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Chewers' 100 Best Movie Scores of the Last 25 Years: 1986-2011

post #1 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:26pm
Thread Starter 

We have some great survey threads going, so I thought I'd try my hand at one. What do you think are the top 50 (in no particular order) scores of the last 25 years?

 

I picked 1986 as the starting point for the following reasons:

 

1. Superman, Raiders, and Star Wars had all already happened, and thus out of the running. Frankly, if I went back to 1980 or 1975, I don't see how Williams wouldn't just fucking own this entire thread.

 

2. 25 is a nice clean number. I also graduated (high school) in '86, so there's some personal nostalgia there.

 

3. It's my damn list.

 

I almost went for 100, but figured we can do a part 2 if there are enough candidates.

 

My first two nominees:

 

The Fountain, by Clint Mansell (2006). Transcendent, dark, hopeful, mystical, and moving. It's an integral part of the film, and also plays beautifully on its own. "Death Is The Road To Awe" still moves me to tears while also pumping me up, creatively.

 

Stargate by David Arnold (1994). Before the prequels, Arnold managed to evoke Williams without being a soulless copy. A really great action score, and repurposed for a lot of trailers since. The opening overture and action finale ("Kasuf Returns") are wonderfully bombastic without being atonal or just noise.

 


Edited by MichaelM - 8/15/11 at 5:05am
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post #2 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:31pm

Gotta get Howard Shore's obvious entries out of the way here.  His score for the LOTR Trilogy.  Does this count as one or three?

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post #3 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:39pm

Ennio Morricone for The Mission and The Untouchables.

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post #4 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:42pm
The Assassination of Jesse James. Fantastic, and helps to elevate an already classic film.
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post #5 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:44pm

#7 Batman by Danny Elfman (1989)

 

Considering how stiff Burton's Batman is and how much that affects what you actually see on screen I think the fact the film has any energy or vigour has to be put down to Elfman's insane, rousing, score. Perhaps it's the perfect storm of childhood nostalgia and the thunderous London Symphony production but whenever I hear the main Batman Theme or Descent into Mystery I kind of yearn for that kind of rousing, iconic, score.

 

ETA: Big fucking thumbs up to the Assassination of Jesse James score, that's an amazing piece of work. I can't hear Song for Bob without being overcome by just inate sadness.

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post #6 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 

Nooj, since Jackson's always touted LOTR as one film in three parts, we'll treat the score the same. So Spike is right on track with #6. The next one will be 7, and so forth.

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post #7 of 137
8/14/11 at 5:49pm

[Blast! I was just writing up Danny Elfman's Batman!]

 

8. DEAD MAN (Neil Young, 1995)

 

Neil Young goes the full Eno with his six string, makin' heavenly sounds that don't belong in nature.

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post #8 of 137
8/14/11 at 6:07pm

9. Robocop (1987) Basil Poledouris.

 

I never really clicked with this score until I was given a recent remastering on CD. Until then I'd always viewed it as a little limp in comparison to Poledouris' work on stuff such as Starship Troopers or Conan. However listening to the remaster and hearing those electronic elements which had been buried in the soundmix made the score completely pop. It's a perfect fusion of modern and classical and despite the soundtrack album being broken into underwhelming suites the key themes are still amazing sounding. Rock Shop and Robo vs. Ed 209 in particular are really great examples of how Poledouris tried to embrace synthetic sounds and amalgamated them with his orchestra, it means that the synths feel far more natural and emotive than most 80s score.

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post #9 of 137
8/14/11 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Daywalker View Post

Ennio Morricone for The Mission and The Untouchables.



I haven't heard The Untouchables outside of the film, but it's pretty damn great within the original context.

 

And forget that damn coffee commercial. The music for The Mission is flat-out amazing. Manages to sound traditionally "divine" without being cloying or cliched. And it really weaves in the tragedy of the story, too.

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post #10 of 137
8/14/11 at 11:15pm

Yeah I love it. Great movie too.

 

Anyone wants a taste of the music in The Mission with some wonderful visuals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOZohFXLQXk&feature=related fast forward to 8:24

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post #11 of 137
8/15/11 at 12:33am

10. Joe Versus the Volcano, Georges Delerue (1990). Just so beautiful and unabashedly romantic.

 

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post #12 of 137
8/15/11 at 3:14am
Thread Starter 

The entries so far:

 

1. The Fountain, Clint Mansell (2006)

2. Stargate, David Arnold (1994)

3. Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore (2001-2003)

4. The Mission, Ennio Morricone (1986)

5. The Untouchables, Ennio Morricone (1987)

6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (2007)

7. Batman, Danny Elfman (1989)

8. Dead Man, Neil Young (1995)

9. Robocop, Basil Poledouris (1987)

10. Joe Versus The Volcano, Georges Delerue (1990)

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post #13 of 137
8/15/11 at 5:00am

11. Akira, Geinoh Yamashirogumi (1989) - The perfect mix of the tribal, spiritual, and the synthetic. Everything beautiful and ugly about this story, about the supposed Japanese future, is in that score. It's the literal definition of fucking EPIC. This one track alone wipes its ass with most scores.

 

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post #14 of 137
8/15/11 at 5:08am

...and there goes Justin with my entry.  Damn you.

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post #15 of 137
8/15/11 at 5:55am

12. PREDATOR, Alan Silvestri. It was between this and Kamen's DIE HARD score. McTiernan knew what he was dong when it came to picking composers.

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post #16 of 137
8/15/11 at 5:58am

(LOVE the music of The Fountain and The Assassination of Jesse James....great stuff)

 

13. Catch Me if You Can, John Williams (2002)

 

A fun, light hearted movie, that is matched with a score that has the perfect blend of mischief and deceit.  

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post #17 of 137
8/15/11 at 6:31am

14.  'The Mummy', Jerry Goldsmith

 

It's glorious, with some great themes running throughout the entire soundtrack.  Rousing and lush, it's about as close as Jerry is gonna get to doing a Indiana Jones type soundtrack.  Love it.

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post #18 of 137
8/15/11 at 7:10am

I'd like to nominate John Debney for Cutthroat Island (95).  Yes, the movie is shit, but the score is fantastic swashbuckling fun in the Korngold vein.  My biggest problem with the pirates films was the lack of a score like this.

 

Also, Philip Glass, Powaqqatsi (1988).

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post #19 of 137
8/15/11 at 7:22am

My nomination for No. 16 is Michael Nyman's score for Gattaca (1997) is wonderful.  The movie's main theme, in particular, is hauntingly beautiful.  It really makes you feel for Ethan Hawke's character, whose "imperfect" genetic status makes him perform that much harder to get where he wants to go.  I also love that little movie and feel it's vastly underrated.


Edited by Spook - 8/15/11 at 10:54am
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post #20 of 137
8/15/11 at 7:34am

Might as well get it in early so it ranks high on the list (or at least looks that way):

 

17. John Powell-- How To Train Your Dragon

 


Powell's been the goods for a while, but the score for this went to a new level, without a doubt. No matter how many times I hear it, his track for when Hiccup and Toothless finally make the harness work gives me goosebumps straight up and down my arms.

 

 

For my money, the best score of 2010. No contest.

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post #21 of 137
8/15/11 at 8:03am

Not nominating it, but I recommend checking out one of Powell's earlier works, his score for the '99 doc Endurance about an Ethiopian long distance runner, especially if you dig his later stuff.  Couldn't find the music on its own, but here's the main title sequence from the film.

 

 

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post #22 of 137
8/15/11 at 8:08am

18. Terence Blanchard, INSIDE MAN. Like Spike's direction, Blanchard's music helps to elevate the film from a well-done heist pic to a colourful and absorbing snapshot of a post-9/11 multicultural metropolis. I love his work.

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post #23 of 137
8/15/11 at 8:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather View Post

18. Terence Blanchard, INSIDE MAN. Like Spike's direction, Blanchard's music helps to elevate the film from a well-done heist pic to a colourful and absorbing snapshot of a post-9/11 multicultural metropolis. I love his work.



Yeah I love this score. I also love the really sumptous, 1960s Bond Score, bits of music he has dotted throughout the movie, like the cue he uses when they open the vault.

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post #24 of 137
8/15/11 at 8:20am

19. Inception (Hans Zimmer, 2010)

 

Stark, powerful, & dripping with elegiac beauty. Zimmer's ingenious Edith Piaf sound manipulation & inspired recruitment of legend Johnny Marr on guitar earn this score it's place on this list.

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post #25 of 137
8/15/11 at 8:21am

20.  'The Crow', Graeme Revell.  Not only does it stand on its own quite nicely, it also blends in perfectly with the songs that make up the OTHER soundtrack.  It's worth seeking out.

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post #26 of 137
8/15/11 at 8:28am

I'm going to leave this one up to you guys whether it deserves inclusion,

 

Dark City by Trevor Jones

 

Trevor Jones, due to his work on Last of the Mohicans, Excalibur, Cliffhanger, and Angel Heart was probably one of my favourite composers in the 1980s and 1990s. I always really loved the unique style to his soundtracks, even if he did have a tendency to rely on existing music as something of a crutch. His score for Dark City is kind of fascinating in that the majority of it's cues all feel like seperate facets of one singular song. In particular because the film is largely shaped by the presence of their strangers their leitmotif is pretty much the main theme to the film, and all it comes to a head in the last ten minutes when the pounding, percussive, soundtrack goes absolutely mental with 'You Have The Power'

 

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post #27 of 137
8/15/11 at 9:26am

TETRO, Osvaldo Golijov.

 

Contemporary film music has generally gone down the tubes, with a lot of dependence on half-assed, synth mock-up composition. But Golijov is a real, true-blue composer, and his score for TETRO is a lovely, passionate bit of work. See also his work for YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH, although it doesn't have the same variety as TETRO.

 


BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, Wojciech Kilar

 

Kilar, who made his mark in classic music alongside Penderecki and Gorecki, deserves at least one score on any such list. This score, more colorful than his work on films like THE NINTH GATE and DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, is perhaps the best representative of his film work.

 

 

THE SPECIALIST, John Barry

 

The last great Bond score from John Barry. True, the score was for a rather forgettable Stallone vehicle, and not for a Bond film, but Barry's score is anything but forgettable, and is one of the better scores of his later years.

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post #28 of 137
8/15/11 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 

Recapping:

 

1. The Fountain, Clint Mansell (2006)

2. Stargate, David Arnold (1994)

3. Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore (2001-2003)

4. The Mission, Ennio Morricone (1986)

5. The Untouchables, Ennio Morricone (1987)

6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (2007)

7. Batman, Danny Elfman (1989)

8. Dead Man, Neil Young (1995)

9. Robocop, Basil Poledouris (1987)

10. Joe Versus The Volcano, Georges Delerue (1990)

 

11. Akira, Geinoh Yamshirogumi (1989)

12. Predator, Alan Silvestri (1987)

13. Catch Me If You Can, John Williams (2002)

14. The Mummy, Jerry Goldsmith (1999)

15. Cutthroat Island, John Debney (1995)

16. Powaqatsi, Philip Glass (1988)

17. Gattaca, Michael Nyman (1997)

18. How To Train Your Dragon, John Powell (2010)

19. Inside Man, Terence Blanchard (2006)

20. Inception, Hans Zimmer (2010)
 

21. The Crow, Graeme Revell (1994)

22. Dark City, Trevor Jones (1998)

23. Tetro, Osvaldo Golijov (2009)

24. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Wojceic Kilar (1992)

25. The Specialist, John Barry (1994)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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post #29 of 137
8/15/11 at 10:12am

26. TRON: Legacy by Daft Punk

 

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post #30 of 137
8/15/11 at 10:39am
Thread Starter 

Apparently, I'm a technical idiot - for those posting YouTube snippets, are you using the direct link or embed code? When I tried using the embed code, the resulting post just showed a line of code rather than the video. Anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong?

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post #31 of 137
8/15/11 at 10:43am

The easiest way to post a Youtube video is to click on the 'Insert Video' button in the Reply Menu. It's like a little filmstrip, click that and post the youtube URL into it.

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post #32 of 137
8/15/11 at 10:45am

27. Dances With Wolves (John Barry, 1990)

 

An Englishman writes the book on the "American Frontier" with sound.

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post #33 of 137
8/15/11 at 10:51am
Thread Starter 

28. Last of the Mohicans, Trevor Horn and Randy Eidelman (1992)

 

It's sort of a miracle this works - I don't know the details, but apparently Horn was hired first, and then for creative or financial reasons, was replaced by Eidelman. And despite their contributions being distinct. it still works and remains a hugely powerful score.

 

29. Jurassic Park, John Williams (1993)

 

Williams knocks it out of the park again with a signature theme that holds up pretty well on its own, and works perfectly within the context of the film.

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post #34 of 137
8/15/11 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Marshall View Post

The easiest way to post a Youtube video is to click on the 'Insert Video' button in the Reply Menu. It's like a little filmstrip, click that and post the youtube URL into it.


Yeah, when I do this - paste in the direct URL - it tells me there's an error in the code. When I use the embedded code version, it doesn't display the video. *sigh*

 

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post #35 of 137
8/15/11 at 11:02am

Two more:

 

 

THERE WILL BE BLOOD, Jonny Greenwood

 

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, Elliot Goldenthal

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post #36 of 137
8/15/11 at 11:03am

32. Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith, 1990)

This clip has the best 2 pieces of the soundtrack

 

One part thundering sci-fi sound, two parts lush, ambient glory.

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post #37 of 137
8/15/11 at 11:14am

If you know me, you knew this was coming.

 

33. Speed Racer (Michael Giacchino, 2008)

 

The entire score is funky, epic, soaring, jazzy, Saturday-morning cartoony, and sometimes transcendent.

 

But I would still put it on this list for this cue alone.  Goosebumps all over my face!!!

 

 

(embedding disabled!?  BAH!)

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post #38 of 137
8/15/11 at 11:18am

34. John Murphy - "Surface of the Sun/Sunshine (Adagio In D Minor)"

 

There is a reason this has replaced Lux Aeterna as the default "dramatic" trailer/copied sdtk music...and one of the reasons a pic from Sunshine is my Avatar.

 

The theme music "Sunshine (Adagio In D Minor)" has been used in various movie trailers and TV advertisements, most recently in the trailer for The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon.

On February 14, 2010, "Sunshine (Adagio In D Minor)" was used in an NBC feature about speed skater Apolo Ohno during NBC coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The song is used in the unaired pilot episode of Fringe.

The song is used in one variation of the trailer for the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Many different arrangements of "Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)" are used throughout the film Kick-Ass. Murphy was an additional composer for the film with much of his music making major appearances in the film (These tracks are not included on the Kick-Ass soundtrack but were later released as part of the Kick-Ass score). "I'm Kick-Ass", "Safehouse / Ambush", "Nightvision", "Strobe (Adagio in D Minor)", and "Flying Home" all contain some rendition of the theme in "Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)" and most are devoted arrangements.

An arrangement of the Sunshine Adagio can be heard towards the last scene of the Season 1 finale of the remake of V.

The piece also appears in the fifth episode ("Wildfire") of The Walking Dead.

 

 

 

 

 

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post #39 of 137
8/15/11 at 11:32am

35. Into The Wild (Eddie Vedder, 2007)

 

If this doesn't make you want to get up, turn off your computer, go outside, & do something with your life - you're beyond help.

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post #40 of 137
8/15/11 at 12:22pm

As the site's resident Guy-Who-Genuinely-Shamelessly-Doesn't-Hate-Star-Wars, i feel it's my sworn duty to leave this here.

 

36. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (John Williams, 2005)

 

 

Say whatever you want about the films: the scores were phenomenal. This was just the culmination of it all.

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post #41 of 137
8/15/11 at 12:24pm

Your loyalty to Star Wars is admirable.

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post #42 of 137
8/15/11 at 12:50pm

37.  The Incredibles: Michael Giacchino

 

Such a great throwback soundtrack mixing James Bond and Superhero themes seamlessly.

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post #43 of 137
8/15/11 at 1:22pm

38. Johan Söderquist, Let the Right One In. (2008)

 

Simple and restrained, a perfect balance of innocence and menace.

 

 

ETA: And we're double-dipping? Fine then-- in a similar vein, here's:

 

39. Angelo Badalamenti, City of Lost Children (1995)

 


Edited by Hammerhead - 8/15/11 at 1:48pm
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post #44 of 137
8/15/11 at 1:39pm

40. Ry Cooder, LAST MAN STANDING

 

The gorgeous end title theme, "Sanctuary":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5RXC-aBRgQ

 

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post #45 of 137
8/15/11 at 1:48pm
Thread Starter 

Recapping:

 

1. The Fountain, Clint Mansell (2006)

2. Stargate, David Arnold (1994)

3. Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore (2001-2003)

4. The Mission, Ennio Morricone (1986)

5. The Untouchables, Ennio Morricone (1987)

6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (2007)

7. Batman, Danny Elfman (1989)

8. Dead Man, Neil Young (1995)

9. Robocop, Basil Poledouris (1987)

10. Joe Versus The Volcano, Georges Delerue (1990)

 

11. Akira, Geinoh Yamshirogumi (1989)

12. Predator, Alan Silvestri (1987)

13. Catch Me If You Can, John Williams (2002)

14. The Mummy, Jerry Goldsmith (1999)

15. Cutthroat Island, John Debney (1995)

16. Powaqatsi, Philip Glass (1988)

17. Gattaca, Michael Nyman (1997)

18. How To Train Your Dragon, John Powell (2010)

19. Inside Man, Terence Blanchard (2006)

20. Inception, Hans Zimmer (2010)

 

21. The Crow, Graeme Revell (1994)

22. Dark City, Trevor Jones (1998)

23. Tetro, Osvaldo Golijov (2009)

24. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Wojceic Kilar (1992)

25. The Specialist, John Barry (1994)

26. Tron Legacy, Daft Punk (2010)

27. Dances With Wolves, John Barry (1990)

28. Last of the Mohicans, Trevor Horn and Randy Eidelman (1992)

29. Jurassic Park, John Williams (1993)

30. There Will Be Blood, Jonny Greenwood (2008)

 

31. Interview with the Vampire, Elliot Goldenthal (1994)

32. Total Recall, Jerry Goldsmith (1990)

33. Speed Racer, Michael Giacchino, 2008)

34. Sunshine, John Murphy (2007)

35. Into the Wild, Eddie Vedder (2007)

36. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, John Williams (2005)

37. The Incredibles, Michael Giacchino (2003)

38. Let The Right One In, Johan Soderquist (2008)

39. City of Lost Children, Angelo Badalamenti (1995)

40. Last Man Standing, Ry Cooder (1996)

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post #46 of 137
8/15/11 at 1:51pm
Thread Starter 

41. Star Trek, Michael Giacchino (2009)

 

With the extremely unenviable task of coming up with a memorable theme for a beloved franchise with at least TWO great themes, Giacchino more than succeeded here; his score manages to be both adventurous and moving. Two great tracks from it below.

 

 

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post #47 of 137
8/15/11 at 2:02pm

42. Ghost In The Shell (Kenji Kawai, 1995)

 

Heavy, elegiac, ambient bliss. One of my favorite pieces of music from the 90s.

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post #48 of 137
8/15/11 at 2:04pm

I actually prefer the score to Innocence, just because of the insanely barnstorming, ludicrously over-long, Kugutsuuta kagirohi ha yomi ni mata muto which is pretty much every great bit of Kawai's score condensed into 9 minutes.

 

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post #49 of 137
8/15/11 at 2:17pm

Ok, final pick of the afternoon. This is easily my favorite soundtrack of the last 25 years:

 

43. The Last Emperor (Ryuichi Sakamoto, 1987)

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post #50 of 137
8/15/11 at 2:25pm

Mine wasn't a pick, so yours should be #43, Art.

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