high flying theme for the Pan, William's music in this final battle sequence perfectly blends his thematic skills with his action music, to interweave into one of the most pure fun tracks you will listen to. The sheer complexity and length of music is some of the most of his entire career, and this score can't be praised enough, especially since it's probably underrated.

amberlita

02-05-2013, 02:19 AM

Absolutely loving some of the most recent choices, Barty. Especially glad you worked in the Genesis Countdown. I have the CD of The Astral Symphony doing so many great themes from the first six films. Well worth the purchase if anyone is so inclined.

Also, another great piece from Hook. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EFiTuG21jg

amberlita

02-05-2013, 02:35 AM

31. My Name is Lincoln - The Island - Steve Jablonsky

the film itself was mind numbingly awful until the final sequence, which, solely due to this music, made me perk up with Jablonsky's fantastic use of guitar, percussion, and stunning choir interlaced with his beautiful thematic work.

Totally. As you mentioned earlier, some awful movies you are grateful for because they brought you fantastic music. This is a rare instance where I hate a movie more because its music is so great. This score deserved a better film and the ending sticks out like a sore thumb because Jablonsky elevates it to an emotional plane that the preceding film did not earn. I hear this music and I just picture something other than the ending of this movie. Something epic and....African.

ContinentalOp

02-05-2013, 02:54 AM

Fezzik

02-05-2013, 03:20 AM

80. Transformation - Beauty and the Beast - Alan Menken

http://youtu.be/01ZbUKvSAA4

The entire piece above is a great track, hearing all the musical themes that underlay the amazing songs in the film, but pay special attention @ 1:35, where the track takes off into a stunning rising string motif with horns, and climaxes with a "shedding a tear" worthy moment as Beast is transformed. An amazing piece of scoring.

A million rep for you, Barty. Not only is one of my top 10 favorite pieces of movie music, you've even used the re-orchestrated version re-written for the film (which is a FAR superior piece) rather than the one on the official soundtrack. Bravo. You even highlight my favorite moment - the change to the horns and strings at 1:35. Double Bravo. Just a glorious piece of music.

Morris Schæffer

02-06-2013, 10:52 AM

33. Forbidden Friendship - How To Train Your Dragon - John Powell

http://youtu.be/6CJ96LGGP6w

This mysteriously playful track by Powell is my favorite type of film music. One that builds and builds and builds, with one part of the orchestra first, than adding more and more, before reaching a stunning climax. Powell has perfect command of his orchestrations and themes. Making this is marvelous example of creative and engaging scoring. It's a track that listening to it makes you smile.

I should listen to this. I'm at work right now. I've always felt that "test flight" was the best track on this album. Great score, awesome movie. My Name is Lincoln is just tremendous and, coupled with Arrival to Earth, makes me sad that Jablonsky didn't do the score for The Avengers.

[ETM]

02-06-2013, 11:33 AM

makes me sad that Jablonsky didn't do the score for The Avengers.

I think Alan Silvestri did a tremendous job, as always.

Fezzik

02-06-2013, 01:51 PM

I should listen to this. I'm at work right now. I've always felt that "test flight" was the best track on this album. Great score, awesome movie. My Name is Lincoln is just tremendous and, coupled with Arrival to Earth, makes me sad that Jablonsky didn't do the score for The Avengers.

This and "Test Flight" are probably the two best tracks, but the entire score is very good.

Barty

02-07-2013, 12:39 AM

27. The Miracle of the Ark - Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams

http://grooveshark.com/s/The+Miracle+Of+The+Ark/pv6hc?src=5
*No Youtube Video Available*

William's powerful, mysterious, heavenly/demonic music during the climax his an example of not only one of his finest thematic contributions, but also as pure underscore for a sequence. The images in the sequence are powerful on their own, but the scene itself is essentially people standing around waiting, so the music has to serve as the tension and excitement, and eventually horror. It's an extremely listenable piece for such a prominent underscore piece, mainly because the Ark theme is so damn great. As the orchestra takes off and the horns blare high, screeching with the power of God, I can't help but get chills down my spine at the sheer power of the music.

Barty

02-07-2013, 12:49 AM

26. The Hand of Fate (Part I & II) - Signs - James Newtown Howard

http://youtu.be/YFGK2RFUQLs

James Newtown Howard has a gift for providing M. Night some of the best damn film scores for his movies, whether they are good or bad movies too. I'm a huge fan of Signs across the board, and the score is one of the highlights. JNH crafted a score that is both scary and suspenseful, but also harmonically beautiful and is written so that the main theme can effortlessly transform into any emotion or tone the movie requires.

This long sequence of music gives us a full and brilliant taste of the score as it weaves throughout the climax and creates intensity, emotion, and joy. The piece ends on an emotional rendition of the main theme played beautiful on strings, will the plucking and short flute bursts that sound alien in their tone accompany it. It's an instantly recognizable signature to the score, and gives it a unique and wonderful touch.

Barty

02-07-2013, 01:00 AM

25. Promentory - The Last of the Mohicans - Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman

http://youtu.be/DJVlFOU3JxU

The theme from the Last of the Mohicans is one of the most recognizable and famous of all film scores, even if many common non film buffs don't even know where it came from. It's an example of score where the power of the main theme is so good that it's really the entire driving force behind everything in the score.

In Promentory, we get the fullest and most powerful rendition. Not only is the music absolutely beautiful with it's Celtic inspired roots, but it literally conveys the image on the screen, of the image of a person running ever faster and faster to his destiny. When the strings take over, especially @2:23, it's even more marvelous. This is one the best examples of the "driving" film score piece, absolutely amazing.

Barty

02-07-2013, 01:05 AM

24. The Imperial March - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - John Williams

http://youtu.be/-bzWSJG93P8

I debated at the last minute while making this list where to put this track. Star Wars, and this piece, is so embedded in popular and film culture, it's almost impossible to listen to it with the same fresh and exciting intensity it must have given out when the film was first released. But alas, sitting here listening to it a few times I kept moving it up and up the list. Let's be honest, it's just fucking perfect. It perfectly sums up the Empire and what it stands for, no words needed, and the thematic and memorable quality is nearly unparalleled in all of film music.

A 1:37 when the marching drums come back in before the full rendition of the March. Perfection.

Barty

02-07-2013, 01:13 AM

23. Song for Bob - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

http://youtu.be/vz0FSG9h-GI

Now, for full disclosure, I still haven't sat down and watching the film. I listened to the piece on Watashi's request and instantly fell in love with it. The string work here is absolutely beautiful and masterful, punctuated by the piano notes. Without seeing the film yet, I can't fully judge the context of the use, but I can say listening I'm struck with an enormous sense of sadness and heartbreak, one of the finest emotional pieces in film music I've heard.

This piece of music has a piercing quality right to the ears and heart.

Barty

02-07-2013, 01:21 AM

22. Arrival to Earth - Transformers - Steve Jablonsky

http://youtu.be/4H0JDomv8ac

The only justification I can think of for the existence of the Transformers franchise is the scores by Jablonsky. He managed to craft 3 very fine, fun, and exciting scores, for some truly atrocious films. Now the first film isn't that bad, even good and fun it parts, but in all three films only one sequence really stands out, and that's the arrival of the autobots to Earth in the first film.

First, this piece is so successful because Jabolnsky's theme here is so damn freaking noble and beautiful. By making the introduction of this theme so different than one would expect, he help created a memorable and different feel to the sequence. He starts off with the slow and long notes on the strings, neglecting all bombast, before slowly building his theme more exciting and even more noble by combing a chorus, and of course this is blended with some electronic sampling and percussion that gives the piece a nice feel with the mechanical autobots.

Best part is at @ 2:30, when the absolutely gorgeous theme is carried up by the full orchestra.

dreamdead

02-07-2013, 01:32 AM

Kinda surprised that The Last of the Mohicans song isn't top five material. That song is absolutely formative to film appreciation for me...

I could have that track play at my funeral and I'd be absolutely content. (Additionally, my life would seem much more epic with the song's inclusion.)

amberlita

02-07-2013, 01:41 AM

It really is a gorgeous piece of music isn't it? I'm not sure I'd even love it as much as I do if the film itself didn't utilize it to perfection. Those nearly wordless final 10 minutes are just...ugh. Love it.

Also nailed it with The Imperial March, Barty. Great inclusion of music too familiar to appreciate the sort of awe we should have for it.

Watashi

02-07-2013, 02:22 AM

Morris Schæffer

02-10-2013, 06:54 PM

amberlita

02-10-2013, 09:40 PM

Arrival to Earth rawks! Another one I'm hoping to see is a score by Bill Conti. He composed the score in a record three weeks I believe, but some of the tracks are among the most heroic I've ever heard.

I'll be seriously disappointed in Barty if there is nothing from The Right Stuff on this list.

Barty

02-12-2013, 06:46 AM

21. Launch - Armageddon - Trevor Rabin

http://youtu.be/SxX6phlbds8

While doing some research on this list, I came to find out that the Armageddon score is quite highly appraised by the like minded Zimmer and Media Ventures fans like myself. This isn't the last "launch" sequence piece left on the list, and there must be something about these sequences that brings out the best in composers.

This highly electronic piece is at once a stirring and emotional piece of grandeur, but also a rocking and exciting piece. The very beautiful and subdued theme at the beginning of the track perfectly weaves it's way into building heroic theme that of course takes off, again, literally, with the images on the screen.

Throw in Rabin's fantastic electric guitar and electronically processed vocals, you get a unique piece that ended up being borrowed from quite heavily later on by similar composers. Ah hell, I just love this piece. It seems we have a pattern of Michael Bay movies solely existing to deliver some great scores.

Barty

02-12-2013, 06:58 AM

20. Journey to the Line - The Thin Red Line - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/TG9-j3eevL4

The Genesis of much of Zimmer's awesome recent work can be found in this now very famous piece. Most recently used in the Man of Steel trailer, this piece has a wonderful beauty and transcendence to it. Malick is notrious for chopping up composers work, something that made Horner extremely pissed off. Zimmer is much more relaxed about it, as by his own admission, he will sometimes just compose and then fine tune his piece as opposed to seeing the finished work first. Much like Malick tends to film a lot, and then make his movies without any pre-define structure.

This is what he did for this piece, and of course the driving motifs, the rising notes, the electronic horns, and the simple melody at the end with long held notes makes for a beautiful piece that taps into irresistible sound that makes Zimmer such a popular composer now.

Barty

02-12-2013, 07:11 AM

19. Ecstasy of Gold - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone

http://youtu.be/AVUZiLFPJhc

The thematic and orchestral brilliance of Morricone is highlighted to perfection is this most famous track from the film. The entire score to the film is a marvel, but this track really perfectly encapsulates everything great about it. From the brilliant melody, to the driving and twirling instrumentation with the horns, and the use of vocals to highlight the pure ecstasy on the screen, it's the kind of music that demonstrates the superior opportunities and skills of film composers, to be able to write amazing music for the screen.

dreamdead

02-12-2013, 11:02 PM

Two amazing songs in a row, Barty. Morricone and Zimmer's best work; while I'm naturally predisposed to favoring Zimmer's score (the crescendo in "Journey..." is something I used to repeatedly play driving in to work, and it never failed to stir emotions in me), the earlier statement means much more in the context of Morricone's oeuvre, which is clearly more impressive.

Starting to get nervous that Georges Delerue's Contempt and Howard Shore's Dead Ringers work might not get love. They're the last two scores (after Morricone, Zimmer, and Jones & Edelman) that are immediately and continually powerful to me.

[ETM]

02-13-2013, 07:09 AM

Ecstasy of Gold always reminds me of Metallica.

Barty

02-13-2013, 08:49 PM

18. Freedom / The Execution / Bannockburn - Braveheart - James Horner

http://youtu.be/0gXApvgxQH0

The entire score to Braveheart is beautiful, powerful, and lyrical. Truly one of Horner's finest both thematically and as a tone piece. This highlight track has outstanding emotional power due to it's amazing melody's, Horner's use of high flutes and oboes, his lyrical strings, and of course the bagpipes.

This score and by extension, track, are so good that James Cameron, who had a massive falling out with Horner over Aliens, actually went to Horner begging him to score Titanic because he wanting something as beautiful as this. If this score can shatter James Cameron's ego, you know it's good.

@ 6:04 is some of the most powerful moments in all of film music.

Barty

02-13-2013, 08:56 PM

17. The Lighting of the Beacons - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Howard Shore

http://youtu.be/ZgJYNveHOYU?t=3m55s

This track, which underscores piles of wood being lit on fire, is more exciting and dramatic than 98% of action sequences made, thanks to Shore's music.

Starts @ 3:55. Unbelievable.

Barty

02-13-2013, 09:31 PM

16. Into the Starscape - The Last Starfighter - Craig Safan

http://youtu.be/yNhdDcLjkc0

I unabashedly love the Last Starfighter. Not only for the nostalgia of it all, but because it's an extremely fun film. Even as a kid though, I thought the music was extremely memorable and fun.

Listening to it now, not only is it fun music, but it's some of the finest written for a motion picture. Unlike many films that were knock off sci-fi's at the time, this film features little electronic music, instead it features a Star Wars sized orchestra that would fit in with any epic motion pictures.

It also, in my opinion, probably has the single greatest science fiction musical motif outside of Star Wars. The soaring, yearning, and powerful melody for the Last Starfighter is variable as both a war piece and an emotional driving piece. The track above features long and powerful variations of it. Not only do we get the amazing beautiful string variation in the beginning of the track, but we also get the climatic heroic version as Alex sets off into space.

This puts to shame even some of the best composers scores today.

Barty

02-13-2013, 10:01 PM

15. The Final Game - Rudy - Jerry Goldsmith

http://youtu.be/oHInW9C9kNo

Goldsmith's genius was he was always able to not only make the music have a connection to the subject matter, but imbue it with his trademark thematic skills, and pure scoring abilities. Like his Hoosier score, the music to Rudy and especially in this piece, feel as if we are on the football field with our hearts pounding and the fast pace of the game all around us.

The Final Game is an emotional and heroic piece, listening to it makes you feel uplifted, like you can accomplish anything. Goldsmith was not known as a proud or arrogant man, but as one of the most humble of all composers, but my film music teacher in college, who has played in nearly every major score you can think of, relayed the story of when they recorded this piece. Jerry, he said, who was always composed and professional, started crying during the climax of recording this piece. The orchestra asked him what was wrong, and he said, "I'm sorry, this music is just so damn good." When your own music can bring you to tears, you know you have of the great pieces on your hand.

Neclord

02-14-2013, 12:00 AM

17. The Lighting of the Beacons - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Howard Shore

I love this track so much, who knew that lighting some signal fires would become my favorite part of the whole movie.

amberlita

02-14-2013, 12:52 AM

16. Into the Starscape - The Last Starfighter - Craig Safan

I unabashedly love the Last Starfighter. Not only for the nostalgia of it all, but because it's an extremely fun film. Even as a kid though, I thought the music was extremely memorable and fun.

Listening to it now, not only is it fun music, but it's some of the finest written for a motion picture. Unlike many films that were knock off sci-fi's at the time, this film features little electronic music, instead it features a Star Wars sized orchestra that would fit in with any epic motion pictures.

It also, in my opinion, probably has the single greatest science fiction musical motif outside of Star Wars. The soaring, yearning, and powerful melody for the Last Starfighter is variable as both a war piece and an emotional driving piece. The track above features long and powerful variations of it. Not only do we get the amazing beautiful string variation in the beginning of the track, but we also get the climatic heroic version as Alex sets off into space.

This puts to shame even some of the best composers scores today.

Oh my god, Barty, you are the TITS! :pritch:

Barty

02-14-2013, 12:56 AM

Oh my god, Barty, you are the TITS! :pritch:

:cool:

amberlita

02-20-2013, 04:41 AM

You are no longer the tits, Barty. :frustrated:

Barty

02-20-2013, 06:33 AM

You are no longer the tits, Barty. :frustrated:

I haven't forgotten! I've just been busy busy!

Barty

02-20-2013, 06:49 AM

14. The Crack of Doom - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Howard Shore

http://youtu.be/NETAza-epHk

Shore's remarkable climatic music to the entire trilogy is a triumph of both pure expression of emotion, and pure musical talent. As the music builds and builds, hopeful, as the ring sits and waits for it's fate before destruction, the music erupts into perhaps the most overwhelming use of chorus in all of film. The soaring melody of Into the West underscores the triumph of good over evil. We get, literally, our ultimate explosives crescendo as Mount Doom explodes into a fireball, and the music abruptly drops to melodic and heartbreaking strings as Frodo knows the quest is done, and they resign themselves to death.

This track can make you cry tears of joy and triumph, and sadness as well.

Barty

02-20-2013, 07:01 AM

13. Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor) - Sunshine - John Murphy

http://youtu.be/NQXVzg2PiZw

Without a doubt one of the most popular and recognizable pieces of modern film scoring, this thematic piece has been adapted in extensive use of trailers, and even used straight out during particular powerful moments of film and TV.

The track is perfect hybrid of modern rock and classical composing, fused with electronics. It's an absolutely gorgeous theme in and of itself, and the lines of electronic guitar on top of the pulsing electronic beats with the brilliant use of piano create a piece of music that is so good, it literally seems like you have always been familiar with it.

If the Sun had it's own theme music, it would be this, without a doubt.

Barty

02-20-2013, 07:11 AM

12. Prelude & Main Title March - Superman - John Williams

http://youtu.be/f3-bv8BfLMo

While one can make a case, and I would, that a couple Batman films may have more unique and interesting scores on the whole , there is one thing I will say. This is the THE theme to any Superhero character. It is a perfect and utterly breathtaking piece of scoring, that captures everything about a character in a piece of music.

It is a thrilling, memorable, and triumphant piece that literally gets you pumped to watch the film. It's such a good piece of music and as a track, that it makes the title cards and credits swooping in and out more exciting than entire sequences, action or otherwise, in other films.

The genius way it builds with the strings slowly starting, then stopping, etc, until the climatic burst of the theme gets me everything. Oh, and the music also literally says, SUP-ER-MAN!

Barty

02-20-2013, 07:22 AM

11. Laura Palmer's Theme - Twin Peaks (TV) - Angelo Badalamenti

http://youtu.be/khMlcTE7lw8

Without a doubt, this is the greatest musical piece ever written for a Television series. It is so utterly evocative to the entire mood and tone of Twin Peaks, Lynch even said that the first moment he heard the theme he knew it was perfect. At once this piece is haunting and eerie with it's electronic opening, telling us there is something artificial and unknown about this world we will step in, but as soon as the piano comes in we know we are in for a world of strong emotion and beauty.

As it's own, the love theme on the piano itself is one of the great themes of all time. Certainly my favorite love theme. Taken together with the ethereal and creepy parts of the track, you have one of the most perfectly cemented ideas that has ever come together for a film work.

Want to know the power of music to film? Imagine Twin Peaks without this.

amberlita

02-20-2013, 06:41 PM

Sunshine was really a revelation wasn't it? Unfortunately, I don't really feel John Murphy's done anything on that level since then.

Barty

02-21-2013, 12:18 AM

10. All Systems Go - The Launch - Apollo 13 - James Horner

http://youtu.be/p6i5vgDJFb4

Horner's heroic and epic 10 minute track for the launch sequence in Apollo 13 represents one of the most perfect ways to score a sequence. Here Horner has to combine the patriotic, with the tense, with the suspenseful, with the grace, and with the wonder of the sequence and what it represents into one cohesive piece.

Many of his usual scoring techniques are seen here, his powerful use of brass, his wonderful melody (one of his best), and his use of ethereal vocals to give a otherworldly quality, which is obviously appropriate for this film.

The track opens with the beautiful and lyrical rendition of his main hero theme, playing back and forth between the strings and the horn. As the launch sequence itself commences, the drums march below with the countdown, as the strings and horns rise and rise to full power in sequence with the engines of the rocket. Like a heartbeat, the tense but emotional beauty of the moment are perfectly captured with the music.

Right @ 6:03 and after is just so so good.

Barty

02-21-2013, 12:24 AM

9. The Map Room: Dawn - Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams

http://youtu.be/W9j9fUhJddA

John Williams's theme for the Ark, as I said in my previous track from the film, is one of his best, if not his best. It's such a brilliant combination of mystery, creepiness, and sheer beauty. Here the theme reaches it's best orchestration, in one of the most "chill" worthy moments in all of cinema, that makes the hair on your back stand straight up.

@ 2:12 when Indy puts in the staff in the hole, and the chorus comes in paralleling the theme to it's full magnificence, you have some of the most wonderful music ever composed.

Again, illustrating the power of film music, a scene of someone standing there staring at a model on the ground is made into a brilliantly exciting and powerful moment.

John Williams is the shit.

amberlita

02-21-2013, 03:08 AM

I don't recall which Oscar telecast it was, but there was a fantastic bit where they highlighted the importance of the film score by showing the shark chase scene in Jaws with and without the music. Reminds me of that every time you mention how flat a scene would be without the music. Couldn't agree more.

Solid choices. I was worried the inclusion of Indy earlier in the countdown meant you wouldn't list the Map Room piece, which is just perfection.

Morris Schæffer

02-21-2013, 10:51 AM

The map room. Some prime goosebump material. The sense of discovery, of creating, and interfering with, history was overwhelming.

dreamdead

02-26-2013, 01:28 AM

Major props for the Sunshine score, as well as the Twin Peaks theme. Both are stellar in mood and structure.

I do think Murphy's work on 28 Days/Weeks Later achieves a similar grandiosity in the chainsaw guitars that scale upward...

Barty

02-27-2013, 04:20 AM

It ends tonight.

amberlita

02-27-2013, 04:21 AM

It ends tonight.

Good. Because this has been the worst kind of foreplay I've ever experienced.

Barty

02-27-2013, 04:38 AM

8. Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye - E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - John Williams

http://youtu.be/uGP2o8lBgV8

The 15 minute finale suite to E.T. is some of the most powerfully emotional music ever put to the screen. We are talking pure, cry like a baby emotion, that even a short cue from this track and film has been known to make people cry.

What can be said about this iconic piece, other than that William's beautiful theme for E.T. is mixed, transformed, and heightened into amazing emotional and soaring depths. William's uses a innocent set of instruments like the harp, xylophone, beautiful piano melodies, soft and energetic, and a restrained and beautiful use of horns to guide us along from E.T.'s escape and his goodbye. Perhaps what makes the sequence work so well, as that even though E.T's departure is incredibly sad for the audience, it's scored triumphantly, with little sadness to it, but instead hope and energy, making it a happy kind of sad.

My personal favorite moment of the score, is actually not one of the soaring renditions of the theme itself, but the slowly building music as the spaceship takes off, until in bursts into one of the most amazing trumpet flares ever, starting @ 14:00.

Barty

02-27-2013, 04:41 AM

Good. Because this has been the worst kind of foreplay I've ever experienced.

The finales will make it the best.

Barty

02-27-2013, 04:53 AM

7. Stealing the Enterprise - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - James Horner

http://youtu.be/7s5lQ-bGe6c

My favorite piece from Horner has always been this, the sequence itself is masterfully done by Nimoy, and again we have a perfect example of how the music makes and generates the excitement for the sequence. Remember what we are watching on screen is a bunch of models being slowly piloted out of a space hangar bay, and at slow speeds too. Combined with the images on the screen, we have a natural inclination to want to see Kirk succeed, so we are rooting for him emotionally, but the reactionary and physical tension comes from the music.

Horner's theme for Star Trek is one of my favorites, and here we get one of the fullest renditions, as well as trademark Horner's flourishes he originated here and would later use in other scores a plenty. He masterfully blends his now classic theme, percussive and suspenseful music, and an adventurous undertone for this illegal theft.

The best part is the slow camera pan as the Enterprise barely makes it out of the space dock, and the music builds to a beautiful and powerful crescendo. It's magical scoring, and this piece made this sequence one of the best scenes in anything Star Trek:

@ 6:06 is the brilliance above.

And for fun, here's the entire sequence for enjoyment:

http://youtu.be/_k9Ukm9LaWg

Barty

02-27-2013, 05:11 AM

6. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Howard Shore

http://youtu.be/F8oqZ7SJN_8

In this track, Shore reaches his climatic maturity of the Rohan Theme, into a statement of such beauty and power, it stands as one of the greatest scoring moments in any action sequence. The track begins with the slow pounding of the war drums and low horns as Theoden and his army arrives. The rendition is beautiful, but a little frightened. As Theoden musters his troops, the piece builds from fear and timidness to elegance, power, and courage.

As Theoden gives perhaps the best war speech ever put on film, the horns play the Rohan theme as the war drums continue to beat underneath, until the speech ends and the orchestra erupts into the most powerful moment of the score in the movie so far, and transitions into the elegant version of the Rohan theme we first heard in our encounter in Edoras.

This track doesn't throw the entire orchestra or a flurry of techniques around, but instead is a complimentary piece that remains rather reserved until the initial charge. But the music, in it's subdued beauty, is so powerful in and of itself, that I am enraptured at it every time I hear it.

In context below, we get the full power of it, starting @ 1:06.

@ 2:25, when the orchestra erupts to chants of "Death! Death", well...that might be the most powerful single moment I ever recall experiencing in theaters.

http://youtu.be/l8yOdAqBFcQ

Barty

02-27-2013, 05:21 AM

5. The Enterprise - Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Jerry Goldsmith

http://youtu.be/gi9wFGxSDYc

Because this sequence is mainly silent, focusing nearly solely on the images and music, I will just post the scene itself.

Here we have what could best be described as sci-fi technology porn. It's a 5 minute sequence of exploring every inch and angle of The Enterprise. A visual and musical celebration of the history, beauty, and power of the most famous fictional craft ever.

If, for a minute, we took this sequence back in time to the 1600's, it would be like having sex with a princess of a country, while Mozart composed the music to it. That's the modern equivalent, and Goldsmith deserves that level of praise for this piece. Beautiful, fun, geeky orgasmic.

amberlita

02-27-2013, 05:41 AM

Great Star Trek choices. Love the Stealing of the Enterprise. But...

6. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Howard Shore

This. So much this! I would agree it's one of the most powerful moments I've seen in a theater. I still tear up when Theoden runs past his riders, tipping his sword on their spears. My favorite war speech as well. I get tired of battle speeches that inspire and motivate through some sort of hope or grand purpose for fighting. Theoden was always a straight-shooter, ya know? It's a fantasy film, but there's a kind of verisimilitude in Theoden rallying his troops on the notion that they, in all likelihood, are there to die. And they're going to fight anyway.

This makes me think of Band of Brothers (though, in fairness, nearly everything makes me think of Band of Brothers). Probably my favorite exchange of the whole miniseries:

Speirs: "You know why you hid in that ditch, Blithe?"
Blithe: "Cause I was scared."
Speirs: "We're all scared. You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope. But Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier's supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it."

I realize I'm not saying much about the music here, but...anyway. The scene is basically perfect. Great choice.

Barty

02-27-2013, 05:46 AM

4. Overture - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - Michael Kamen

http://youtu.be/oN24yo0yg6c

When one things of the best title music, typically one thinks of Star Wars. However, I have a different choice. For pure musical beauty, boldness, and power, I pick this. Michael Kamen's often played title for Prince of Thieves is used in everything from Marching Band concerts, to Disney's montages of all it's DVD's. Well, it's not hard to understand why. This brass, and I mean heavy brass, piece is completely memorable, enthralling, and pure music goodness on a whole 'nother level.

It's a pity Kamen died so early, because he never really got a chance to try and reach the great heights that this piece promised for him, but if even this single piece is all he is remembered for, it's a damn amazing piece of music to be known for.

Barty

02-27-2013, 06:04 AM

3. Time - Inception - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/Z0kGAz6HYM8

One of the most satisfying experiences in any movie, whether it be a masterpiece, or merely a good movie, is when the ending floors you. Blows you away with it's marriage of sights, emotion, music. Zimmer has a talent for ending films on powerful music cues, a talent I hope he never, ever loses.

This track is simplistic in it's use of instruments, but the thematic resonance it leaves in the mind, the emotional underscore, is unparalleled. This track has 20 million plus views on youtube, combined with all the version out there. Impressive for a film score.

When I happy, when I am sad, I listen to this track. It is my "go to" track for some energy and uplift. It's my favorite type of music, the slow building kind. That adds more layers and themes on top until it reaches it's peak. Like a hypnotic trance, this piece puts you in a mood of peace and beauty.

The simple underscore piano on top of the gorgeous string work is captivating, and the electric guitar by Johnny Marr is sublime.

If life could be underscored in the most amazing moments, it would be with this piece.

Barty

02-27-2013, 06:19 AM

2. Journey to the Island - Jurassic Park - John Williams

http://youtu.be/tTMtNly-A-M

When a track has one amazing rendition of a theme, you marvel. When a track has two amazing renditions, you have godlike. And when those two themes are one of the most adventurous, bold, and exciting leitmotifs around, and also a march of stunning, indescribable beauty that's like a voice of a god, well, you have this sequence in Jurassic Park, one of the most amazingly scored moments ever.

The cut to the dinosaur eating out of the tree is probably of the single most important moments in film history, certainly in visual effects history it is. It set off limitless possibilities for the future of visuals and film. The sfx are remarkable, even today most people still find them perfect. But what really made the sequence have that power, that stuck with so many people for all these years? Certainly on it's own it's impressive, and expertly directed by Spielberg, but without the music, the overwhelming motion and joy wouldn't be there.

@ 5:17 when that march kicks in. Ugh, so fucking good.

Here's the sequence in context to enjoy once more.

http://youtu.be/PJlmYh27MHg

Barty

02-27-2013, 06:49 AM

1. Chevaliers de Sangreal - The Da Vinci Code - Hans Zimmer

http://youtu.be/o0NW1k27CHo

When I started working back in movie theatres in 2006, this was the first big film that we played. I started as a lowly usher, cleaning theaters after the films got out. I remember one weekday, I was waiting for our next auditorium to get out, and I heard the end of the film going. I had no desire to see the movie itself, but I was entranced by the music I was hearing. As an usher, you aren't allowed to just stand and do nothing while watching the ends of movies, but I did for this, out of the corner of the auditorium hallway, and heard music that blew me away on every level.

Everytime I had to clean The Da Vinci Code, I would hope I could get there early enough to catch the end of the film to hear the music. Of course, the film itself is terrible, even the sequence itself at the end is kind of clunkily done, and is solely elevated into a great sequence because the music is so damn amazing.

Like my favorite tracks, Zimmer again starts out small. Pulsating under strings, that are carried by an ethereal horn melody. The horns aren't electronic, but sound different. It's because the rest of the orchestra played in normal placements during the recording, except the brass played up in the rafters of the recording studio. This gives an angelic like touch to the music, not quite human, but not artificial. This unique sound helps drive the harmonic brillance of the piece as it gets more powerful and louder. Because this is a film dealing with religion, the orchestration of the theme here is very classic, and church like. It puts you in a receptive mode, which is perhaps another reason the piece is so good and captivating.

Near the end of the track, Zimmer amps up the strings and horns weaving them in and out and together for the reveal, and brings in the chorus to a truly stunning, and remarkable conclusion.

His theme here is brilliant and captivating. The orchestration and unique sound is hypnotic. It's 4 minutes of heavenly film score bliss. It's not the most famous film theme ever to the general public, and it's a shitty movie that it's contained within, but everyone who hears it is blown away and captivated, and it's my #1.

[ETM]

02-27-2013, 07:04 AM

I got distracted by some photography articles while listening to your number 1, and most of it didn't register at all.
It just sounds like a rehash, and resembles those stock trailer music compilations more than anything. It's pretty, but nothing above average Zimmer, and certainly not better than most of your list.

http://www.feedandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SON-I-AM-DISSAPOINT.jpg

Fezzik

02-27-2013, 12:39 PM

@ 2:25, when the orchestra erupts to chants of "Death! Death", well...that might be the most powerful single moment I ever recall experiencing in theaters.

Dear God, Yes. I burst into tears every time that moment comes. It's one of the great moments in cinema.

There is SO much win in that top 10, Barty.

Inception is Zimmer's best work in years.

Journey to the Island is a phenomenal, iconic piece of music. I remember being incensed that Jurassic Park was not nominated for Best Score back in 1993.

The E.T. piece is in my top 2 or 3. It was the piece my music professor played on the first day of Music Appreciation. He started it after the famous theme had already been played, so for about 6 1/2 minutes we were just listening to this glorious piece of music without any idea of its origins or any misconceptions about its "importance." Then, suddenly when it started to build, there were murmurs of "hey, this sounds familiar" going around the room. When it crashed and the theme re-emerged, I was floored. I count that as the moment my true love for film scores awoke.

Nice job.

Kiusagi

02-27-2013, 04:36 PM

I remember watching the Da Vinci Code and the ending basically tricked me into thinking I had just seen a good film, largely because of that music. I'm surprised you chose it as #1, though. But hey, your list, not mine. Great thread, Barty.

dreamdead

02-27-2013, 05:27 PM

A fine way to close out the list. The Inception Zimmer piece seems better on its own than how overbearing it is in the film, but I imagine I'm in the minority with regard to that opinion. The Jurassic Park theme, though, is indeed stellar. It's interesting to see how much of the thirtysomethings have the same basic formative music remembrances. You make me want to revisit Robin Hood, which is something I never thought I'd say... :)

I'll just be heavy-handed and post favorite pieces of film music that didn't get mentioned here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUs4awmb3-o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTBE9ZQCkCw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N6Z4XG6kZss

dreamdead

02-27-2013, 05:28 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp5WmdUn5I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G15P8ePUs-s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZtWwwKeqXQ

These last two may be cheating in that I think they were composed prior to the film, but they're embedded in my consciousness only because of the effectiveness of how the films use them.

amberlita

02-27-2013, 08:04 PM

Can't agree with all of them, least of all your #1, but it's hard to think of putting any single score at the top. Great choices overall. I'm not usually a fan of mixing electric guitar with classic score, but you chose pretty much my only two exceptions (Time and Death is the Road To Awe)

I know you can't have seen everything, Barty, but I do know you've seen The Hunt For Red October. Sad not to see it included, along with a gajillion others you didn't acknowledge. :)

I can't remember if/when there was any Conan the Barbarian here and I can't be bothered to skim back. A pox on you if you left it out.

Dead & Messed Up

02-27-2013, 11:24 PM

Gods yes, the E. T. score. There are times when Williams' music is so perfectly in harmony with the emotion and style of a motion picture, and that's one where the film really could be a silent picture for the final fifteen minutes. It's unfettered faces and movement and music, and it builds and builds and builds and then just blasts into my soul when the bikes lift off.

Winston*

02-27-2013, 11:26 PM

Surprised Watashi hasn't gotten you into Joe Hisaishi. I suppose his style doesn't really line up with the majority of the composers in this thread though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCpFeE68Yjg

Enjoyed reading this.

amberlita

02-28-2013, 01:14 AM

Very pretty Winston*.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PP1Ulx-CfI

Lucky

02-28-2013, 01:45 AM

Winston, I've never really considered the Spirited Away score, but listening to that brings back vivid memories of the film. Good pick.

I don't know how everyone is making their videos large--I'm still embedding in YouTube brackets--but here is my entry for Barty snub. It's one of the few scores that can get me a little misty and I've been playing it on repeat lately since I heard it on the Oscars.

1FzVWlOKeLs

amberlita

02-28-2013, 02:05 AM

I don't know how everyone is making their videos large--I'm still embedding in YouTube brackets--but here is my entry for Barty snub. It's one of the few scores that can get me a little misty and I've been playing it on repeat lately since I heard it on the Oscars.

Use the video tab in the Reply window. Then just copy and paste the whole youtube link.

Like so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91ye_YUNJVI

I could fill this whole thread up with just Ennio Morricone. Nice choice, Lucky. I gave that piece of music to my sister and she likes it, but I can't help but feel she cannot truly understand its power without having seen the movie (which she hasn't).

Lucky

02-28-2013, 02:07 AM

I'd also like to continue hijacking this thread and complain about last year's Matchies Best Score nominees.

How were these snubbed? And Drive won?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D24ajpIFV3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_syZ6pA7O0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP96Bg5Av9Q

Lucky

02-28-2013, 02:14 AM

I could fill this whole thread up with just Ennio Morricone. Nice choice, Lucky. I gave that piece of music to my sister and she likes it, but I can't help but feel she cannot truly understand its power without having seen the movie (which she hasn't).

I completely agree. It's one of the top examples of how a piece of music can lift a climax to greatness. That moment in Cinema Paradiso would rank very highly in my favorite movie moments list.

amberlita

02-28-2013, 02:23 AM

I'd also like to continue hijacking this thread and complain about last year's Matchies Best Score nominees.

How were these snubbed? And Drive won?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP96Bg5Av9Q

Oh my god, I was totally going to post this! I remembered from last year that you loved it too.

I think people were voting for Drive's soundtrack moreso than its score.

Watashi

02-28-2013, 02:52 AM

[ETM]

02-28-2013, 06:31 AM

I've tried to get Barty into Joe Hisaishi, but alas.... I don't think he's seen that much Miyazaki to begin with.

I would definitely have his Spirited Away/Howl's Moving Castle/Kikujiro score on my own list.

I consider Hisaishi's work on "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind", "Laputa - Castle in the Sky" and "Princess Mononoke" to be some of the finest thematic work EVER. "Legend of the Wind" is one of the most beautiful themes ever written:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIzVV1kUHrs

monolith94

02-28-2013, 06:56 PM

Michael Kamen definitely did other great stuff. Have you heard the Brazil soundtrack?

Winston*

02-28-2013, 07:36 PM

Have you seen any Peter Greenaway films, Barty?

Morris Schæffer

03-03-2013, 07:19 AM

So many of these are what I would choose also. The DaVinci Code is crap, but that track is brilliant. Michael Kamen's Die Hard scores are perhaps some of the best pieces of action music. I kinda love the fourth as an action flick, but I missed Kamen even more than the R rating. His 'Hollywood Boulevard' track for Lethal Weapon is another corker.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=99fZheGw1dE

Barty

03-13-2013, 07:03 AM

Have you seen any Peter Greenaway films, Barty?

Yes, a Zed & Two Naughts. The score is really great in that one, and to be honest I forgot about it till now. It might have made my list.

Barty

06-12-2013, 11:54 PM

Bonus: Myhsa - Game of Thrones: Season 3 - Ramin Djawadi

http://youtu.be/t987p0f9y54

Djawadi's pinnacle of scoring so far in Game of Thrones has to be this piece. While I kind of found the scene itself lackluster and not as awe inspiring as it wanted to be, this music certainly is, and is one of the best pieces so far from 2013. Beautiful chorus work during the entire track, from the subtle moments to the soaring.

The track certainly foreshadows a sense of hope and honor, and is his best rendition of the Throne theme so far.

@ 3:08 I absolutely love the orchestrations and fade out.

[ETM]

06-13-2013, 05:13 AM

Agreed. I wish he had a budget for an actual orchestra and choir more often. It's always serviceable on the show, but it's obvious from the album that he's working with limited means.

Barty

07-08-2013, 07:32 PM

;482824']Agreed. I wish he had a budget for an actual orchestra and choir more often. It's always serviceable on the show, but it's obvious from the album that he's working with limited means.

Yeah, his themes are fantastic, and anytime he get's close to letting the bombast out it's remarkable. Though I still think his Iron Isle's theme during Theon's baptism might be his best motif.

Barty

12-30-2013, 10:58 PM

Bonus: Shenzou - Gravity - Steven Price

http://youtu.be/gZRQmcQK6Lk

Maybe I'm getting harder to please, but this year to me has seemed rather weak for film scores. There's only been a few moments in film scores this year that have really blown me away immediately, and this is the big one that comes to mind. The cathartic release of emotion that takes place as Sandra Bullock falls down to Earth is matched by a truly brilliant and emotionally powerful piece of music by Steven Price. With gorgeous strings melodically rushing down, almost like Gravity itself, and an excellent vocal touch near the end, this was a fantastic and overwhelming sequence that qualifies as one of the the best moments in film this year.

@ 3:45 I absolutely love the way the track reaches a mini crescendo, with the horns and strings playing off each other, before going into the full female voice hauntingly singing.

Ezee E

12-30-2013, 11:26 PM

Barty, I've had the same issue this year. There aren't many scores that come to mind when putting together the "best score" for the year. Most of the soundtracks are all using songs/music recorded elsewhere.

I'd have to listen to Only God Forgives again, as I hear a lot about that one.

Watashi

12-31-2013, 12:49 AM

There were a lot of great scores this year. You just have to look beyond the bombast.

Stoker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA3_eCiDoiU)
Man of Steel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nas00vMIsiE)
Prince Avalanche (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bplop1J8_q4)
12 Years a Slave (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ0FQovU0Ws#t=128)
Star Trek Into Darkness (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfP6o-61e2s)

And my personal favorite:
Oblivion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6nzGfMla-k#t=17)