Top 10 Best Movie Soundtracks
When it comes to the magic of movies, the soundtrack is often the unsung hero. It sets the mood, builds tension, and tugs at your emotions, sometimes before you even realize it. Some films wouldn't be the same without their iconic music scores - you hear just a few notes, and you're instantly transported back into the story. A great soundtrack can define a movie, becoming as unforgettable as the characters and plot themselves.In this list, we're celebrating those soundtracks that elevate their films to another level. These are the ones that people remember long after the credits roll, the ones that stick with you because they just fit.
Not only does the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings increase the power and intensity of the films more than could be thought possible, but by themselves, they are ingenious pieces of work.
The melodies, harmonies, and emotional strains are unforgettable and fit amazingly with everything from Frodo's climb up Mt. Doom to the Riders of Rohan to the ethereal elves of Lothlorien.
No matter how much you play it, the score refreshes and is emotionally riveting every time.
This is by far the best soundtrack I've ever heard. The music is so memorable and original. It sounds so good (it's like ice cream for your ears) and fits the moods of the movies so well.
Sure, I do like some other movie soundtracks, but never more than one or two songs. I love about a dozen of these songs, and all the rest are great too (I like listening to the happy music. It's so relaxing). THE BEST movie soundtrack, period.
Star Wars has the absolute best tracks of all time. John Williams is a huge legend and icon, and without his score, Star Wars wouldn't be nearly as great of a franchise as it is today.
There are absolutely beautiful tracks from the original trilogy such as the Princess Leia theme, Yoda's theme, Han and the Princess, Luke and Leia, etc., and absolutely iconic tracks like the Throne Room, Binary Sunset, Cantina Theme, Imperial March, and Main Theme. Even the prequels have gorgeously epic tracks like the Duel of the Fates and Across the Stars.
There is way too much to say about the different scores within Star Wars. It's the best, it confirmed John as being the best movie composer of all time, and it definitely deserves the number one spot.
Perhaps the greatest soundtrack ever written. But unfortunately, that's what it is. A single track. Hans Zimmer excels in the recent art of thematic motif but fails to deviate and hence illuminate the intricacies of character and development through music.
Although this allows audiences to re-experience the raw emotions associated with the theme's appearance, hence providing a powerful ending, it could do more in aiding the film through the exploration of further emotion.
Epic. Really awesome, and completely soul-stirring. When I listened to it, I knew I had to pick it up. (By the way, I did so in a week.)
This is totally my favorite soundtrack of all time. My three favorite tracks are My Heart Will Go On, Hymn to the Sea, and The Sinking.
P.S. This is also my favorite movie of all time, and so far, the only movie I ever cried watching.
The best soundtrack ever. This is at the top of my heart list. It will never be forgotten. James Horner is the greatest composer ever.
I will always remember the love of Jack and Rose, the great Titanic love.
His soundtrack to Titanic is utterly compelling and stands up as the single greatest soundtrack of all time. Definitely deserves to be number one.
From the moment I started listening to the pieces of music from this film, chills ran up and down my spine non-stop. No one could ever create such an emotionally complex piece of music that dives straight into your heart. Hans Zimmer is the best there is, was, and ever will be.
At the age of 8, you're dragged to the movies where you see an action-packed monster of a movie, filled with violence and political drama. You revel in the action and sit with a smile on your face during the first 15 minutes and almost cry at the end. The movie comes to life, and the sheer magnificence and power of it all is almost overwhelming, but one thing stands taller than all.
Walking out of the movie theater, both my mother and I, along with 20 others, were humming D - B flat - D - D - E sharp - C - C - C - D. That being part of the opening battle theme/score, and no other movie has ever done that to me. Hans Zimmer is a genius! He fitted one of the best movies ever with the best score/theme ever. Period!
Beautiful, powerful, moving, triumphant, energetic, intense, and relaxing all in one! It took a musical genius to compose these pieces.
I mean, who doesn't love the piece "He's a Pirate"?
Although Zimmer's expansions upon the score were, for the most part, stronger than what Badelt did, many of Badelt's compositions fit their allotted characters superbly.
It's just fantastic. Any tune is entertaining to listen to. A really underrated and overlooked one is Up Is Down. It's probably my favorite piece of music by Hans Zimmer.
Best soundtrack ever. The Theme, Marcia, The Carriage of Spirits, The Saint Anthony Mission, Father Ramirez, Story of a Soldier, Marcia without Hope, The Death of a Soldier, The Ecstasy of Gold, and The Trio are all amazing tracks, making up the single best soundtrack ever.
Hands down, for me, the greatest theme song of all time. Just listen to it. It's the definition of epic.
There are also plenty of other awesome tracks such as The Ecstasy of Gold and The Trio.
Every piece of music in this film is a masterpiece. Epic beyond words. Movies like this one will probably never be replicated to any real comparison.
It sets the bar too high.
While I do think that the first movie track was all around better, this one has so many moments of such perfection. Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho is such a great song, and Up is Down is so amazing. The soundtrack really aided the movie.
I still prefer the first, but some of these individual songs cause chills every time.
The music is genius! It is the living part of the movie, and you can picture every scene while listening to the soundtrack.
Will and Elizabeth Symphony is just amazing! Up and Down, Hoist The Colors, The Parlay, Singapore, etc. - every piece is brilliantly done.
Some critics have cited parallels between this score, which consists of two notes, and Frank Churchill's theme music for "Man" in "Bambi," which consisted of three simple notes.
So awesome, it can make a room full of people scream!
The Newcomers
Mankind's musical magnum opus. If we go extinct and get discovered by another form of intelligence in the future, they'll worship us for this composition alone.
The heart-pounding More Action, the tongue-in-cheek Cooler, the suspenseful Forked. The leitmotifs in general. This has it all.
I understand this not being in the top 5, but come on, it deserves to be in the top 10. Just listen to the soundtrack. A Window to the Past is a great musical piece. Every phrase of that music gives me goosebumps.
Buckbeak's Flight is another excellent composition.
Deserves to be Number 1! It's absolutely beautiful, even the films not scored by John Williams!
It's the most peaceful sound ever.
Staggering in its emotional expression. While it's easy to acknowledge the epic themes of tracks such as Test Drive, its melody stirring to create a powerful motif such as that employed by Hans Zimmer in the Batman Trilogy, it is the raw and varying emotion throughout the film that should put it in the top 5.
Forbidden Friendship, for instance, is a true masterpiece, reflecting character development in an experimental way alien to the generic and repetitive themes of recent blockbuster titles.
The Nolan films are great in all ways except one: MUSIC! Elfman's soundtrack truly defines Batman. This should be at least in the top ten. (LotR first, of course).
Now if only Elfman and Nolan had worked together... Sigh...
Why is this only at Number 16? This is one of the most powerful, most inspiring movie soundtracks ever. I bet that quite a lot of the scenes in the movie, as fantastic as it is, wouldn't be as good without the soaring soundtrack.
Such a great movie, but it's the music that really makes it memorable! Especially the Main Theme. Every time I hear it that scene comes to mind.
Most epic theme ever! Awesome soundtrack for awesome movies! Only number 38! Come on, people, Jurassic Park wins, hands down!
The music fits perfectly with the mystery of the Mafia and has great instrumentation. It's not the best, but it definitely should be in the top 10, maybe even top 5.
An Oscar-nominated score that's unconventional in its usage of broken pianos. It's a shame Pixar's Up won that year because this score was a million miles above that sentimental pap.
From insanely action-packed treats like Panic, Sheer Bloody Panic, and Psychological Recovery 6 Months to the quirkiness of Catatonic and My Mind Rebels at Stagnation, this Sherlock Holmes soundtrack has it all.
A gypsy-like score in this Sherlock Holmes is very similar to Pirates of the Caribbean. Add in Rocky Road to Dublin, and there are some Irish flutes in the background.
Seriously, 14th? This soundtrack is so powerful that it brought me to tears. This and The Dark Knight are the only two soundtracks to do so, and it is a truly incredible feeling.
Hans Zimmer is definitely the most brilliant modern composer and is largely overlooked on this list. Please, vote for this soundtrack. Also, where is Interstellar on this list? That is also an incredible brainchild of Zimmer.
Really great soundtracks, especially "Time." It deserves to be in the top 10. Please listen to some tracks of this film, especially "Time," "Dream is Collapsing," and "One Simple Idea."
Hail Hans Zimmer. He is the founder of the greatest Hollywood music studio. Please see his website, and you will notice that most of the great composers of Hollywood films are in his studio and on his team.
Tarantino delivers, with so many iconic songs from this movie.
Tarantino never fails to put together a great soundtrack.
All the scores in this classic, beautiful movie are epic. I just couldn't find another perfect word to describe them.
A really beautiful soundtrack that personifies the end of the movie.
One of the best movie scores of the 1990s.
Far better than Titanic, easily one of the best soundtracks you may listen to. Horner tends to photocopy a lot, including himself. That score is less prone to xerox than many of his other ones. That score was so epic Horner kept using Gaelic/Irish musical instruments afterward.
Gentle, romantic, sad, soulful, brave, free. It holds all the themes of the movie so perfectly. Truly a beautiful track, with such strong emotion in each melody.
By far the most powerful piece I have ever heard. Beautiful score for an equally beautiful movie.
What? The best album ever below music from Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings?
Best-selling soundtrack of all time with several number-one hits.
Danny Elfman also does Jack's singing voice.
Christmas songs and Halloween songs like no others. How is this not #1?
Ugh, really? How to Train Your Dragon is above BTTF? Though not being my all-time favorite movie, it DOES have the greatest soundtrack.
Not even in the top 10? My personal favorite.
Come on, what's Twilight doing above this?