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The Signature Tune to End All Signature Tunes

Poll Results: Which is the best signature theme of all time?

 
  • 32% (24)
    The James Bond Theme - John Barry (James Bond)
  • 4% (3)
    Anvil of Crom - Basil Poledouris (Conan the Barbarian)
  • 23% (17)
    The Raiders March - John Williams (Indiana Jones)
  • 13% (10)
    The Theme from Superman - John Williams (Superman)
  • 17% (13)
    The Imperial March - John Williams (Darth Vader)
  • 8% (6)
    Other
73 Total Votes  
post #1 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:35am
Thread Starter 
It was pretty unsurprising when Superman Returns latched firmly onto John Williams' original Superman theme. That piece of music is now so indelibly attached to the character, it almost seems wrong to contemplate a screen version without it.

But Supers isn't the only character to have gotten a theme so distinctive, it no only perfectly captures the essence of the character just by listening to it, it's jarring when you don't hear it with that character (witness the relative scarcity of the Indy theme in Last Crusade, a conscious choice by Williams and Spielberg and one I don't necessarily agree with).

So, long-winded intro aside, I've plucked five great signature themes out of my head to square off in the final battle. All I ask is that you defend your pick with a little more than "Option A is the best!" And there's an "Other" option for those you think I've unjustly overlooked.
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post #2 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:37am
Halloween Theme = The Shape. It's almost not a movie without the score, and getting angry over hearing it in the remake told me who/what the theme belonged to. The Bond theme is an easy choice, but Casino Royale proved that sometimes the best Bond films don't need it.
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post #3 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 
For me, it was a tough call, but I went with Indy's theme. It just so perfectly captures the ragged adventurism of the character. Anvil of Crom would probably be a very close second. It's appropriately barbaric, but with a hint of the nobility that the character would later have.
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post #4 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Halloween Theme = The Shape
Right after I posted this I realized I'd left that out. Then again, I'm not much of a horror fan, so it wasn't something that popped to mind immediately. But yes, it's got a propulsive sense of foreboding, a perfect match for the unstoppable Myers.
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post #5 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:51am
Went with Bond.
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post #6 of 53
8/25/10 at 11:11am
Bond for me, too, despite being a huge Williams fan. Bond theme just has the longevity and instant recognition that I don't think even Star Wars quite has.
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post #7 of 53
8/25/10 at 11:19am
I went for Superman. I still remember seeing that movie as a really little kid & being awestruck during the title/credit sequence.

Incidentally, the James Bond theme was written by Monty Norman, not John Barry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_b...hip_and_origin


Also, I would've included "Get Carter" by Roy Budd, though it didn't make it past one movie, so dunno if it'd qualify as a signature tune as such.
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post #8 of 53
8/25/10 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
Ugh, my bad on the Bond theme. I got the main theme crossed up with Barry's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" theme in my head.

And actually, for my money, Barry's theme is the better Bond theme.
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post #9 of 53
8/25/10 at 11:24am
I had to go with 'The Imperial March'. Of all of the themes listed, it is the only one to still give me chills whenever I hear it.

Of ones not listed in Richard's poll, I'd also like to single out Michael Kamen's signature theme from 'Highlander'.
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post #10 of 53
8/25/10 at 11:31am
No "Theme From Shaft"?!!!
Dickson, you mother---
(SHUT YOUR MOUTH!)
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post #11 of 53
8/25/10 at 11:36am
I went for Vader too but Shaft would have caused a dilemma. I've seen all these movies more than once, and the march is the only one that still evokes a physical response. Apparently, I agree with Judas.
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post #12 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:09pm
As much as I love all of these, I have to go with "The Imperial March". The first time we hear it in Empire as we glimpse Vader's huge new ride, then the back of his shiny head silently scanning the galaxy, is quite possibly my favorite moment in all of Star Wars. It's just so grandiose and EVIL that I can't help but love it.

I almost wish they had played it when Anakin walked up the steps of the Jedi Temple with a legion of clones in Episode III, but the music for that scene works as it is.
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post #13 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:21pm
Voted for Raiders, but most instantly recognisable would probly be Bond.

Only tune that might compete is the theme from Jaws.
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post #14 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:26pm
Went with Bond.

One that I haven't seen mentioned yet, is the theme for Mission: Impossible. I know it's not originally created for the big screen, but it's one of the themes that everyone knows.
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post #15 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:33pm
They're all awesome, but the Superman theme wins by a nose. More than just iconic, the opening fanfare bit before the timpani kick in and then the drum beat and then the main theme breaknig out just does in sound almost everything that the film does in pictures.
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post #16 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:37pm
The theme for 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly' (Morricone) is pretty much THE signature tune for the man with no name.
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post #17 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:37pm
For me, nothing beats Curtis Mayfield's Superfly theme. Hell, that whole soundtrack is iconic piece of music followed by iconic piece of music. Shaft has a great theme song, Superfly has 5.
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post #18 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll View Post
For me, nothing beats Curtis Mayfield's Superfly theme. Hell, that whole soundtrack is iconic piece of music followed by iconic piece of music. Shaft has a great theme song, Superfly has 5.
Agreed with this. Superfly trumps Shaft every time.

I went with Bond, although The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is just as iconic, if not more so. Nobody can think of any kind of showdown without associating that tune and often whistling it in their head.
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post #19 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:55pm
Wait, no Axel F?! Or Gonna Fly Now?!

I went with Bond. It transcends just being the signature theme of that character. It's been parodied or referenced by all types of other works. It set the standard for spy movie music. Plus, its long history (could it be the first mainstream-recognizable signature theme ever?) makes it an institution.

I love Williams more than is healthy, and his themes are classics. Look at his monumental score for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Not only do secondary characters get their own theme (Boba Fett's is, appropriately, brief and bad-ass) but even scenes and locations get their own theme that any other film would he honored to have as their main title.

But Bond still wins.
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post #20 of 53
8/25/10 at 12:59pm
Thread Starter 
Before Howard Shore knocked it out of the park on LOTR, Empire was my gold-standard score of all time.

The Mission: Impossible theme is iconic, but it doesn't conjure up a particular character, which is what I was going for here. Same with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, since I tend to associate it with all three characters in that film.

Jaws is a good addition though.
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post #21 of 53
8/25/10 at 1:11pm
I always find it amusing (and maybe a bit strange) when a character actually knows he has his own theme. Like Rocky hearing that marching band play "Gonna Fly Now" at the statue dedication in ROCKY III. Or Bond hearing that street musician play his theme in OCTOPUSSY.

And back to the topic at hand, I'd also make a case for Norman Bates and the PSYCHO theme.
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post #22 of 53
8/25/10 at 1:13pm
Voted Imperial March. But Bond's probably more recognizable.
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post #23 of 53
8/25/10 at 1:14pm
I like the one from THE GODFATHER.

Also fond of the combined forces of Clapton's guitar and Sanborn's sax.
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post #24 of 53
8/25/10 at 1:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Litmus Configuration View Post
I always find it amusing (and maybe a bit strange) when a character actually knows he has his own theme. Like Rocky hearing that marching band play "Gonna Fly Now" at the statue dedication in ROCKY III. Or Bond hearing that street musician play his theme in OCTOPUSSY.
I forget which one, but didn't Bond have a secret phone password that played The Spy Who Loved Me in one flick?
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post #25 of 53
8/25/10 at 1:18pm
Ki ki ki ki, ma ma ma ma
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post #26 of 53
8/25/10 at 3:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Ugh, my bad on the Bond theme. I got the main theme crossed up with Barry's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" theme in my head.

And actually, for my money, Barry's theme is the better Bond theme.
Well, that's just crazy talk, but as mentioned above, it's long been speculated that Barry wrote the actual Bond theme after Norman didn't give the producers quite what they were looking for.

Norman did win at least one court case over the rights, but it was largely due to there simply not being enough documentation to dispute his claim that he wrote "at least part" of it, and that Barry couldn't prove he had done more than arrange it.

But if you've ever heard Barry's score for 1960's Beat Girl, or some of the recordings of the "John Barry Seven" that precede Dr. No, what you're mostly struck by is how clearly he'd already had the basic shape of that theme in his head. Whatever Norman left for him to work with was clearly transformed by Barry's "arrangement" into the iconic Bond theme.

Yeah, much love for Indy (and Williams), but there's only room at the top for one, and that's Bond all the way.
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post #27 of 53
8/25/10 at 4:12pm
Thread Starter 
Wow, I'm kind of shocked "Anvil of Crom" only has one vote.
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post #28 of 53
8/25/10 at 4:17pm
I just gave it a second! It's probably a lower vote getter due to the mainstream popularity of Conan versus the other flicks.

All of the other's would be more recognizable to non-geeks.
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post #29 of 53
8/25/10 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Wow, I'm kind of shocked "Anvil of Crom" only has one vote.
I'm not. It's an awesome theme but isn't as "signature" as the unlisted themes from THE GODFATHER, ROCKY, PSYCHO, BEVERLY HILLS COP, SHAFT, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY and JAWS. I agree with you, though, about the greatness of Barry's OHMSS theme.
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post #30 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:03pm
I went with "Other". My vote goes to the "Star Trek" fanfare by Alexander Courage. Yeah, it was done for a tv series first, but it's been incorporated into the movies enough that it counts, I think. And when you hear those first horn notes you know the Enterprise is soon to be involved.

Maybe not the most popular, perhaps, but one that I always consider the "best". Nothing against the other options.
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post #31 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:05pm
First, all of the choices are just awesome. Some hard choices, really, as I love them all.

I narrowed it down to RAIDERS and SUPERMAN for purely subjective reasons. They are the two, IMNSHO, that function best apart from the films from which their originate as well as are truly iconic in the films. And I voted for RAIDERS because while the SUPERMAN theme leaves me in awe and gives an innocent sense of wonder, the RAIDERS theme moves me to do things.
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post #32 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:10pm
Gotta go with Bond, tho I don't think Mancinis Pink Panther theme gets enough love in this day and age.
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post #33 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Rain Dog View Post
Gotta go with Bond, tho I don't think Mancinis Pink Panther theme gets enough love in this day and age.
I can't divorce it from the cartoon. I was young enough that I saw the PP cartoons before the films, so that theme for me = animated show, rather than Sellers' Closeau.
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post #34 of 53
8/25/10 at 10:21pm
I went with Vader. He pretty much kick started my geekiness.
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post #35 of 53
8/26/10 at 2:06am
Earlier today, I voted for Bond, as I thought it probably was the theme that most of the population could immediately identify. I still do, but I think Harry Potter could be pretty close, especially for the youngsters. "Hedwig's Theme" fits along with perfectly with the wizarding world, and is associated pretty strongly with Harry. Even though John Williams hasn't composed the last three soundtracks, that theme has been incorporated somewhere in all the movies. Could you imagine a trailer without it?
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post #36 of 53
8/26/10 at 2:27am
I'd quibble about Batman being left off, but he has a few signature themes from the 60's show, Elfman's theme, and my favorite, TAS.

No Ghostbusters? Probably my favorite character theme ever.

Of those listed, I'd go with Superman. It's what plays in my head if I'm reading or watching anything Superman related. A close second is The Imperial March.

For TV, Angel and Buffy had iconic themes.
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post #37 of 53
8/26/10 at 2:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameron Hughes View Post

No Ghostbusters? Probably my favorite character theme ever.
Well, are we talking Bernstein's theme or Ray Parker, Jr.'s ? Bernstein's is what I think of when I think of the characters, but Parker's is the more widely-known one, but since it's a song, I don't think it really counts.

Also, I think this thread is missing the granddaddy of all signature themes, which is Steiner's main theme from Gone With the Wind, aka "Tara's Theme."
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post #38 of 53
8/26/10 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg Clark View Post
Well, are we talking Bernstein's theme or Ray Parker, Jr.'s ? Bernstein's is what I think of when I think of the characters, but Parker's is the more widely-known one, but since it's a song, I don't think it really counts.

Also, I think this thread is missing the granddaddy of all signature themes, which is Steiner's main theme from Gone With the Wind, aka "Tara's Theme."
Bernstein, but I do love Parker's song.
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post #39 of 53
8/26/10 at 5:22am
This thread actually made me wonder - is James Bond the most successful franchise of all time? Can't think of anything else that has close to as many installments.
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post #40 of 53
8/26/10 at 6:31am
I'm with Phil on this one. John Carpenter knocked it out of the park with the Halloween theme.
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post #41 of 53
8/26/10 at 7:15am
The Indiana Jones theme (as I call it) sends shivers down my spin when I see it used correctly in the Jones films.

As a personal fav I will also throw in the GREMLINS theme. I fucking hate the synthtastic orchestration from the film, but I love the actual tune. What's a boy to do?
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post #42 of 53
8/26/10 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeb View Post
Well, that's just crazy talk, but as mentioned above, it's long been speculated that Barry wrote the actual Bond theme after Norman didn't give the producers quite what they were looking for.

Norman did win at least one court case over the rights, but it was largely due to there simply not being enough documentation to dispute his claim that he wrote "at least part" of it, and that Barry couldn't prove he had done more than arrange it.

But if you've ever heard Barry's score for 1960's Beat Girl, or some of the recordings of the "John Barry Seven" that precede Dr. No, what you're mostly struck by is how clearly he'd already had the basic shape of that theme in his head. Whatever Norman left for him to work with was clearly transformed by Barry's "arrangement" into the iconic Bond theme.

Yeah, much love for Indy (and Williams), but there's only room at the top for one, and that's Bond all the way.
Yeah, Norman can only really be credited with writing the tune of the guitar rift, which was adapted from an earlier play he wrote. The rest of the theme was pretty much all Barry, with some other influences. Here's a good video that outlines some of the major influences in the theme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjywVmz2EI
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post #43 of 53
8/26/10 at 12:44pm
Yeah, I've often thought that if Norman was to take full credit for the piece, that Barry could have probably sued him for pinching all the other bits from Barry's earlier work.

And I love the fact that in that video, the picture of Barry is "hip 50's jazz dude" and the one of Norman is "crazed mass murderer."
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post #44 of 53
8/26/10 at 3:31pm
I hate Star Wars. I don't really like any of the movies. I still have to give it to The Imperial March. All of these themes have completely saturated our culture (along with Carpenter's Halloween theme as Phil pointed out) but Williams work on Star Wars is some of the most recognizable music in the world.
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post #45 of 53
8/26/10 at 3:58pm
Just about any Williams tune fits the bill - Raiders, Imperial March, Superman, Jaws, ET, Close Encounters. Take your pick.

But if I had to vote for a favorite, I'd go for Poledouris' brassy and bombastic Robocop theme.
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post #46 of 53
8/26/10 at 8:14pm
I would also like to give some love to Richard Band's RE-ANIMATOR theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlU1LRR2-Es
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post #47 of 53
8/26/10 at 8:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joshua Miller View Post
I would also like to give some love to Richard Band's RE-ANIMATOR theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlU1LRR2-Es
You mean you like Bernard Herrmann's Psycho theme?
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post #48 of 53
8/26/10 at 8:25pm
Shut your face! RE-ANIMATOR is infallible!
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post #49 of 53
8/26/10 at 8:27pm
This belongs to a different thread, but I can't think of a single soundtrack theme that's as bad a rip-off as that one. I'm sure Richard Band would call it an homage, though.
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post #50 of 53
8/26/10 at 8:29pm
It's his only good piece of music too. He needed more homages.
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