Best soundtracks by year
Here’s my list, updated for soundtracks I became aware of in 2015. The big winner from the past year’s soundtracks is Tommorowland.
| Year | Winner | Runner Ups | Honourable Mentions |
| 2015 | Tomorrowland | Inside Out | Ant-Man |
| Jurassic World | Avengers: Age of Ultron | ||
| Mad Max: Fury Road | Pitch Perfect 2 | ||
| The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | |||
| 2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies |
| Edge of Tomorrow | Maleficent | ||
| Guardians of the Galaxy | 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 | Brave |
| The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Cloud Atlas | ||
| Prometheus | Pitch Perfect | ||
| Skyfall | Sherlock — Series 1 | ||
| Snow White and the Huntsman | |||
| 2011 | The Way Back | Captain America | Hugo |
| Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | The King’s Speech | ||
| One Day | Thor | ||
| X-Men: First Class | |||
| 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 | Salt | ||
| Robin Hood | |||
| 2009 | Star Trek | Avatar | Coraline |
| Up | Lost — Season 4 | An Education | |
| Sherlock Holmes | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | ||
| Moon | |||
| 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 Incredibles | Casino Royale |
| The Lake House | Lady in the Water | ||
| Lost — Season 2 | Wah-Wah | ||
| 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 | ||
| Water | Never Let Me Go | ||
| Serenity | |||
| 2004 | A Very Long Engagement | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events |
| The Village | National Treasure | ||
| Ocean’s Twelve | |||
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Finding Nemo | The Last Samurai |
| The Italian Job | School of Rock | ||
| Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | X-Men 2 | ||
| The Triplets of Belleville | |||
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, With Feeling | Catch Me If You Can |
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | Spider-Man | ||
| Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones | 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 | 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 | 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 | Legends of the Fall | ||
| Maverick | The Shawshank Redemption | ||
| Stargate | |||
| 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 | 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 | Driving Miss Daisy | |
| Henry V | Licence to Kill | ||
| The Mission | |||
| 1988 | Willow | Beetlejuice | Hot to Trot |
| Powaqqatsi | Scrooged | ||
| Working Girl | |||
| 1987 | The Living Daylights | Crocodile Dundee | 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 |