Best Early-in-their-career score by a film composer

[David Coscina 3]

So there are a lot of choices here and I want to clarify that these are not DEBUT scores but notable scores early in these film composers' careers. I tried to draw the line at guys who, today, are still under 60 years of age as I believe that generation is comprised of a lot of heavyweights and it would not be fair to compare the younger guys (different tools, different Hollywood system bla bla).

So I almost could not decide between Horner and Goldenthal but I would choose Horner in the end because he was 29 years old and so promising.

What do you guys think?

[indy4 152]

Horner. To this day, he has yet to top himself for his work on STar Trek II (though he wrote a score on par with WoK with Titanic).

[Wojo 2,442]

Interesting poll and choices. I'm surprised to see Mr. Williams isn't on the list, and yet, he's a gimme in a place like this.

This will take some thought.

[David Coscina 3]

Horner. To this day, he has yet to top himself for his work on STar Trek II (though he wrote a score on par with WoK with Titanic).

From a dramatic standpoint yes, from a balls-to-the-walls lush orchestral standpoint, I would respectfully disagree. I think Rocketeer is on par with ST:WoK and a few other scores. Horner entered a new stage of composing in the mid-'90s. Something a little more stripped down and more electronic. That's not to say I don't love listening to Braveheart and he certainly could rock out (metaphorically) on things like Enemy at the Gates and things like that.

Goldenthal was also so promising and I cannot wait to hear Public Enemies this summer. He's due for a great score.

[Romão 1,931]

Alien3

Second choice would be Batman

[Hlao-roo 388]

Interesting poll and choices. I'm surprised to see Mr. Williams isn't on the list, and yet, he's a gimme in a place like this.

I don't believe Williams is under 60.

[Wojo 2,442]

Oy. I can't read.

[indy4 152]

Horner. To this day, he has yet to top himself for his work on STar Trek II (though he wrote a score on par with WoK with Titanic).

From a dramatic standpoint yes, from a balls-to-the-walls lush orchestral standpoint, I would respectfully disagree. I think Rocketeer is on par with ST:WoK and a few other scores. Horner entered a new stage of composing in the mid-'90s. Something a little more stripped down and more electronic. That's not to say I don't love listening to Braveheart and he certainly could rock out (metaphorically) on things like Enemy at the Gates and things like that.

Goldenthal was also so promising and I cannot wait to hear Public Enemies this summer. He's due for a great score.

I should probably mention that the only Horner scores I own are WoK, Titanic, Apollo 13, Field of Dreams, Casper, and Bicentennial Man--he may have very well topped WoK, and I just haven't heard it.

[Hlao-roo 388]

I feel like Mark Isham should be on this list, but, then, I don't think he wrote any "notable" scores early in his career (or even in his entire career, some might say).

[John Crichton 4]

A tough choice between Star Trek II and BttF, but I've gotta give it to Trek. Henry V deserves an honorable mention, a very good score that.

[Wojo 2,442]

I'd put WoK in the same bucket as An American Tail, Willow, The Land Before Time, and Krull -- all are outstanding early Horner. For as big a fan I am of those, I don't know why I'm not that excited for SWTWC. Even my HISTK hasn't gotten a complete listen yet.

[Diego 21]

I should probably mention that the only Horner scores I own are WoK, Titanic, Apollo 13, Field of Dreams, Casper, and Bicentennial Man--he may have very well topped WoK, and I just haven't heard it.

I haven't heard WoK, but you should check Krull, Willow, Land before Time and Rocketeer.

[ChuckM 1]

Back to the Future by a mile.

Star Trek II is the only one on there that even comes close.

[Hlao-roo 388]

Silvestri's knockout score is definitely my favorite on the list, by far, but I'm fond of the Horner, the Eidelman, the Zimmer, the Newman, the Elfman, and the Doyle, too.

[Datameister 1,394]

Of the ones I've heard on this list, Back to the Future is my favorite "breakout" score. TWOK was tempting, though.

[Wojo 2,442]

Nobody's giving "Stargate" any lovins so I did. I really don't think Arnold topped it.

Besides, Star Trek II and Back to the Future are the runaways anyways.

[Ollie 859]

These are the ones I enjoy from the list.

James Horner: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Elliot Goldenthal: Alien 3

David Arnold: Stargate

Michael Giacchino: The Incredibles

Cliff Eidelman: Star Trek VI

Alan Silvestri: Back to the Future

Danny Elfman: Batman

Patrick Doyle: Henry V

If I had to choose it would probably be Horner. Stargate is great and so is Eidelman's ST: VI.

[Trent B 317]

Damn...nice list and very tough to decide, I'll have to think about this one for a while.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

Doyle, Goldenthal, Horner, Eidelman and David Arnold all did marvelous jobs.

[Trent B 317]

This was a real hard one for me...but after much debate.

"You built a time machine....out of a Delorean!?"

[Jacob 0]

Khaaan!

[David Coscina 3]

yeah, this is a tough list. Myself, I also love the Goldenthal, Arnold, and even Powell. I wanted to use the best of their earliest output because it just shows these guys are all very talented guys. Horner was truly awesome when he first broke onto the scene though.

[John Crichton 4]

Horner was truly awesome when he first broke onto the scene though.

He was still trying then.

[David Coscina 3]

Horner was truly awesome when he first broke onto the scene though.

He was still trying then.

Well, yes and no. He was new but he was already relying on some classical licks. The more i think about this and how his career has gone, I'm torn. On one level, I abhor his sometimes lack of originality. But the plain fact is, I can cite classical references in Goldsmith, Williams, Kamen, Goldenthal, anyone who studied formally. I do think Horner is an AWESOME dramatist and really knows how to apply music, even existing music, to a scene.

I respect his talent for film scoring and his technique (amazing orchestral knowledge) but as often stated, I don't care for his overt borrowings (more from himself than classical composers).

[Koray Savas 2,095]

One of the following? You're kidding? I'm not gonna vote cause there are too many good scores on that list.

[John Crichton 4]

I respect his talent for film scoring and his technique (amazing orchestral knowledge) but as often stated, I don't care for his overt borrowings (more from himself than classical composers).

Indeed. I've never questioned the man's talent, just his work ethic.

[Williamsfan301 11]

Too many choices. Can I vote for more than one?

[Koray Savas 2,095]

No you can't. The poll does have too many options, especially when the things to vote for have very little in common.

[Wycket 36]

I wanted so hard to pick Batman or Stargate, but no one can resist a shiny Delorean.

[Williamsfan301 11]

I know I may get yelled at for this one, but Hans Zimmer's Driving Miss Daisy score was a good early in the career score. In fact, in some ways, he has yet to up himself on it.

[Hlao-roo 388]

I know I may get yelled at for this one, but Hans Zimmer's Driving Miss Daisy score was a good early in the career score.

I agree, it's a good score.

[David Coscina 3]

The things each of these scores has in common is that they were early efforts that distinguished their respective composers as major league film scorers. I did not make this poll easy granted but c'mon, it's not a university final exam. I just wanted to see who had the most distinguished and noteworthy score of their early career. I think it's kind of a shoe-in for Horner in this regard. He, like no one else, stormed onto the scene with a thoroughly confident effort.

To me, Silvestri's Back to the Future sounds a little awkward and somewhere he actually states that Romancing the Stone was his FIRST orchestral score. As he matured, I really liked the sound he got from a live group but his early outings always sounded wanting to my ears. IMO.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

Well if you're looking for most distinguished or noteworthy, then scores like Frailty and Dead Calm don't even stand a chance.

[Hlao-roo 388]

Well if you're looking for most distinguished or noteworthy, then scores like Frailty and Dead Calm don't even stand a chance.

Yeah, next to the competition they're frail and dead.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

[David Coscina 3]

Well if you're looking for most distinguished or noteworthy, then scores like Frailty and Dead Calm don't even stand a chance.

I said noteworthy in RELATION TO THEIR OWN OUTPUT early in their careers.

I could have gone with Tyler's Children of the Dune I suppose but I do not know what early Revell I would have substituted.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

Still, noteworthy means something big. Something people remembered. People will remember a score if they highly associate it with a film. Composers like Brian Tyler, Graeme Revell, Edward Shearmur, Cliff Eidelman and Gustavo Santaolalla are not even noteworthy in general IMO.

[Hlao-roo 388]

Still, noteworthy means something big. Something people remembered. People will remember a score if they highly associate it with a film. Composers like Brian Tyler, Graeme Revell, Edward Shearmur, Cliff Eidelman and Gustavo Santaolalla are not even noteworthy in general IMO.

Well, it depends on what criteria we're using to define "noteworthy." The Academy has certainly found Santaolalla noteworthy, and he received a fair amount of media attention with regard to music for Brokeback Mountain and Babel. It's tempting to see Santaolalla as merely flash in the pan, but unfortunately his approach to film scoring typifies what's in demand for serious dramas these days.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

Babel wasn't very popular. Hell Gustavo only has like 5 scores, he's STILL early in his career.

This is a poll, which means that we have to compare each option to each other, but we're being asked to compare all those individual scores to the composers output. So are we voting on the scores quality in respect to each other or their respect to everything else each composer has done?

[John Crichton 4]

I just picked my favorite scores from the bunch. Why think about it so hard?

[Koray Savas 2,095]

But that's not what's being asked.

[Hlao-roo 388]

Babel wasn't very popular. Hell Gustavo only has like 5 scores, he's STILL early in his career.

This is a poll, which means that we have to compare each option to each other, but we're being asked to compare all those individual scores to the composers output. So are we voting on the scores quality in respect to each other or their respect to everything else each composer has done?

It seems clear that Fiery Angel considered these scores in the context of their respective composers' careers when he was selecting choices for the poll, but it appears he's asking us only to vote for the best score here.

But, as John said, I don't think we need to think about this too hard.

[David Coscina 3]

Holy crap some of you guys are waaaaaay too intense.

[Hlao-roo 388]

Holy crap some of you guys are waaaaaay too intense.

No, we're not! You stupid asshole! It's YOUR poll! You're the one who asked us to vote on this idiotic issue! I hate you! I hate you!

[John Crichton 4]

[Koray Savas 2,095]

[Neimoidian 13]

I picked Horner's Wrath of Kahn, but it was a tough choice, there are simply too many scores that are among my favourite ones (Alien 3, Rain Man, Batman, BTTF, Stargate, Henry V). I am still not familiar enough with The Incredibles, but I am not that sure whether it was as groundbreaking for Giacchino as his MoH.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

It's between TWOK, STVI, A3 and BTTF. I think ALIEN 3 is the best, but to be different, I'll go with the honest choice of Eidelman.

[David Coscina 3]

Holy crap some of you guys are waaaaaay too intense.

No, we're not! You stupid asshole! It's YOUR poll! You're the one who asked us to vote on this idiotic issue! I hate you! I hate you!

[Hlao-roo 388]

Holy crap some of you guys are waaaaaay too intense.

No, we're not! You stupid asshole! It's YOUR poll! You're the one who asked us to vote on this idiotic issue! I hate you! I hate you!