Top 10 Most Emotional Music Tracks in Movies

Cinema, in all its grandeur, has often gifted us some truly beautiful moments. And what brings these moments to life? What threads them together, breathes essence into them, making them indistinguishable from our own memories and feelings? The answer is simple - music. For as long as we've been telling stories through the visual medium of film, music has stood right by its side. Acting as an unseen character, a sonic narrator, music has the power to transport us, to instigate the deepest corners of our emotions, and to speak a language that transcends all barriers. Indeed, there have been great film scores over the years, and some equally famous composers, who have made the films they accompany just so much better.

A film's score doesn't just provide a backdrop to the story; it's an integral part of the story itself. The swelling of an orchestra at a dramatic reveal, the haunting solo piano at a tragic parting, the upbeat guitar strumming during a beloved character's triumphant return - these are the moments that make us hold our breaths, laugh, cry, and everything in between. The music is there with us, guiding our emotions, magnifying our connection to the characters and their journeys. So, when we speak of the most emotional music tracks in movies, we're speaking of something quite profound.

Over the years, scores of tracks have touched us, moved us, and lingered in our memories long after the credits rolled. They've become the sonic imprints of the films they belong to, forever tied to the emotions they elicited. But which among them stand out as the most emotional, the ones that truly tug at your heartstrings?
The Top Ten
1 Now We Are Free - Gladiator

Just found out the lyrics are Hebrew and actually mean something too!

Every moment of this song makes me sad.

2 Hymn to the Sea - Titanic
3 Hymn to the Fallen - Saving Private Ryan
4 Tennessee - Pearl Harbor
5 Mufasa's Death - The Lion King

Probably the saddest bit you'll hear on The Lion King soundtrack. Praise Hans Zimmer for making that music piece come to life in that scene!

6 Theme from Schindler's List - Schindler's List

Combined with the final scene, could break the toughest man in the world into tears. Truly a masterpiece!

7 Marry Me - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

The music is absolutely great, as is the whole soundtrack to the movie. The Pirates trilogy has AMAZING music, and I can't get enough of it. You can feel every scene of the movie through this music.

This music is truly genius! Every time I hear the theme when Will was terribly wounded, I want to cry. It brings the whole scene into my memory. And the part where Will and Elizabeth are fighting for their lives and getting married! Absolutely beautiful.

8 Time - Inception

The best track of the Inception soundtrack and one of the best soundtracks of all time. A truly masterpiece. So emotional. We don't need lyrics, just music. That music touches my heart.

The Inception soundtrack was amazing, the best in any movie. Dream is Collapsing was so exciting and captured the scene perfectly. Mind Heist was a very dramatic song, and the use of it in this movie popularized the bwaaaam sound effect that you hear in almost every trailer now. But Time is truly chilling and emotional. It's the most emotional song in the best movie ever.

9 The Departure - Gattaca
10 Circle of Life - The Lion King

Circle of Life played at the end of the greatest movie of all time. I am 32 and I saw this movie when I was 13. Magical!

The Contenders
11 The White Tree - The Lord of the Rings

Classic from Howard Shore for the final Lord of the Rings film: The Return of the King. The violins work fantastically with the brass.

12 Sound the Bugle - Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

Sound the Bugle. Bryan Adams has a wonderful voice. "Remember who you are."

I cried so much with "Sound the Bugle." This list is full of beautiful musics and soundtracks. Thank you for creating it.

13 The Empire State Building - King Kong

Have you heard this soundtrack? It's freaking beastly and was written in like two weeks. James Newton Howard is a musical titan of awesome.

Howard's climax to King Kong filmed with the "beast" looking out over New York.

14 Speak Softly Love - The Godfather

Nino Rota's score for the incredible film, "The Godfather" in 1972. Would be hard to do a list which didn't include this.

15 Clair de Lune - Ocean's Eleven

Not technically written for Ocean's Eleven but works very well for the final scene.

16 The Grey Havens - Lord of the Rings
17 End Credits - Jurassic Park
18 Chariots of Fire - Chariots of Fire
19 Dumbledore's Farewell - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Undoubtedly one of the most emotional music pieces I've ever heard.

20 It Will Be Me - Brother Bear 2
21 La Valse d´Amelie - Amelie

This song from Amelie is so exceptional. Almost everyone knows this song. It isn't the only great piece from this film. I also love Comptine d'un autre l'après-midi. I don't know anyone who doesn't like these songs. They just fit into the movie perfectly.

22 Tema d'amore - Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
23 Colonel Bogey March - The Bridge on the River Kwai
24 A Small Measure of Peace - Last Samurai

Zimmer's masterful piece completes the movie and is beautifully heard in the final sequences of The Last Samurai as Tom Cruise's character returns to his loved one. Truly a masterpiece. Connects with your heart. This is not only a beautiful piece but highly important.

25 Binary Sunset - Star Wars

My favourite part of any Star Wars score. The scene itself to me represents everything the story is about: Luke's future/destiny, father/son, Light/Dark, etc. This musical theme reminds me of that every time I hear it.

One of the most memorable tracks of the Star Wars scores by John Williams! So emotional. Every time I hear it, it makes me cry a tear.

This perfectly captures the Force and Luke's pull to it and adventure. It is very emotional in the right way.

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