Koray Savas 2,251 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 This topic has probably already been created, but since I'm still fairly new to the discussion board I'm starting it. What do you think are the best scores ever composed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Barnsbury 8 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 I'd say that the best non-Williams score that I know of is Edward Scissorhands.Ray Barnsbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 I agree. Overall some of the best scores, in my opinion, are:Schindler's ListBack To The FutureEdward ScissorhandsThe VillageSuperman: The Movie... and so on so forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWfangirl1992 18 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 A New Hope, no matter how many times I listen to it I still get goosebumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 John Williams:E.T.JawsHook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 LotR trilogy.And I'm not saying this because of that foolish Tracksounds poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joni Wiljami 1,206 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Close Encounters of the Third Kind ------ ------ Empire Strikes Back ------ the others Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus 390 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 This is of course impossible to answer, it depends on what one desires from a film score.I do think that "Close Encounters" would somehow be a strong candidate in my universe, though. As would of course "Jaws".Both are some of the greatest examples of what a score can do to enhance a film, and bring it to a whole other level of denouement and beauty.(I certainly find "Close Encounters" one of Williams' most beautiful creations).I think Goldsmith's "Patton" is a marvellous and incredibly intelligent score.And obviously "E.T.", "Star Wars", "ESB", etc. Not to forget some of Rosza's finer work, and that of Herrmann ("Psycho" is another example of a truly great score. Not at all the best music Herrmann wrote, but one of the most impactful and essential film scores ever penned.)(I personally don't think Shore or Elfman quite belong to the same league, and have always found the score to be one of the least satisfying elements in the LotR films.)Another really great score, is Corigliano's "Altered States" (which Hornist should know well ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Sorcerer's StonePoAOotPJurassic ParkSupermanLast CrusadeNightmare before Christmas the list goes on and on and on...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datameister 2,044 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It's a tie between ANH and ESB for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It's a tie between ANH and ESB for me.ESB is better than ANH by a longshot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bondo 33 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 BatmanIndiana Jones & the Temple of DoomCutthroat Island Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It's a tie between ANH and ESB for me.ESB is better than Star Wars by a longshot.wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It's a tie between ANH and ESB for me.ESB is better than Star Wars by a longshot.wrongANH has some great music (The Throne Room, Cantina Band, Main Title), but no really FANTASTIC material. ESB has Han Solo and the Princess, The Asteroid Field, Yoda's Theme, Imperial March, Clash of Lightsabers, The Carbon Freeze, Cloud City's Theme, and Rebel Fleet. I'm sorry, but when compared, it's clear who the winner is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 NeilIn the non-Williams category, I wholeheartedly agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Holdo 16 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Mission: Impossible II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 The Empire Strikes Back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Hoyt 13 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Star Wars is the Greatest. Score. Ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,695 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It's a tie between ANH and ESB for me.ESB is better than Star Wars by a longshot.wrongIt's a great joy to see well thought out, constructive opinions such as yours Joe, thank you I second LotR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Besides JW, I would say Vertigo, Adventures of Robin Hood, Conan the Barbarian, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, Ran, among others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 NeilIn the non-Williams category, I wholeheartedly agree.Was that part of the criteria?Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 At least it's amore decent choice than LotR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Danny Elfman:Batman ReturnsEdward ScissorhandsBatman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUMENKOHL 1,068 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Neil has good taste in the best score every composed.Extremely good taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Lewis 6 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 ANH has some great music (The Throne Room, Cantina Band, Main Title), but no really FANTASTIC material. ESB has Han Solo and the Princess, The Asteroid Field, Yoda's Theme, Imperial March, Clash of Lightsabers, The Carbon Freeze, Cloud City's Theme, and Rebel Fleet. I'm sorry, but when compared, it's clear who the winner is.Good heavens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Neil has good taste...That's what I've been trying to tell everyone for years!Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scissorhands 16 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Difficult answer. You should listen to all the good scores first. And you never finish hearing good ones! I was watching this japanese movie "The Deep Desire of God" (1968) by landmark composer Toshiro Mayuzumi, and man has it a big musical complexity. So I'm finding out new works all the time.Back to the topic, among the ones I've listened to, I'd probably pick "Saving Private Ryan"."Poltergeist", "Altered States", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Lord of the Rings" (Rosenman), "Spartacus", "The Mission" could be some of the runners-up.Neil has good taste...That's what I've been trying to tell everyone for years!Only in what the first possition concerns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 El Cid is somewhere up there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It's a clear sign of superior intelligence on this board that nobody mentioned Pirates Of The Caribbean yet.Don't take that lightly, I know alot of places and people who would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Boelen 740 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 At one point in time I might have mentioned PotC in such a context, but my opinion on that score has been put firmly into perspective by Cutthroat Island. Cutthroat Island IS one of the best scores ever composed. Pirates of the Caribbean, as enjoyable as it might be, is merely that and has no level of excellence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmw331 2 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 These are just a few that come to mind:Goldsmith:-Patton, ST:TMP, Poltergeist.....Williams:-ET, Jurassic Park, SW: ANH, ESB, Indy & LC, Raiders, Hook, Jaws....Herrmann:-Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo......Morricone:-The Mission, The Good, Bad, and the Ugly......Elfman:-Edward Scissorhands........& tons more!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scissorhands 16 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I think Hook is far from being the best score ever composed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmw331 2 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I think Hook is far from being the best score ever composed.It is one of the best, not THE best.It sure is better than most of the stuff that's not composed by Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 do we again talk about soundtracks as they function in the movies, or as stand alone albums?? And do we talk about entire scores, so the mean quality of them, or does a single brilliant track also counts??Anyway, the albums I like most as a whole:1) John Williams: Jurassic Park2) John Williams: Hook3) John Williams: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone4) John Williams: Sabrina5) John Williams: Schindler's List6) David Arnold: Independence Day7) Marc Shaiman: The American President8) Brian Tyler: Timeline9) John Williams: Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade10)Edward Shearmur: The Count of Monte Cristo11)Michael Convertino: The Santa Claus12)John Williams: Raiders of the Lost Ark13)Hans Zimmer: Batman Begins14)John Williams: The Empire Strikes Back15)Miklos Rozsa: Ben Hur16)John Williams: The Patriot17)Jerry Goldsmith: The Mummy18)John Williams: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace19)John Debney: Cutthroat Island20)John Williams: Memoirs of a Geisha21)Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon22)Erich Wolfgang Korngold: The Sea Hawk23)John Williams: A.I.24)John Williams: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets25)James Newton Howard: Dinosaur26)Alan Silvestri: The Mummy Returns27)John Debney: Cutthroat Island28)John Williams: War of the Worlds29)Jerry Goldsmith: Supergirl30)Bernard Herrmann: Psycho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datameister 2,044 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 ESB is better than ANH by a longshot.While I'm listening to ESB, I'm likely to say the same thing. But I'm also very likely to say the reverse when listening to ANH--they're both that good. You mentioned the Throne Room and Cantina Band and the Main Title...and while those are all "iconic" cues, they're by no means the best ANH has to offer. A lot of ANH's strength lies in its clever, interesting underscore and in its ballsy, blatantly swashbuckling action music, particularly in the Death Star scenes. ANH also features two of the greatest leitmotifs of our times--the Force theme and Princess Leia's theme. I'm fully aware that these were used in the other films, too, but they were written for ANH.You're right that ESB has a lot of fantastic material. The Battle of Hoth contains some of JW's very best action music--varied, exciting, completely and specifically appropriate to the scenes it accompanies. The Imperial March is still very effective despite its pop culture pervasiveness. The development and use of Han and Leia's theme are utterly beautiful. The end credits improve upon ANH's and incorporate new material in ways more intelligent and fun than I've ever heard since. So I'm tempted to say that ESB is indeed superior, though I'd never use the phrase "by a long shot." But if you listen to ANH thoroughly, I think you'll find that a lot of its less iconic moments are sheer brilliance. It's a somewhat less "modern" feel, but it's still very effective. To each his own, but I'd definitely recommend giving ANH a few more listens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neimoidian 14 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Too difficult to choose for me, besides there are many different, but equally brilliant compositions that work terrific in the context, so picking up one would be unfair. However, if I were forced to do this, I'd pick "The Empire Strickes Back", my favourite score of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmo Lewis 6 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 NeilNeil is right.... It's almost starting to become a redundancy in terms, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,695 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 And you've got three guys (well one technically) to reckon with if you don't agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Barnsbury 8 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Okay, I just had to do it:Ray Barnsbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,695 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Umm..what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Barnsbury 8 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 ...best score ever composed.Ray Barnsbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_vader 534 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 If its Williams were talkin about, id have to go with The Empire Strikes Back, its just incredible! A New Hope is fantastic, but Empire Surpasses it on so many level. If its non Williams it would have to be Shore's Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (if i have to pick a certain film it would have to be Return Of The King, I love the Mordor Music, it gives me the chills!)If its not Shore or Williams then James Newton Howard's King Kong, brilliant score for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,211 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 There's a SERIOUS lack of Goldsmith in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob 0 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 A few standout favorites:Indiana Jones and the Temples of DoomFirst KnightWillowConan the BarbarianBen-Hur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 James Horner (from what I've heard):BraveheartGloryWillow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,211 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 Best Horner score is still Sneakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 Best 25 (worst to best):25. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Danny Elfman24. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - John Williams23. Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams22. HP and the Chamber of Secrets - John Williams21. The Terminal - John Williams20. Corpse Bride - Danny Elfman19. The Da Vinci Code - Hans Zimmer 18. Mousehunt - Alan Silvestri17. POTC: At World's End - Hans Zimmer16. Home Alone - John Williams15. HP and the Sorcerer's Stone - John Williams14. HP and the Order of the Phoenix - Nicholas Hooper13. Catch Me If You Can - John Williams12. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - John Williams 11. E.T. - John Williams10. Lion King - Hans Zimmer9. Jaws 2 - John Williams8. Edward Scissorhands - Danny Elfman7. Nightmare Before Christmas - Danny Elfman6. 1941 - John Williams5. LOTR: Return of the King - Howard Shore4. Jurassic Park - John Williams3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - John Williams2. Superman: The Movie - John Williams1. HP and the Prisoner of Azkban - John Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 6. 1941 - John WilliamsInteresting choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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