BLUMENKOHL 1,068 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Almost anyone you ask will have these three somewhere in their top 5. While most other composers drop in and out of different lists, these three are virtually always present. They are for all intents and purposes the trio of modern film music, and down the road it is not doubtful to see them be representation of the last 25-30 years of film music. So now the question, which combines objectivity with subjectivity, would you agree that Williams, Goldsmith, and Horner, are the top three most influential, timeless, and innovative composers from 1980 to 2000 ±5 years? Why? Why not? Any other three? If you cut them down into shallow people, these three meet the three staple archetypes of any industry...1. The one who sticks to the traditional ideas, and betters them for the modern day2. The one who experiments and innovates3. The one who takes elements of both and popularizes them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 For me it's a Top 2 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUMENKOHL 1,068 Posted December 31, 2007 Author Share Posted December 31, 2007 Indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Skywalker 1,792 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I think Horner lost his touch to be part of that 'trio'Now restricting the timeline in the 80s...that could work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,670 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 You'll only find Williams in my 'top 5'.I barely listen to Goldsmith these days - I think he's overrated. I like some of Horner's work, but his constant self plagiarism bugs me sometimes and he really hasn't been remotely active in the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 294 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Elfman is more original and influential than Horner and he's in the top of many peoples picks. He'd be a better choice for the trio than Horner, discussion wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock 11 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I think Elfman does not have as much great and innovative work as people make out. His best is as good as people say. But there isn't a great wealth of it. I've liked elements of most of his scores that I've heard, but I haven't heard a score that was uniformly impressive in a while. I guess I would agree on the trio...although Horner is several notches below the other two. He is the most consistantly frustrating of all film composers, something that has been consistantly true of him over his entire career (I personally don't think the quality of his work dropped after the 80's, he's been consistantly good, and consistantly bad). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 294 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I agree with you that he hasn't had a great score in a long time. But Elfman has been far more influential and original, if not lately. Composers have copied his sound. Who copies the Horner sound? Is there a Horner sound? Who, besides Horner himself, is influenced by the mans work? That's why I don't think he belongs anywhere near JW & JG. Elfman, at least in terms of popularity and the originality factor, is a better choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hlao-roo 389 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 For good or for ill, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, and Thomas Newman are three of the most influential composers working today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 1,059 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Horner was good until 92 or 93.Goldsmith and Williams will always be in my top 2.Sadly I would take out Horner and replace him with Zimmer and his effect is what's wrong with with film music today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock 11 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Zimmer and Newman I'd agree with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,260 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I would say that Elfman is in fact very influential. People outside of the film music medium know him by name.Funny enought, one of his themes can pass untoticed, but if you play The Imperial March, people will imediatelly recognized it as Star Wars music, even if they don't know the composers name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckM 1 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Most definately need to add Elfman. Probably Zimmer as well. No, Zimmer's music may not be as good as the other four, but I'd say he's been just as influential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melange 446 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I barely listen to Goldsmith these days - I think he's overrated.Come again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Yes unfortunately you have to put Zimmer #1 right now as far as influence goes.I agree with Williams and Goldsmith being a good ways above the rest. And that's not really a knock against the others, there's a lot of quality composers out there, but a testament to how good those two are/were. Both once in multiple generations talents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,670 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I barely listen to Goldsmith these days - I think he's overrated.Come again? Ok, the overrated comment was a spur of the moment thing, but his music just hasn't been 'doing' it for me recently. I think I'm just preferring other composers.I'd agree that Zimmer is one of the most influential, and in terms of innovation, you'd be good to beat Tom Newman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 He may not be the most influential, but James Newton Howard is one of the best film composers working today. For me, he's better than James Horner (who is also a top favorite). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent B 337 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I barely listen to Goldsmith these days - I think he's overrated.Ok, the overrated comment was a spur of the moment thing, but his music just hasn't been 'doing' it for me recently. I think I'm just preferring other composers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 JW is number 1 all the time for me.The other two would MAYBE be in my top 10, but certainly not top 5 (noting that I only have 3 JH and 4 JG).My favorite composers are like this: 1. John Williams[GAP]2. Danny Elfman3. Hans Zimmer4. James Newton HowardThose are really the top composers in my life (for now, at least). As for most influential, Elfman has really influenced his sound for a lot of composers (I even heard a bit of Elfman in GoF). Zimmer also, when you consider MV scores and how many composers are using his electronics and stuff (Gregson-Williams, Badelt, Powell.....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 For me it's a Top 2 now.You're right, Horner dropped out ten years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,670 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 He may not be the most influential, but James Newton Howard is one of the best film composers working today. For me, he's better than James Horner (who is also a top favorite).I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrygollay 0 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Yes unfortunately you have to put Zimmer #1 right now as far as influence goes.How can Hal Zimmer be influencial, as he don't compose the music he is suppose to write ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Akira Ifukube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maglorfin 196 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 For me it's a Top 2 now.You're right, Horner dropped out ten years ago.Quite true. However, it should be acknowledged and admitted that in spite of all his self-plagiarism and all that countless times discussed stuff, he did do some great work in his time (with Aliens being my personal all-time favourite).Were it up to me, I'd set the "Holy Trinity" as Williams, Goldsmith, Morricone. (But such "selections" are always subject to change, so it could be e. g. Williams, Elfman, Shore, Barry a month from now. But Williams will of course always be the No. 1 for me. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgaFlippinMan 7 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 For me it's a Top 2 now.You're right, Horner dropped out ten years ago.Quite true. However, it should be acknowledged and admitted that in spite of all his self-plagiarism and all that countless times discussed stuff, he did do some great work in his time (with Aliens being my personal all-time favourite).Were it up to me, I'd set the "Holy Trinity" as Williams, Goldsmith, Morricone. (But such "selections" are always subject to change, so it could be e. g. Williams, Elfman, Shore, Barry a month from now. But Williams will of course always be the No. 1 for me. )how did it take this long for Morricone to be mentioned? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maglorfin 196 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 how did it take this long for Morricone to be mentioned?I only managed to read this thread today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Boelen 740 Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 1. John Williams2. Jerry Goldsmith3. Basil Poledouris4. Alan Silvestri5. James Newton Howard6. John Debney7. David Arnold8. James Horner9. Harry Gregson-WilliamsNo Horner in the top 3 for me. Definitly not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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