Movie soundtracks can be one of the most underrated parts of a movie. Few people realize the difference a good soundtrack can make a movie versus a bad one (imagine watching the fellowship march through the mountains in Lord of the Rings without that epic music). I decided to show my appreciation of these unsung heroes with a list of the top 5 composers in movie history.
#5: Howard Shore
Best Known For: Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Speaking of that epic Lord of the Rings Music, Shore was slingshot into the mainstream after his work with Peter Jackson to create one of the most memorable soundtracks of all-time. Along with the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit franchises, Shore has composed the music for The Aviator and Ed Wood, two other movies known for their great soundtracks. Although he has been working on movies since the 1970s, he is finally getting the recognition he deserves here in the 2000s.
#4: Bernard Herrmann
Best Known For: Psycho
The man behind the Twilight Zone theme and Taxi Driver, Herrmann has helped create some of the most haunting recognizable scores. Not to mention, who doesn’t imagine the shower scene in Psycho every time they hear that high pitch horror track. Alfred Hitchcock originally wanted the famous shower scene without music before he heard Herrmann’s track. He launched himself to popularity with his first soundtrack–Citizen Kane. Considered one of the greatest movies every created, Citizen Kane‘s soundtrack is one of the many great aspects of the movie.
#3: Alan Silvestri
Best Known For: Back to the Future
Silvestri’s accomplishments stretch far beyond the Back to the Future trilogy. Forrest Gump, The A-Team, The Polar Express, and multiple movies from the Avengers Marvel Cinematic Universe are only some of the musical masterpieces penned by Silvestri. He has shown his broad diversity covering all genres of movies. Silvestri is definitely one of the best musical composers of all-time. Starting his career in the 1970s, Silvestri continues to compose great soundtracks to this day.
#2: Hans Zimmer
Best Known For: The Dark Knight
Considered the best modern musical composer, Zimmer has created a plethora of great scores. Pairing up with Christopher Nolan, Zimmer has created the scores for The Dark Knight trilogy, Insterstellar, Inception, and The Prestige. He has experienced great success outside of Nolan as well. He won an Oscar for his work on The Lion King and has been behind the scenes for many great movies: Gladiator, Castaway, Man of Steel, Black Hawk Down, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Bee Movie, and Sherlock Holmes. He started his musical career assisting the The Buggles with the first MTV music video “Video Killed the Radio Star” and his career has shot off from there. He is by far currently the best in the business.
#1: John Williams
Best Known For: Star Wars
Williams has been at the helm of some of the greatest movie franchises to ever be produced. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park , Harry Potter, Jaws, Superman, and Schindler’s List are just the tip of the iceberg. Williams has been creating music for movies since the mid-1950s. While he has slowed down his pace, Williams is far and away the greatest composer ever. His work is unrivaled. Almost anybody could hear some of his work and immediately recognize the movie. It will be a long time before somebody tops Williams as the greatest of all-time.
CinemaStickler 