Greatest film music ever

[Kevin Roegele]

I was just thinking that Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do" adds more to the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves than any of the actual contributors (Costner, director Kevin Reynolds, etc). The song gives an very strong romantic and old world atmosphere to the film that simply isn't there without it. There is little chemistry between Costner and Maid Marion without the song.

Also, John William's Superman theme. I would venture to say this piece of music has done more to define Superman than anything outside else the comics. And it is a magnificent theme - very few pieces of music make you smile and want to cheer every time you here them.

 

[Fried Gold]

I was just thinking that Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do" adds more to the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves than any of the actual contributors (Costner, director Kevin Reynolds, etc). The song gives an very strong romantic and old world atmosphere to the film that simply isn't there without it. There is little chemistry between Costner and Maid Marion without the song.

I wouldn't say that it's the actual song itself, with Bryan and his caving in face crooning all over it... it's more the way that the melody is incorporated into the actual score of the film that allows it to work the way it does.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I have no idea. William's scores for Jaws, the Episodes IV-VI, Raiders, E.T. and Superman almost feel untouchable. I so many ways similar, but still so distinctive. He also did plenty of good work on Potter. But then again look at Morricone and his work with Leone. Pretty much made up a whole other sound. The first Rocky flick also had some stunning moments and of course the ever classic Gone with the Wind.

For something more recent 2005 P&P had an incredible score as did The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

[Jochimus]

I love too much film music, even outside of John Williams' work, to single out only a few examples. Although the ones I listen to the most out of my collection include Akira Ifkube (Godzilla), Bernard Herrmann (North By Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho), Elmer Bernstein (The Ten Commandments, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape), John Barry (You Only Live Twice), James Horner (ST II/III, The Rocketeer), Vangelis (Blade Runner), Jerry Goldsmith (Supergirl), Basil Poledouris (Robocop), Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice, Batman, MIB, Spider-Man), and Howard Shore (LOTR).

There's probably more I'm missing, too.

 

[Erzengel]

Star Wars: Episode V is probably my favorite score. Yoda and Vader's theme but my favorite piece is titled "Clash of the Lightsaber". It's the scene after Luke jumps down from the Carbon Freezing Chamber and ends with the Falcon escaping Cloud City.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Jaws.

 

[Immortalfire]

To Kill A Mockingbird, has got to be my favorite.

 

[daywalker2007]

michael kamen deserves the credit for the robin hood music,

he made the music, and gave it to Bryan adams

what a great composer Michael kamen was,

one of the best

 

[The Chairman]

Jerry Oldsmith's score for The Omen. Best horror movie score in existence.

 

[The Dark Defender]

John Debney's The Passion of the Christ score.
Javier Navarrette's Pan's Labyrinth score, Hans Zimmer's Hannibal, Ennie Morricone's Malena, and Howard Shore's LOTR scores are some of the best.
I listen to more film scores than song albums.

 

[The Dark Defender]

Jerry Oldsmith's score for The Omen. Best horror movie score in existence.

Yeah, that one is right up there. It's amazing how weak and forgettable the music in the remake was considering the themes they had to work with.
Goldsmith's Rambo: First Blood Part II score is also the single greatest action score ever.

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, that one is right up there. It's amazing how weak and forgettable the music in the remake was considering the themes they had to work with.
Goldsmith's Rambo: First Blood Part II score is also the single greatest action score ever.

I have not seen the remake, and one of the reasons I skipped put was because of Goldsmith's score. Heck, I'm not that big of a fan of the last two movies, but Goldsmith's score in both The Final Conflict and The Awakening (though the latter is a recycling of his scores from the first and third films) actually make them somewhat watchable.

 

[PhotoJones]

Vangelis' soundtrack to Blade Runner is the best ever, in my opinion.

 

[livrule]

Titanic had great music ... it added so much to the emotion of the film.

 

[Steelsheen]

i dont think there could be only one greatest film music ever, but the list wouldnt be long. what differentiates a good film music from a great one would be the timeless quality it would have that endures decades (centuries?) after its release. it would have to transcend the film that it was associated with and pretty much just stands on its own as a musical symphony, being able to carry the emotions of its listeners to the same level as if they'd be hearing it with the movie playing in front of them. how many film scores have ever achieved that? not many. not all of John William's work would even be considered great, although God knows John Williams would probably be one of the greatest composers of the last 20th/early 21st century.

so here's a list, just out of the top of my head:

Superman (John Williams)
Star Wars (John Williams)
ET (John Williams)
Indiana Jones (John Williams)
Jurassic Park (John Williams)
Home Alone (John Williams)
Batman (Danny Elfman)
Dragonheart (Randy Edelman)
The Rocketeer (James Horner)
Apollo 13 (James Horner)
The James Bond theme (Monty Norman)
The Pink Panther theme (Henry Mancini)

 

[WorthyStevens]

Halloween's theme, which I think was done by John Carpenter himself. In my opinion, it's the most effective music composed for any existing film.

 

[Jochimus]

Heh. Now that I think about it, I've been humming Erich Korngold's score for The Adventures Of Robin Hood all day (I just got the DVD).

 

[Edenbeast]

Basil Poledouris score for Conan the Barbarian.

 

[The Kid]

ET's music truly elevates every scene. A simple scene in the woods some how becomes epic with the ET music. Williams is just God, isn't he.

 

[JTStarkiller]

The Fountain. Beautiful and unique.

 

[Gonking]

Great thread

Action/Thriller: Mission Impossible, V for Vendetta, Pulp Fiction, The Departed.

Cience Fiction/ Adventure- Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones.

Drama: El Laberinto del Fauno, Legends of the Fall, Titanic, The Godfather, Rocky, Ghost, Platoon.


Of all these, the best one is the music from El Laberinto del Fauno.

 

[Bat Attack]

The Alan Silvestri "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" Score is awesome. My favorite score has to be the Jurassic Park score by John Williams.

 

[livrule]

Basil Poledouris score for Conan the Barbarian.

Oh yes, fantastic ... Did he also score Total Recall?

 

[DCW]

The Fountain. Beautiful and unique.

I back that up 100%. That score is wonderful.

 

[Drizzle]

I can't list the actual music, there's too many that I love. I'll just list my favorite film composers.

John Williams (Star Wars saga, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones trilogy, Superman)
Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Batman, Spider-Man)
Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings)
Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean)

To me, those are the four horsemen of film scoring. There's others that I like (James Horner, Ennio Morricone), but those are my favorites.