What is your favorite decade in Jerry Goldsmith's career?

[Edmilson 7,393]

For over 5 decades, Jerry's music has garnered critical acclaim and many fans around the world.

 

But I ask the Goldsmith aficionados of JWFan: which was the best decade for Goldsmith's music? I think all the decades had their classics, from the 50s to the 2000s, but which of them was your favorite? Vote now!

[Jay 37,287]

Great question.

 

I feel like I have to choose 90s, because that was when I discovered him and when so many of my faves from him came out - Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Air Force One, First Contact... even though my two favorite scores from him are Alien and Star Trek from 1979

 

I have not spent too much time listening to his pre-1979 work, and maybe when I do I'll have a different opinion but for now the 90s reigns supreme

 

 

 

[Bellosh 3,389]

You forgot to list Alien.  One of my favorites of his.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Very difficult choice, but ultimately I had to pick 80s.  The 80s has this

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 2,590]

I love it all and refuse to pick a single decade — make an “All of the Above” option and I’ll vote . As I recently wrote on FSM, I don’t love every single thing Goldsmith wrote, but as far as I’m concerned the first Jerry Goldsmith masterpiece was “1489 Words” (CBS Radio Workshop) in early 1957, and his final masterpiece was Looney Tunes: Back in Action in 2003. Literally every decade of his output has incredible music in it. (Though obviously the 1950s and 2000s aren’t full decades of output, so I don’t expect either to do well in this poll despite the quality of his work.)

 

Yavar

[Bespin 8,480]

Fuck, again I fell in a trap!

[bruce marshall 1,315]

If you say " 2000" does that violate the board rule against " contrarianism" and " baiting"?

😝

 

26 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

You forgot to list Alien.  One of my favorites of his.

And FLINTS....TWILIGHT ZONE ( 60s and 80s).

😍

[Koray Savas 2,251]

‘90s by far. 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

70's just because there is two of my three favourites scores (Alien and ST:TMP) even though the 90's have so much great ones.

[GerateWohl 4,338]

Goldsmith had great scores in every of these decades. But what made some of his later scores for me so great was that he managed to bring his 60s or 70s spirit to these. Therefore, I choose the original, the 70s.

 

I miss Studs Lonigan, one of my favourites of his, in the list.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

HOLLOW MAN is really good.

So, he did great stuff every decade!

[Brundlefly 2,385]

The 70s have no mediocre score by Goldsmith and they have Alien, Papillon as well as The Wind and the Lion. Though I listen to the 90s Goldsmith more often, I know that this particular decade doesn't deserve that much attention.

[Thor 7,468]

11 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

‘90s by far. 

Same here.

[publicist 4,643]

70's, the tangent being that it was just is the best filmmaking decade, for composers and everyone else. 

[Edmilson 7,393]

15 hours ago, Bellosh said:

You forgot to list Alien.  One of my favorites of his.

Added to the 70s list.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Twilight Zone is a fantastic score that tips me towards my 80s vote that isn't on the shortlist.

[Ollie 1,059]

I'll go with the 70's.

 

Although I'd kinda group it like we do with Williams where most people felt Johnny was untouchable from 1974 to 1985.

[Thor 7,468]

 

4 hours ago, Thor said:

Same here.

 

I should perhaps specify a bit. I think Goldsmith pushed the envelope in the 60s and 70s, so that's where his most exciting, creative and innovative works are found. However, in terms of sheer personal listening pleasure, I will always prefer the 90s stuff.

[Edmilson 7,393]

This has been an exciting poll! The 70s and the 90s are tied so far, with 8 votes each. I'll check again later to see if the needle has moved in any direction.

[Yavar Moradi 2,590]

Tragic that the 60s has zero votes. Makes me tempted to vote for something after all, so it doesn't go loveless. Maybe too few scores are mentioned for it relative to the other full decades.

 

"Thriller, Freud, The Stripper, Rio Conchos, A Patch of Blue, In Harm's Way, The Blue Max, The Sand Pebbles, Planet of the Apes, 100 Rifles"

Two of my three favorite Goldsmith scores of all time (the other is QB VII), Lonely Are the Brave and The Artist Who Did Not Want to Paint, are not mentioned!

 

Thriller is mentioned (which is good) as the only TV thing but no mention of The Man from UNCLE or Dr. Kildare (his first hit?) or The Twilight Zone (he wrote seven scores!) As someone else pointed out, no Studs Lonigan -- which is awesome. No Shock Treatment, Our Man Flint, The Chairman, Illustrated Man, Hour of the Gun, or Bandolero!

I get the love for the 70s of course but just sad the 60s is voteless...

Yavar

[bruce marshall 1,315]

I didn't vote in the poll.

I'm guessing the only folks who voted are the ones who like his post- 80s work.

Give the time.

Hopefully, They'll discover his early greatness!

[Yavar Moradi 2,590]

Actually the 70s are currently narrowly winning the poll over the 90s Bruce, which is heartening at least...

 

Yavar

[eitam 364]

I vote for the 80s, because Masada, Under Fire, Poltergeist, Legend, and The Salamander. 

[Edmilson 7,393]

3 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Tragic that the 60s has zero votes. Makes me tempted to vote for something after all, so it doesn't go loveless. Maybe too few scores are mentioned for it relative to the other full decades.

 

"Thriller, Freud, The Stripper, Rio Conchos, A Patch of Blue, In Harm's Way, The Blue Max, The Sand Pebbles, Planet of the Apes, 100 Rifles"

Two of my three favorite Goldsmith scores of all time (the other is QB VII), Lonely Are the Brave and The Artist Who Did Not Want to Paint, are not mentioned!

 

Thriller is mentioned (which is good) as the only TV thing but no mention of The Man from UNCLE or Dr. Kildare (his first hit?) or The Twilight Zone (he wrote seven scores!) As someone else pointed out, no Studs Lonigan -- which is awesome. No Shock Treatment, Our Man Flint, The Chairman, Illustrated Man, Hour of the Gun, or Bandolero!

I get the love for the 70s of course but just sad the 60s is voteless...

Yavar

 

Sorry about that. I used Wikipedia as source, and those were the scores that appeared on its Goldsmith biography there. 

 

But the scores mentioned in the poll by no means are a definitive or comprehensive filmography. Any user can mention on the comment section their favorite scores that didn't got included.

[Yavar Moradi 2,590]

It just felt like the 60s got comparatively many fewer scores listed even though he was just as prolific in that decade.

 

Yavar

[publicist 4,643]

It's inevitable, as the demographic here people gets younger, they just don't connect to ancient movies like 'List of Adrian Messenger' or 'Blue Max'. It's a wonder (and testament to Goldsmith's genius at eclipsing the movies he wrote for) that many still people cherish so much of his pre-80's stuff. 

 

The 90's are easier on the ear, and certainly more in tune with 'modern' sensibilities, though i don't think that's a badge of honour. But often enough, his old instincts helped to cover the tracks (of simplification and one-dimensional, lowest denominator application).

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

If you had this poll at Intrada or FSM the results would skew more to older scores.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

18 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Tragic that the 60s has zero votes.

The 60s may not be my favorite decade when forced to choose but there sure are plenty of Goldsmith scores I love from that decade!  I just posted last week in the Last Score thread about how much I love 100 Rifles, and Sand Pebbles was actually one of the first Goldsmith scores I really fell for as a teen.

[Edmilson 7,393]

6 hours ago, publicist said:

It's inevitable, as the demographic here people gets younger, they just don't connect to ancient movies like 'List of Adrian Messenger' or 'Blue Max'. It's a wonder (and testament to Goldsmith's genius at eclipsing the movies he wrote for) that many still people cherish so much of his pre-80's stuff. 

 

I really like The Blue Max, it's on my top 10 Goldsmith scores. Planet of the Apes and 100 Rifles are pretty great too.

 

But yeah, there's some scores from the 60s I can't connect with, like Freud.

[Yavar Moradi 2,590]

Freud was Jerry’s first Oscar nomination, and well deserved. I can certainly understand someone not enjoying it as a listening experience though. But maybe since you do like Planet of the Apes, it would also grow on you as a modernist score. Curious what other 60s scores you don’t like.

 

Yavar

[Edmilson 7,393]

49 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Freud was Jerry’s first Oscar nomination, and well deserved. I can certainly understand someone not enjoying it as a listening experience though. But maybe since you do like Planet of the Apes, it would also grow on you as a modernist score. Curious what other 60s scores you don’t like.

 

Yavar

I'll check Freud again. Actually, it's been years since I heard it so the score is long overdue for a revisit.

 

There's a lot of 60s scores from Goldsmith I need to listen for the first time, actually, it's a period of his career that is mostly unexplored by me. For now, I'd say I'm a fan of The Blue Max and Planet of the Apes.