Best soundtracks by year
Here’s an updated version of this list, including soundtracks I discovered in 2016. The big winner for 2016 so far is Michael Giacchino for Star Trek Beyond (who also composed the previous year’s Tomorrowland).
My list doesn’t go this far back, but I also discovered John Barry’s theme for Zulu (1964) — it’s astonishing.
These are soundtracks I think are worth listening to on their own, as opposed to within the context of the movie.
Year | Winner | Runner Ups | Honourable Mentions |
2016 | Star Trek Beyond | Captain America: Civil War | Captain Fantastic |
Zootopia | X-Men: Apocalypse | ||
2015 | Tomorrowland | The Good Dinosaur | Ant-Man |
Inside Out | Avengers: Age of Ultron | ||
Jurassic World | Mr. Holmes | ||
Mad Max: Fury Road | Pitch Perfect 2 | ||
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Spectre | ||
Star Wars: The Force Awakens | |||
2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Interstellar |
Edge of Tomorrow | Maleficent | ||
Guardians of the Galaxy | The Penguins of Madagascar | ||
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | X-Men: Days of Future Past | ||
2013 | Saving Mr. Banks | Despicable Me 2 | The Croods |
Man of Steel | Frozen | ||
Star Trek Into Darkness | Snowpiercer | ||
Thor: The Dark World | |||
2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | The Avengers | Cloud Atlas |
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Moonrise Kingdom | ||
Brave | Pitch Perfect | ||
Prometheus | Sherlock — Series 1 | ||
Skyfall | Snow White and the Huntsman | ||
2011 | The Way Back | Captain America | Hugo |
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | The King’s Speech | ||
One Day | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | ||
X-Men: First Class | Thor | ||
2010 | How to Train Your Dragon | Alice in Wonderland | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 |
Inception | Iron Man 2 | ||
Lost — The Final Season | RED | ||
Robin Hood | Salt | ||
Toy Story 3 | True Grit | ||
2009 | Star Trek | Avatar | An Education |
Up | Coraline | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | |
Lost — Season 4 | Moon | ||
Sherlock Holmes | Where the Wild Things Are | ||
2008 | WALL-E | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Score | Changeling |
The Dark Knight | Hancock | ||
Lost — Season 3 | Quantum of Solace | ||
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | The X-Files: I Want to Believe | ||
2007 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Atonement | The Bourne Ultimatum |
Enchanted | Juno | ||
Stardust | Ocean’s Thirteen | ||
Ratatouille | |||
2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | The Illusionist | Casino Royale |
The Incredibles | Lady in the Water | ||
The Lake House | Wah-Wah | ||
Lost — Season 2 | X-Men: The Last Stand | ||
2005 | Inside Man | Batman Begins | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
Firefly | Memoirs of a Geisha | ||
Madagascar | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | ||
Serenity | Never Let Me Go | ||
Water | Pride & Prejudice | ||
2004 | A Very Long Engagement | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | The Bourne Supremacy |
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events | National Treasure | ||
The Village | Ocean’s Twelve | ||
The Terminal | |||
2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Finding Nemo | The Last Samurai |
The Italian Job | Matchstick Men | ||
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | School of Rock | ||
The Triplets of Belleville | X-Men 2 | ||
2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, With Feeling | The Bourne Identity |
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | Catch Me If You Can | ||
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones | Spider-Man | ||
Star Trek: Nemesis | |||
2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Amelie | Donnie Darko |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Legally Blonde | ||
Monsoon Wedding | Moulin Rouge! | ||
Monsters, Inc. | Ocean’s Eleven | ||
Shrek | Planet of the Apes | ||
2000 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Requiem for a Dream | Cast Away |
Chocolat | |||
1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | Chicken Run | American Beauty |
Star Trek: Insurrection | Instinct | ||
Toy Story 2 | The Matrix | ||
The World is Not Enough | |||
1998 | Dark City | Antz | Circle of Friends |
A Bug’s Life | Crusoe | ||
Life is Beautiful | Highlander | ||
Pleasantville | The Mask of Zorro | ||
The Truman Show | Shakespeare in Love | ||
The X-Files | |||
1997 | The Sweet Hereafter | The Fifth Element | Alien Resurrection |
The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Air Force One | ||
Men in Black | Contact | ||
Titanic | Tomorrow Never Dies | ||
The Winter Guest | |||
1996 | Star Trek: First Contact | The Rock | Mission: Impossible |
1995 | Apollo 13 | GoldenEye | Babe |
Toy Story | Batman Forever | ||
Mr. Holland’s Opus | |||
1994 | Star Trek Generations | Don Juan DeMarco | Black Beauty |
Forrest Gump | It Could Happen to You | ||
Maverick | Legends of the Fall | ||
Stargate | The Shawshank Redemption | ||
1993 | Jurassic Park | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Benny & Joon |
Sommersby | Dave | ||
Groundhog Day | |||
1992 | Medicine Man | Batman Returns | Alien3 |
Strictly Ballroom | Scent of a Woman | ||
1991 | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | Backdraft | Awakenings |
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey | ||
Hook | |||
1990 | Dances With Wolves | Back to the Future Part III | Dick Tracy |
Edward Scissorhands | Gremlins 2 | ||
Quigley Down Under | The Russia House | ||
1989 | Batman | Back to the Future Part II | The Abyss |
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | Field of Dreams | Dead Poets Society | |
Henry V | Driving Miss Daisy | ||
The Mission | Licence to Kill | ||
1988 | Willow | Beetlejuice | Hot to Trot |
Powaqqatsi | Scrooged | ||
Working Girl | |||
1987 | The Living Daylights | Crocodile Dundee | The Untouchables |
La Bamba | |||
1986 | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | Aliens | The Delta Force |
Labyrinth | |||
1985 | Brazil | Back to the Future | A Chorus Line |
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure | Cocoon | ||
A View to a Kill | The Goonies | ||
Witness | Out of Africa | ||
1984 | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | Ghostbusters | Gremlins |
Supergirl | |||
1983 | Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi | Octopussy | |
1982 | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Blade Runner | |
1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | For Your Eyes Only | |
1980 | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back | ||
1979 | Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Alien | 1941 |
The Great Train Robbery | Moonraker | ||
1978 | Superman: The Movie | ||
1977 | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope | The Spy Who Loved Me | Saturday Night Fever |