Who is your favorite composer for animated movies?

[Edmilson 8,539]

Many cartoon movies for kids feature some pretty excellent, sophisticated, well written and well performed scores. Thanks to the work of some amazing talented composers, some music for animations feature amongst the best ever written for film. They bring joy for kids and adults alike. 

 

So, with that in mind, who was the composer that wrote your favorite animated scores? Is it Alan Menken and his Disney songs? Randy Newman and his trademark Pixar sound? James Horner and his classical scores for Don Bluth movies? Zimmer and The Lion King? Joe Hisaishi and his memorable scores for Studio Ghibli? Or maybe the current king of cartoons himself - John Powell? Vote now on your favorites!

[SteveMc 2,675]

Horner, no contest.

He was at his best when writing for animation.

 

Goldsmith should have done it more often, though high profile, high quality animated productions are not all that common.  

[Sunshine Reger 3,575]

The Lion King is the best film score for an animated film ever written. It literally changed, and still changes (young) people's lives, and I do not mean your typical-sized Youtube comment section. I mean millions. It is one of the few animated film scores written with a true soul. Zimmer said at the time that the story of TLK reminded him of when he also lost his father as a child.

 

Since Zimmer also has Kung Fu Panda and El Dorado to his name (Powell helped) and also Spirit, I would pick Zimmer for number one.

 

Next would come James Newton Howard for his "biblical epic" Dinosaur, and the very competent Atlantis and Treasure Planet.

Then Menken, for his Broadwayesque scores. He won too many Oscars for those, but something was clearly due.

Then Hisaishi, but his music, however great as a standalone listen, just does not speak to me in the films the way that of others I mention here does.

 

Honorable mention to Bruns' Jungle Book, a quite interesting Big Band score from a time when such things were in a full retreat. But Bruns had the help of the Shermans, so the credit is diluted.

 

[publicist 4,647]

Horner, no contest. Though Goldsmith/NIMH will remain my favourite.

[Pieter Boelen 744]

2 minutes ago, publicist said:

Horner, no contest. Though Goldsmith/NIMH will remain my favourite.

Plus Mulan.

 

4 minutes ago, Fabulin said:

After that I James Newton Howard for his "biblical epic" Dinosaur, and the very competent Atlantis and Treasure Planet.

Hear, hear!

 

Curious though what's 'biblical' about Dinosaur.

[Sunshine Reger 3,575]

On 5/2/2020 at 11:25 AM, Pieter Boelen said:

Hear, hear!

Curious though what's 'biblical' about Dinosaur.

I can't bother to find the documentary of behind the scenes, but at first even character names were lifted from the Bible, as if they were a family of Mormons. The main character was named "Noah".

 

It's a very primal story; a post-apocalyptic film, full of imagery of the sun, green pastures, marching through the desert, themes of hope, and generosity towards the old and the weak contrasted with (well written) social Darwinism.

 

The protagonist is something of a Christian shepherd archetype (even reluctant as it often happens, a bit like Aragorn), who gets the literal herd of sheeplike dinosaurs to a paradise. And before that finds water in the middle of the desert, which is also quite biblical.

 

The score is an epic one, for its context not unlike the biblical scores of the 1960s.

[Pieter Boelen 744]

Wow! I do like the movie, but never made that connection.

Thanks for explaining it so well.

[publicist 4,647]

Sounds like a typical trope of american movies of the time. Heavy religious allegories (christian, of course!) are dime-a-dozen. And really, do people now really find depth in this kind of stuff? Pffft...

[Sunshine Reger 3,575]

Not to that extent.

[publicist 4,647]

I rather stick it up yours.

[Unlucky Bastard 8,493]

Still happens. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is loaded with Christian allegorical imagery – Ghidorah as Satan, Godzilla's martyr "death" and resurrection, his walking on water, Rodan as Judas, power of faith, belief and self-sacrifice, and other shit Dougherty supposedly lifted from Revelations. Odd considering how heavily it was geared toward Chinese audiences.

[Omen II 1,249]

Although he did not compose the music for many animated films, Victor Young deserves a mention for his wonderful early score for Gulliver's Travels (1939).

 

 

[Bespin 8,656]

John Williams (The Adventures of Tintin, The BFG, Stalling Around from JP)

[Naïve Old Fart 10,238]

A damn good choice, @Omen II.

[Pieter Boelen 744]

21 minutes ago, Bespin said:

John Williams - The BFG!

Adventures of Tintin.

[Bespin 8,656]

Just now, Pieter Boelen said:

Adventures of Tintin.

 

FIXED!

[Glóin the Dark 1,274]

Malcolm Williamson and Angela Morley - Watership Down

Leonard Rosenman - The Lord of the Rings

[Naïve Old Fart 10,238]

George Martin - YELLOW SUBMARINE

[SteveMc 2,675]

5 hours ago, publicist said:

And really, do people now really find depth in this kind of stuff?

You are flippantly dismissing what has been the motivation or inspiration for a lot of the Western artistic canon.

[Edmilson 8,539]

5 hours ago, Fabulin said:

I can't bother to find the documentary of behind the scenes, but at first even character names were lifted from the Bible, as if they were a family of Mormons.

 

It's a very primal story; a post-apocalyptic film, full of imagery of the sun, green pastures, marching through the desert, themes of hope, and generosity towards the old and the weak contrasted with (well written) social Darwinism.

 

The protagonist is something of a Christian shepherd archetype (even reluctant like it often happens, a bit like Aragorn), who gets the literal herd of sheeplike dinosaurs to a paradise. And before that finds water in the middle of the desert, which is also quite biblical.

 

The score is an epic one, for its context not unlike the biblical scores of the 1960s.

 

I remember writing a shot-by-shot comprehensive analysis of this film a couple years ago, but I don't know where it is now. One of the most underrated ones, especially if watched with an interpretation key.

 

That's pretty cool! I always liked that movie and its score ever since I watched it as a kid on theaters. One of Disney's most underrated.

[publicist 4,647]

1 hour ago, SteveMc said:

You are flippantly dismissing what has been the motivation or inspiration for a lot of the Western artistic canon.

 

Yeah, now go and watch 'Dinosaur' again to feel the divine inspiration.

[SteveMc 2,675]

24 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

Yeah, now go and watch 'Dinosaur' again to feel the divine inspiration.

Nah, I've got Frozen, I'm good. 

[Unlucky Bastard 8,493]

All Disney ever makes is cartoons for little girls!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,362]

19 minutes ago, Þekþiþm said:

All Disney ever makes is cartoons for little girls!

And moms who review every movie as “I thought it was cute!”.

 

No amount of cynicism can bring me to hate Donald, Goofy, the Reluctant Dragon, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland and Little Mermaid though. 

[Brundlefly 2,392]

9 hours ago, publicist said:

Horner, no contest. Though Goldsmith/NIMH will remain my favourite.

I am really not a fan of James Horner in general, his scores for animated movies, however, can be very admirable.

[1977 1,745]

I chose Horner, but also want to shout out for Goldsmith's NIMH and Mulan, and Bernstein's Heavy Metal and Black Cauldron.

 

From the obscure side, I wish Ken Melville and Dawn Atkinson's score for Twice Upon a Time would get released someday.

[Bayesian 1,422]

So little love for Menken here! I voted for him. His songs and scores during the Disney Renaissance are the high water mark for me in animated feature films.

[Thor 8,114]

27 minutes ago, Bayesian said:

So little love for Menken here! I voted for him. His songs and scores during the Disney Renaissance are the high water mark for me in animated feature films.

 

I voted for him too. For as great as the animation works of the other guys are, Menken is in a class of his own here, I feel.

[Edmilson 8,539]

I absolutely love Menken's Pocahontas. For me, it's his best Disney score: it has great themes, great songs and a marvelous epic score. 

 

Also, this cue here is one of my favorites of all time. The Colors of the Wind performance for full choir is very powerful and emotional!

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,254]

Powell

[Naïve Old Fart 10,238]

Wendy Carlos - TRON

Daft Punk - TRON LEGACY

[mstrox 6,818]

I like Powell, but his only animated score I love is Chicken Run.  Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I’m going Menken. Hunchback, Hercules, and Pocahontas are standouts.  Guess it’s not nostalgia, because I didn’t care for those movies (or didn’t see those movies) when I was a kid.

[Loert 2,615]

John Powell. His score to How To Train Your Dragon is my favourite for an animation film, and my second-favourite score of all time.

 

But I also have a special fondness for Scott Bradley and his work on Tom & Jerry (among others).

[Koray Savas 2,254]

13 minutes ago, mstrox said:

I like Powell, but his only animated score I love is Chicken Run.  Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I’m going Menken. Hunchback, Hercules, and Pocahontas are standouts.  Guess it’s not nostalgia, because I didn’t care for those movies (or didn’t see those movies) when I was a kid.

I can’t imagine liking Chicken Run but not Antz or The Road To El Dorado. 

 

[Holko 10,020]

For me it's a tossup between Powell for HTTYD 1-2 (still not connecting with the third one too well, couldn't get through CHicken run, never heard the rest) and Hisaishi for... Mononoke, Spirited Away, Nausicaa, Laputa, in that order.

Haven't heard or seen most of the listed stuff actually.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,238]

I love the Rambo-esque quote, in ANTZ, when Stallone's character gets beaten up.

[Jurassic Shark 12,818]

On 5/2/2020 at 5:27 AM, SteveMc said:

Goldsmith should have done it more often, though high profile, high quality animated productions are not all that common.  

 

Well, Goldsmith usually scored low quality films.

[Romão 2,311]

Menken's strengths usually stood more on the songs that in the underscore itself, but in cases like Hunchback of Notre Dame, the two are intertwined in a way that is quite stunning and it's not as obvious where the songs end and the underscore starts. One of the best scores for an animated movie ever. I'm not so fond of Hercules underscore, but the aproach is so novel and bold, that I have a tremendous fondness for it

[Jay 38,847]

No music in an animated film has moved me more than Hisaishi's music in Miyazaki's movies.

 

I'm surprised Giacchino wasn't a poll option, he's scored 7 animated films now with an 8th coming

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

I had 3 in mind, but Menken so far surpasses the other two in this category, I found it fair to just vote him.

 

On 5/3/2020 at 12:52 PM, Romão said:

Menken's strengths usually stood more on the songs that in the underscore itself,

 

Not exactly. But understandable.

[Thor 8,114]

7 hours ago, Jay said:

No music in an animated film has moved me more than Hisaishi's music in Miyazaki's movies.

 

He would be a solid no. 3 for me, after Menken and Horner. I have nearly all of his Ghibli scores.

[Jurassic Shark 12,818]

19 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

He would be a solid no. 3 for me, after Menken and Horner. I have nearly all of his Ghibli scores.

 

He's never clicked with me. Could you recommend a few score excerpts on Youtube?

[Thor 8,114]

I'm terrible at remembering excerpts. I just like to press play and let the album play out. But if I had to choose THREE favourites (I really equate all of the Miyazaki stuff), then perhaps PRINCESS MONONOKE, followed by SPIRITED AWAY and MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO. Perhaps Jay could post some of his favourite tracks.

[Jurassic Shark 12,818]

Thanks. Have any of you guys checked out the new album Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi?

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0QdrFLgqjMzhaXDd0UmU1T

[Thor 8,114]

No, thanks for the tip! I do have most of the stuff on there, though -- both the Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano material, at least (the latter of which is a rather underrated composer/director collaboration that sounds nothing like the Miyazaki stuff).

[Jurassic Shark 12,818]

45 minutes ago, Thor said:

No, thanks for the tip! I do have most of the stuff on there, though -- both the Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano material, at least (the latter of which is a rather underrated composer/director collaboration that sounds nothing like the Miyazaki stuff).

 

I think these are at least partially new arrangements, featuring the piano. But I'm not sure.

 

On 5/3/2020 at 6:09 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Daft Punk - TRON LEGACY

 

 

On 5/3/2020 at 6:09 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Wendy Carlos - TRON

 

[Jay 38,847]

I actually haven't listened to much of Hisaishi's music outside of the films themselves; I've been meaning to get to it, I just have a large pile of "to listen to" scores and haven't gotten that far yet, but will soon!

 

Within the films themselves, I especially remember The Wind Rises, Nausicaa, and Mononoke standing out

[mstrox 6,818]

The only music I remember is the chorus from the poppy theme song.  Totoro TO-TO-RO!

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

Folks, the answer has been made very plain and simple in musical language:

 

 

Fyi the song at 1:27 is totally different from A Whole New World.

 

 

19 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

He's never clicked with me. Could you recommend a few score excerpts on Youtube?

 

All Hisaishi's best stuff ain't on YouTube. Listen to 0:55 of Track 1 here, I always thought it was about as epic as possible.

 

But listen "through that lens" of what epicness he's trying to capture in the introduction. Mononoke has a very 'legendary' feel to it. Track 3 is also pretty awesome.

 

 

 

Hisaishi has great epic moments, but also very good touchy moments:

 

 

 

[Edmilson 8,539]

I really like his Spirited Away and Mononoke's themes.