The 50 Best Film-Score Composers
And Their Greatest Soundtracks
Plenty of times, I read or heard the statement: ‘Film-score composers are the compositional geniuses of our time.’ In my eyes, there is a lot of truth behind this statement. Film-score composers need to be literate not only in many different musical genres but they also have to have a particularly keen sense for the interaction between video and music.
As a normal composer you are free to compose whatever you want most of the times. As a film-score composer you have to deal with many restrictions like deadlines, the directors vision, temp tracks, video, scenes and many more.
Besides all these tripping stones there have been some marvelous film-score composers that created the most compelling soundtrack for great films. These soundtracks not only function as a third emotional dimension in film but are on their own of high aesthetic value as well.
To honor these composers and to create an overview of their greatest soundtracks, I made this list of 50 of the best film-score composers. In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, I asked the help my college and friend Colin van der Lei who is an ambitious film-score composer himself. Thanks Colin!
At a last step, I added the soundtrack’s product links on amazon. Beside my own benefit ( 😉 ), it also gives you the possibility to see the track-list and in some cases preview the songs of the album. To make this a little more interactive, I would like to invite you to share your most favorite soundtrack via a YouTube link with us. At the end of this list you find Colin’s and my all-time favorite soundtracks.
Composer | Born In | Time | Soundtracks |
Max Steiner | Austria, Vienna | 1888 – 1971 | [amazon asin=B00000344X&text=Casablanca] | [amazon asin=B0007ACVK0&text=King Kong] | [amazon asin=B000003EM1&text=Now, Voyager] | [amazon asin=B000003EM7&text=Gone With the Wind] |
Sergei Prokofiev | Russland | 1891 – 1953 | [amazon asin=B000003CUA&text=Lt. Kije] | [amazon asin=B000003FMD&text=Alexander Nevsky] | [amazon asin=B0000041NT&text=Ivan the Terrible] |
Erich Wolfgang Korngold | Austria, Brünn | 1897 – 1957 | [amazon asin=B00005JKEZ&text=The Adventures of Robin Hood] | [amazon asin=B002XCAU5S&text=The Sea Hawk] |
Aaron Copland | USA, Brooklyn | 1900 – 1990 | Of Mice and Men | [amazon asin=B00138KHWE&text=The Red Pony ] | Our Town | [amazon asin=B000003FHI&text=The Heiress] |
Alfred Newman | USA, LA | 1901 – 1970 | [amazon asin=B000XFNTL4&text=Airport] | [amazon asin=B0000033TD&text=How The West Was Won] |
Dmitri Shostakovich | Russia, Saint Petersburg | 1906 – 1975 | [amazon asin=B002XXJQA2&text=The Maxim Trilogy] | [amazon asin=B0001Z65FI&text=Hamlet] | [amazon asin=B000001WOT&text=King Lear] |
Franz Waxman | Germany | 1906 – 1967 | [amazon asin=B000AMMSLW&text=Rebecca] | [amazon asin=B0000793VV&text=Sunset Boulevard] |
Bernard Herrmann | USA, NY | 1911 – 1975 | [amazon asin=B000001502&text=Psycho] | [amazon asin=B000003EM9&text=Citizen Kane] | [amazon asin=B0000014ZW&text=Vertigo] | [amazon asin=B000006OHL&text=Taxi Driver] | [amazon asin=B000ZLRVCE&text=Fahrenheit 451] |
Nino Rot1 | Italy, Milan | 1911 – 1979 | [amazon asin=B000059LEY&text=The Godfather I, II, III] | [amazon asin=B00000DR9R&text=Romeo & Juliet] |
Leonard Bernstein | USA, Massachusetts | 1918 – 1990 | [amazon asin=B0000027WF&text=West Side Story] | [amazon asin=B0000029XI&text=On the Waterfront] |
Malcolm Arnold | GB, Northampton | 1921 – 2006 | [amazon asin=B0010JN4R6&text=The Lion] | [amazon asin=B000002AN1&text=The Bridge on the River Kwai] |
Elmer Bernstein | USA, NY | 1922 – 2004 | [amazon asin=B00000C40G&text=The Magnificant Seven] | [amazon asin=B0000014ZR&text=To Kill a Mockingbird] | The Greatest Game |
Henry Mancini | USA, Ohio | 1924 – 1994 | [amazon asin=B000056NN6&text=Pink Panther] | [amazon asin=B000002W3F&text=Breakfast at Tiffany’s] | [amazon asin=B0000071UZ&text=Love Story] |
Leonard Rosenman | USA, Brooklyn | 1924 – 2008 | [amazon asin=B00005QY2R&text=Lord of the Rings] | [amazon asin=B000005J43&text=East of Eden] |
Maurice Jarre | France, Lyon | 1924 – 2007 | [amazon asin=B0000033J9&text=Doctor Zhivago] | [amazon asin=B0000014RH&text=Lawrence of Arabia] |
Ennio Morricone | Italy, Rome | 1928 – now | [amazon asin=B000000WFZ&text=The Mission] | [amazon asin=B0000AUHPG&text=Once Upon a Time in the West] | [amazon asin=B000002UDT&text=The Good The Bad and the Ugly] | [amazon asin=B000002GFG&text=The Untouchables] |
Jerry Goldsmith | USA, LA | 1929 – 2004 | [amazon asin=B00000FC5P&text=Star Trek] | [amazon asin=B0000033ZB&text=Poltergeist] | [amazon asin=B0067LGMQM&text=Gremlins] | [amazon asin=B00000IWP1&text=The Mummy] |
Michel Legrand | France, Paris | 1932 – now | Cléo from 5 to 7 | [amazon asin=B00005YW0W&text=The Windmills of Your Mind] | [amazon asin=B000005Z63&text=The Thomas Crown Affair] |
John Williams | America, NYC | 1932 – now | [amazon asin=B0002YCVIS&text=Star Wars IV,] [amazon asin=B0002YCVJC&text=V,] [amazon asin=B0002YCVK6&text=VI,] [amazon asin=B00000IQMT&text=I,] [amazon asin=B000062VVV&text=II,] [amazon asin=B000850IS6&text=III] | [amazon asin=B000002OOY&text=Jurassic Park I,] [amazon asin=B000002P6K&text=II] | [amazon asin=B001G562ZU&text=Indiana Jones I, II, III, IV] | [amazon asin=B000002NZU&text=Jaws I,] [amazon asin=B00005A8XX&text=II] | [amazon asin=B000002P2X&text=E.T.] | [amazon asin=B000BGH22W&text=Harry Potter I,] [amazon asin=B00006IR5S&text=II,] [amazon asin=B00020HEG6&text=III] | [amazon asin=B000046PVN&text=Superman I, II] | [amazon asin=B000002OR4&text=Shindler’s List] | [amazon asin=B0000027BR&text=Home Alone I, ] [amazon asin=B000005LBO&text=II] |
John Barry | GB – York | 1933 – 2011 | [amazon asin=B0001CCY7E&text=Dances with Wolves] | [amazon asin=B000002O4X&text=Out of Africa] | [amazon asin=B00006I0BO&text=James Bond I-XII] |
Philip Glass | USA, Baltimore | 1937 – now | [amazon asin=B000007OAP&text=The Truman Show] | [amazon asin=B0000EWQ0S&text=The Fog of War] |
Randy Newman | USA, LA | 1943 – now | [amazon asin=B000DZ6VX2&text=Toy Story I,] [amazon asin=B00002ND9R&text=II,] [amazon asin=B0075FIGTA&text=III] | [amazon asin=B00005QK2X&text=Monster, Inc] | [amazon asin=B000EUMPBS&text=Cars] |
Alan Menken | USA, LA | 1949 – now | [amazon asin=B000001M3Z&text=The Little Mermaid] | [amazon asin=B00005TQ5A&text=Beauty and the Beast] | [amazon asin=B0002ZMJF2&text=Aladdin] | [amazon asin=B000001M2I&text=Pocahontas] | [amazon asin=B000001M31&text=The Hunchback of Notre Dame] |
Gabriel Yared | Lebanesia | 1949 – now | [amazon asin=B000000XET&text=The English Patient] | [amazon asin=B00009XFS2&text=Bon Voyage] | [amazon asin=B002S1CKL6&text=Amelia] |
Alan Silvestri | USA, NY | 1950 – now | [amazon asin=B000002O4S&text=Back to the Future I,] [amazon asin=B000002O6R&text=II,] [amazon asin=B0000014RN&text=III] | [amazon asin=B00136LS2E&text=Forest Gump] | [amazon asin=B000001534&text=Mouse Hunt] | [amazon asin=B000008154&text=Richie Rich] |
James Newton Howard | USA, LA | 1951 – now | [amazon asin=B0036B8WIC&text=Batman Begins] |[amazon asin=B0017I1FP8&text=The Dark Knight] | [amazon asin=B000KP62SE&text=Blood Diamond] | [amazon asin=B000002HET&text=The Fugitive] | [amazon asin=B00006AWG7&text=Signs] |
Vangelis | Greece, Agria | 1943 – now | [amazon asin=B000025SL5&text=Conquest of Paradise] | [amazon asin=B000001F28&text=Chariots of Fire] |
David Newman | USA, LA | 1945 – now | [amazon asin=B000002JEJ&text=Anastasia] | [amazon asin=B000066BZO&text=Ice Age I] |
Howard Shore | Canada, Toronto | 1946 – now | [amazon asin=B0000TAZBK&text=Lord of the Rings I, II, III] | [amazon asin=B000002OFQ&text=The Silence of the Lambs] | [amazon asin=B000J3FBVG&text=The Departed] |
Patrick Doyle | Scottland | 1953 – now | [amazon asin=B0000029OJ&text=Sense and Sensibility] | [amazon asin=B000005Z9T&text=Quest for Camelot] | [amazon asin=B0000029V8&text=Hamlet] |
Danny Elfman | USA, LA | 1953 – now | [amazon asin=B000002OFD&text=Edward Scissorhands] | [amazon asin=B000002LIM&text=Batman] | [amazon asin=B0000040V4&text=Mission: Impossible I] | [amazon asin=B000000OR0&text=Beetlejuice] | [amazon asin=1423492862&text=Alice in Wonderland] |
James Horner | USA, LA | 1953 – now | [amazon asin=B006UTJ6DM&text=Titanic] | [amazon asin=B002ZJGN96&text=Avatar] | [amazon asin=B000002OW6&text=Apollo 13] | [amazon asin=B000007T5P&text=The Mask of Zorro] | [amazon asin=B000002O5Q&text=The Land Before Time] |
Trevor Rabin | South Africa | 1954 – now | [amazon asin=B00068NWII&text=National Treasure] | [amazon asin=B00004TM2C&text=Gone in 60 Seconds] | [amazon asin=B00000DHS1&text=Armageddon] |
Thomas Newman | USA, LA | 1955 – now | [amazon asin=B00003XACV&text=Amercian Beauty] | [amazon asin=B00003CLV2&text=The Green Mile] | [amazon asin=B000002AUQ&text=The Shawshank Redemption] | [amazon asin=B000006NMX&text=The Horse Whisperer] | [amazon asin=B000095J94&text=Finding Nemo] |
John Debney | USA, California | 1956 – now | [amazon asin=B0013AWVZS&text=The Passion of the Christ] | [amazon asin=B00009KTXM&text=Bruce Almighty] | [amazon asin=B000MAQLA6&text=Cutthroat Island] |
Don Davis | USA, California | 1957 – now | [amazon asin=B00000IFW8&text=Matrix I,] [amazon asin=B002P8BWDE&text=II,] [amazon asin=B002MXBWO6&text=III] | [amazon asin=B00005LOOF&text=Jurassic Park III] |
Hans Zimmer | Germany, Frankfurt A.M. | 1957 – now | [amazon asin=B0000A1RJI&text=Pirates of the Caribbean I,] [amazon asin=B000FTCF2M&text=II,] [amazon asin=B00005JPFX&text=III,] [amazon asin=B004V6MWE6&text=IV] | [amazon asin=B0009IW88A&text=Batman Begins] | [amazon asin=B001BZF9UY&text=The Dark Knight] | [amazon asin=B008645YEE&text=The Dark Knight Rises] | [amazon asin=B000V6Q9NU&text=Gladiator] | [amazon asin=B002ZWA1VE&text=Pear Harbor] | [amazon asin=B000001M1Y&text=Lion King] |
Christopher Young | USA, New Jersey | 1958 – now | [amazon asin=B000NVIXE6&text=Spiderman III] | [amazon asin=B00068CVBW&text=The Grudge I,] [amazon asin=B000JBWW7Y&text=II] | [amazon asin=B00000DBZY&text=Urban Legend] | [amazon asin=B00284EMKK&text=Drag Me to Hell] |
Rachel Portman | GB, Haslemere | 1960 – now | [amazon asin=B0000508VR&text=The Legend of Bagger Vance] | [amazon asin=B000056O00&text=Chocolat] |
Alexandre Despla | France, Paris | 1961 – now | [amazon asin=B0043URV8M&text=Harry Potter VII] | [amazon asin=B003DFU3H4&text=The Golden Compass] |
Harry Gregson-Williams | GB, Chichester | 1961 – now | [amazon asin=B003RC6PP2&text=Narnia] | [amazon asin=B003AWEZ6U&text=Prince of Persia] | [amazon asin=B00005CF9Y&text=Shrek I,] [amazon asin=B0001XAQ64&text=II,] [amazon asin=B000OPOAPW&text=III] |
David Arnold | GB, Bedfordshire | 1962 – now | [amazon asin=B003VSJSEC&text=Independence Day] | [amazon asin=B0000015IW&text=Stargate] | [amazon asin=B000XMEBJ6&text=Godzilla] | [amazon asin=B00002MYXD&text=The World is not Enough] |
John Powell | GB, London | 1963 – now | [amazon asin=B00005CF9Y&text=Shrek] | [amazon asin=B000068FWA&text=Bourne Identity I] [amazon asin=B0002IQI3I&text=II,] | [amazon asin=B000YNM5VK&text=III] | [amazon asin=B0018Q7K5S&text=Kong Fu Panda] |
Edward Shearmur | GB, London | 1966 – now | [amazon asin=B0013AV0FU&text=Sky Captain] | [amazon asin=B00005V8PS&text=The Count of Monte Cristo] | [amazon asin=B00008W7P1&text=Johnny English] |
Rupert Greson-Williams | GB | 1966 – now | [amazon asin=B001H5HW9E&text=Bed Time Stories] | Click | [amazon asin=B003RWSBKO&text=Grown Ups] |
Klaus Badelt | Germany, Frankfurt | 1967 – now | [amazon asin=B0000A1RJI&text=Pirates of the Caribbean I] | [amazon asin=B00005JLWN&text=Equilibrium] |
Yann Tiersen | France, Brest | 1970 – now | [amazon asin=B0000A1WGH&text=Good Bye, Lenin!] | [amazon asin=B00005O6PA&text=Amélie] |
Ramin Djawadi | Germany, Duisburg | 1974 – now | [amazon asin=B0018B7S3W&text=Iron Man] | [amazon asin=B003EYW1OC&text=Clash of the Titans] |
Henry Jackman | GB, Hilingdon | 1974 – now | [amazon asin=B00501JHRQ&text=X-Men: First Class] | [amazon asin=B0070OM5W0&text=Kick-Ass] |
Brian Tyler | USA, LA | 1978 – now | [amazon asin=B001UOVU7C&text=Fast & Furious] | [amazon asin=B002HQZ4VU&text=The Final Destination] |
Colin’s all-time favorites
- John Williams – Patriot
- John Williams – Fawkes the Phoenix
- Alfred Newman – Airport
- John Williams – Harry’s Wondrous World
- John Williams -Hook
- John Williams – March from Midway
- John Debney – Cutthroat Island
- David Arnold – The World is not Enough
- Michael Giacchino – Ratatoulle
- John Williams – War Horse
My all-time favorites
- John Williams – Across the Stars
- Ennio Morricone – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- John Williams – Schindler’s List
- Alan Menken – Gaston
- Bernard Herrmann – Vertigo
Enjoy! If you think that one of your favorite film-score composers is missing please share in the comments below.
You are invited ...
... on a slow journey through the EarMonk universe
No Joe Hisaishi? Seriously?
As usual of the lists I read, no Joe Hisaishi. You guys should listen to his compositions. Then you will understand why he is one of the best, if not the best, film score composer of all time.
Er, Carter Burwell?
Georges Delerue? One of my favorites.
Danny Elfman didnt compose mission impossible. Lalo Schifrin did! which comes to the next question…why isn’t he on this list (dirty harry, bullet)
No Franz Waxman? Watch any old black and white classic and you will Franz Waxman followed by Max Steiner in the sheer numbers of amazing scores.
MY BAD! I reread the list and saw Franz Waxman at number 8. My apologies!
I just watched and then listened to Interstellar. The soundtrack is mesmerizing and enhances the movie tremendously. Incredible use of the organ. Thanks Hans Zimmer.
Nice reference list! I like the chronological ordering of the composers.
As a long-time fan of cinema and music, to my way of thinking, the most notable omissions include Georges Auric (1899-1983, maybe the greatest of all French film composers, esp. famous for “Beauty and the Beast”), William Walton (1902-1983, the great British composer who wrote fantastic scores for Olivier’s Shakespeare films and more), and Alex North (1910-1991, one of the top American film composers, who wrote the first notable jazz-influenced score, for “A Streetcar Named Desire,” as well as the scores for “Spartacus,” etc.).
Oh, and then there are the top two Japanese film composers, Fumio Hayasaka (1914-1955, famous for “Rashomon,” “Seven Samurai” and many more) and the great Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996, who composed a huge number of scores, including for “Ran” and “Black Rain”).
I could add Virgil Thomson (1896-1989, who composed important scores for the documentaries “The River,” “The Plow That Broke the Plains,” and “Louisiana Story”) as well as Brian Easdale (1909-1995, British film composer best known for “The Red Shoes”), the prolific David Raskin (1912-2004, best known for his famous score for “Laura”), and Kenyon Hopkins (1912-1983, perhaps most notably for his jazzy score for “The Hustler”). Another important and foundational figure is Dimitri Tiomkin (1894-1979, notable for “High Noon” and many other Westerns, etc.).
Anyway, I think some of those classic older guys deserve a spot ahead of some of the more recent and less time-tested ones. But I’m really glad to see so many of the true greats here, and your first 21 seem to me especially solid.
It’s funny that there are four guys named “Newman” on your list! Cheers.
Hey Allan,
Thank you for your input! I’ll check out the composer you mentioned that I don’t know.
Sure thing, Darlo. Hope you find some more music to treasure there … just as I hope to from your list.
One typo in my earlier post: should be “Raksin,” not “Raskin”! Terrific composer.
Another all-time great is Miklos Rozsa (1907-1995), who composed magnificent scores for “Quo Vadis,” “Julius Caesar,” “Ben-Hur,” etc.
One other classic Hollywood composer who probably deserves at least a mention is Hugo Friedhofer (1901-1981), probably best-known for “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946). There’s a classic book by Roy Prendergast titled “Film Music: A Neglected Art” that has a fair bit to say about the music of Friedhofer, Raksin, Rozsa, and others. It’s somewhat technical, though, with a very selective focus.
A more recent score that really impressed me was Jonny Greenwood’s for “There Will Be Blood” (2007).
Finally, I’d like to give a quick shout-out to some scores by jazz greats: “Elevator to the Gallows” by Miles Davis (1958, one of my all-time faves), “Odds Against Tomorrow” by John Lewis (1959), and “Anatomy of a Murder” by Duke Ellington (1959). The late 50s/early 60s was a golden age of jazz scores.