Movie composers worth listening to, part 1

Here’s the big list of movie composers. I’ll list their soundtracks, and specifically which tracks are worth listening to — on their own, not within the movie.

Some of these soundtracks could be better than I realize — if I listened to them all the way through I might add more track(s) to my list. But this gives you a good idea of what I like.

John Barry

Barry provided the soundtrack for most of the James Bond movies — 11 of them — from 1963 to 1987 (I heard some of those themes at this concert). Some of his work is collected in Moviola (including a great new tune called “Moviola”).

  • Dances With Wolves
    • The entire album, especially The John Dunbar Theme
  • Diamonds Are Forever
    • Diamonds Are Forever (Main Title)
  • From Russia With Love
    • The Golden Horn
    • 007
    • From Russia With Love
    • James Bond With Bongos
  • Goldfinger
    • Main Title – Goldfinger
    • Alpine Drive – Auric’s Factory
    • Oddjob’s Pressing Engagement
  • John Barry: The Collection
    • Theme / Isandhlwana (From “Zulu”)
    • Born Free (From “Born Free”)
    • Main Title / Elanor’s Arrival / We’re All Jungle Creatures (From “The Lion in Winter”)
    • Main Theme (From “Midnight Cowboy”)
    • Main Theme (From “Out of Africa”)
    • Moviola
  • The Living Daylights
    • The entire album, especially Ice Chase
  • The Man With the Golden Gun
    • The Man With the Golden Gun [main title]
    • The Man With the Golden Gun [instrumental]
  • Moonraker
    • Moonraker (Main Title)
  • Octopussy
    • All Time High
    • 009 Gets The Knife And Gorbinda Attacks
    • The Chase Bond Theme
  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    • We Have All the Time In the World
    • Ski Chase
    • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    • Journey to Blofeld’s Hideaway
    • Bond Meets the Girls
  • Thunderball
    • Thunderball (Main Title)
    • Chateau Flight
    • Thunderball
  • A View To A Kill
    • The entire album, especially Snow Job
  • You Only Live Twice
    • You Only Live Twice (Main Title)
    • Fight At Kobe Dock – Helga
    • Mountains and Sunsets

Danny Elfman

Elfman has an incredible relationship with Tim Burton. His music has a playfulness unlike any other. He has a couple of compilation albums called Music for a Darkened Theatre. Upcoming work includes Tulip Fever and The Circle.

  • Alice in Wonderland
    • Alice’s Theme
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
    • Farmhouse
    • New Avengers
  • Batman
    • The entire album, especially Batman Theme
  • Instinct
    • Into the Wild
  • Men in Black
    • M.I.B. Main Theme
  • Music For A Darkened Theatre
    • Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
    • Dick Tracy
    • Beetlejuice
    • Darkman
    • Hot to Trot
    • Big Top Pee Wee
    • Scrooged
  • Music For A Darkened Theatre, Vol. 2
    • Edward Scissorhands [5 tracks]
    • Dolores Claiborne [5 tracks]
    • To Die For [5 tracks]
    • Black Beauty [7 tracks]
    • Batman Returns [4 tracks]
    • Mission: Impossible [3 tracks]
    • Sommersby [3 tracks]
  • Nightmare Before Christmas
    • Overture
    • Jack and Sally
    • Christmas Eve Montage
    • What’s This?
    • Sally’s Song
  • Planet of the Apes
    • Main Titles
    • The Hunt
    • Ape Suite #2
  • Spider-man
    • Main Titles
    • Farewell

Michael Giacchino

Giacchino has a great relationship with J.J. Abrams — scoring his TV series Lost and then most of his movies. He released 2 astonishingly brilliant soundtracks, Star Trek and Up, in the same year — 2009. Upcoming work includes Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Incredibles 2.

  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
    • The Great Ape Processional
    • Enough Monkeying Around
  • The Incredibles
    • The Incredits
  • Inside Out
    • The Joy of Credits
  • Jurassic World
    • As the Jurassic World Turns
    • Nine to Survival Job
  • Lost – Season 2
    • Hurley’s Handouts
    • The Gathering
  • Lost – Season 3
    • Shambala
  • Lost – Season 4
    • Ji Yeon
    • There’s No Place Like Home
  • Lost – The Final Season
    • Lax
    • Karma Has No Price
  • Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
    • Light the Fuse
  • Ratatouille
    • Colette Shows Him Le Ropes
    • End Creditouilles
  • Star Trek
    • The entire album, especially Enterprising Young Men
  • Star Trek Into Darkness
    • The entire album, especially Logos / Pranking the Natives
  • Tomorrowland
    • Pin-Ultimate Experience
  • Up
    • The entire album, especially Married Life
  • Zootopia
    • Suite from Zootopia

Jerry Goldsmith

Goldsmith had a very successful relationship with the Star Trek franchise, starting with the first original series movie and going all the way to the last Next Generation movie. He could often be counted on to include unusual instruments in his scores.

  • Air Force One
    • The Parachutes
  • Alien
    • Main Title
  • The Best of Star Trek – 30th Anniversary Special!
    • Star Trek: Voyager Main Title (Extended Version)
  • Escape From the Planet of the Apes
    • Main Title
  • The Great Train Robbery
    • Suite from “The Great Train Robbery”
  • Gremlins
    • Gremlins (suite)
  • Gremlins 2: The New Batch
    • Gremlin Credits
  • Medicine Man
    • The entire album, especially The Trees
  • Planet of the Apes
    • The Hunt
    • No Escape
    • The Trial
    • The Forbidden Zone
  • The Russia House
    • Love Theme
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    • The entire album, especially Ilia’s Theme
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
    • The entire album, especially The Mountain
  • Star Trek: First Contact
    • The entire album, especially First Contact
  • Star Trek: Insurrection
    • The entire album, especially The Children’s Story
  • Star Trek: Nemesis
    • The entire album, especially A New Ending
  • Supergirl
    • Overture
  • Wild Rovers
    • Bronco Bustin’

James Horner

As a young composer Horner was asked to fill Jerry Goldsmith’s shoes for the 2nd Star Trek movie, and he did so amazingly well. He also had a relationship, at times difficult, with James Cameron.

  • Aliens
    • Main Title
    • Futile Escape
    • Bishop’s Countdown
  • Apollo 13
    • Main Title
    • End Titles
  • Avatar
    • Becoming One of “The People” Becoming One With Neytiri
  • Cocoon
    • Cocoon
  • Field of Dreams
    • The Place Where Dreams Come True
    • Shoeless Joe
  • Legends of the Fall
    • The Ludlows
  • The Mask of Zorro
    • The Plaza of Execution
    • Zorro’s Theme
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
    • The entire album, especially Main Title
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
    • The entire album, especially Returning To Vulcan
  • Titanic
    • Southampton
  • Willow
    • The entire album, especially Willow’s Theme

Thomas Newman

Newman tends to compose short tracks, but they can have a big impact. His Best Exotic Marigold Hotel soundtracks have an Indian flavour to them. He’s composed several soundtracks for Sam Mendes. Upcoming work includes the science fiction movie Passengers.

  • American Beauty
    • Dead Already
    • Any Other Name
  • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
    • Long Old Life
  • Finding Nemo
    • Main Title: Nemo Egg
    • Wow
  • Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
    • The Bad Beginning
  • Saving Mr. Banks
    • The entire album, especially Travers Goff
  • The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
    • Sagai
  • The Shawshank Redemption
    • Shawshank Prison (Stoic Theme)
    • Shawshank Redemption
  • Skyfall
    • Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
    • Severine
    • The Chimera
  • Spectre
    • Los Muertos Vivos Estan
  • WALL-E
    • The entire album, especially Define Dancing

John Powell

Powell writes soundtracks for playful movies, action movies, and playful action movies. Upcoming work includes How to Train Your Dragon 3.

  • Antz (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
    • The Colony
    • Guantanamera (Antz)
  • The Bourne Ultimatum
    • Assets and Targets
  • Chicken Run (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
    • Main Titles
    • Flight Training
  • Hancock
    • The Moon and the Superhero
  • How to Train Your Dragon
    • The entire album,especially This Is Berk
  • How to Train Your Dragon 2
    • Dragon Racing
  • The Italian Job
    • The entire album,especially The New Plan
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
    • Playing House
    • El Tango de los Assassinos
  • Shrek (with Harry Gregson-Williams)
    • True Love’s First Kiss
  • X-Men: The Last Stand
    • The Last Stand

Howard Shore

Shore’s masterwork is the 3-part soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings (which he has also reconfigured into a 6-part symphony). He also wrote the 3-part soundtrack for The Hobbit — some of it was great, but some was strangely mediocre. In addition to Peter Jackson, he’s also scored several movies for David Cronenberg. Upcoming work includes Denial and The Spider.

  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    • The entire album, especially An Unexpected Party
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    • The Forest River
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
    • The Ruins of Dale
  • Hugo
    • The Thief
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
    • The entire album, especially Many Meetings
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
    • The entire album, especially The Rides Of Rohan
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    • The entire album, especially The White Tree

John Williams

Williams has had an astonishing relationship with Steven Spielberg (I even went to a concert where that was the theme). He’s also composed the music for all 7 Star Wars movies for George Lucas. It’s possible that he’s written more instantly recognizable themes than any other composer. Although he’s getting up there in years, upcoming work includes Star Wars episodes VIII and IX and Ready Player One.

  • 1941
    • March
  • Catch Me If You Can
    • Catch Me If You Can
  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
    • Harry’s Wondrous World
    • Hedwig’s Theme
  • Hook
    • Flight to Neverland
  • Jaws
    • Main Theme
  • Jurassic Park
    • The entire album, especially Theme From Jurassic Park
  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park
    • Theme from the Lost World
  • Memoirs of a Geisha
    • Becoming a Geisha
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark
    • March
  • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
    • The entire album, especially Duel Of The Fates
  • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
    • The entire album, especially Across The Stars (Love Theme)
  • Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
    • Cantina Band
  • Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
    • The entire album, especially The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)
  • Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
    • Luke and Leia
  • Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
    • Rey’s Theme
    • The Jedi Steps and Finale
  • Superman
    • Prelude and Main Title March
    • The Planet Krypton
    • Love Theme from Superman
  • The Terminal
    • The Tale of Viktor Navorski

Hans Zimmer

From superheroes to con artists, Zimmer will compose music for them. He has a great relationship with Christopher Nolan. Upcoming work includes Inferno and Dunkirk.

  • Backdraft
    • Fighting 17th
  • Batman Begins (with James Newton Howard)
    • Molossus
  • The Dark Knight (with James Newton Howard)
    • Harvey Two-Face
    • Aggressive Expansion
    • Like a Dog Chasing Cars
  • Driving Miss Daisy
    • End Titles
  • Inception
    • Dream Is Collapsing
    • Time
  • Interstellar
    • No Time For Caution
  • The Last Samurai
    • A Way of Life
  • Madagascar
    • Zoosters Breakout
  • Man of Steel
    • Look To the Stars
    • What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving the World?
  • Matchstick Men
    • Weird Is Good
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (with Klaus Badelt)
    • The entire album, especially He’s A Pirate
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
    • The entire album, especially Jack Sparrow
  • The Rock
    • The entire album, especially Rocket Away
  • Sherlock Holmes
    • The entire album, especially Discombobulate
  • Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
    • It’s So Overt It’s Covert

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 15th, 2016 at 11:52 am and is filed under My thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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