Film Music Review
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100 Essential Film Scores of the 20th Century

 

A list of memorable scores from films released
between the 1930s and 1990s.

No musicals or movie songs are included on this list
since they are a separate category.

 

 

 

 

Now available exclusively on this website is the 8th edition,
published by PineTree Press.

The title page (shown above) has a personally autographed signature
by film composer, John Williams.

This film music book was written by respected film music historian and critic, Roger L. Hall.

It is recommended for classroom teachers, film researchers and writers, and for any film buffs who enjoy the music.

To order the 8th edition of the book -- click this link:

A GUIDE TO FILM MUSIC - SONGS AND SCORES

 

 

 

 

100 Essential Film Scores of the 20th Century

Selected by Roger Hall

Managing Editor, Film Music Review

and

Member of the International Film Music Critics Association


Preparing any survey of film scores presents a difficult problem.

Which ones to choose and which ones to leave out.

This is a list 100 essential scores released between 1933 and 1993 in English. No foreign language films are included.

More than 50% of the titles are in the so-called Golden Age (1930s-1950s).
I believe that the most respected and beloved films were made during those three decades. Of course there have been significant films made in later decades as well, only not as many.

Naturally some people will not agree with my choices. It is not possible to please everyone. There are fans of individual composers who might pick just about every film score by that composer. I have attempted to name as many composers as possible with memorable film scores and some of them for more than one film score.

The top 20 film scores on the list are the opinion of one person - Me.

All the other film scores I have selected are listed alphabetically.

This list is NOT based on any fan polls or other surveys and is intended to help recall many of the memorable film scores from the 1930s to 1990s.

Each film score was chosen as representative of significant originality as well as their popularity with audiences over the years.

All the numbers have film title, date, and the film composer's name.

This list was first posted in 2006 and has been revised each year.


Here are my choices for Top Twenty Film Scores (1930s-1990s):

 

20. THE NATURAL (1984) -- Randy Newman

19. +PLANET OF THE APES (1968) - Jerry Goldsmith

18. +STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE (1977) - John Williams

17. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) - Elmer Bernstein

16. +CHINATOWN (1974) - Jerry Goldsmith

15. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) - John Williams

14. +PSYCHO (1960) - Bernard Herrmann

13. +LAURA (1944) - David Raksin

12. THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1946) Bernard Herrmann

11. THE SONG OF BERNADETTE (1943) - Alfred Newman

10. +GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) - Max Steiner

9. +THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938)--Erich Wolfgnag Korngold

8. SPARTACUS (1960) - Alex North

7. +HIGH NOON (1952) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

6. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) -- Hugo Friedhofer

5. +KING KONG (1933) -- Max Steiner

4.
+TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) -- Elmer Bernstein

3. +VERTIGO (1958) -- Bernard Herrmann

2. +BEN-HUR (1959) -- Miklos Rozsa

+ = American Film Institute's 100 Years of Film Scores - Top 25 = 12 films

And the top film score is from what is regarded by many
as the greatest American film from the Golden Age
and the incredible first film score by
perhaps the best film composer from the past ...


1. CITIZEN KANE (1941) -- Bernard Herrmann

 

 

 

The remaining 80 film scores are listed in alphabetical order:

+ = American Film Institute's "100 Years of Film Scores - Top 25"

 

THE ALAMO (1960) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (1956) -- Victor Young

THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952)-- David Raksin

BATMAN (1989) -- Danny Elfman

THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) -- Jerome Moross

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961) -- Henry Mancini

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) -- Franz Waxman

THE CARDINAL (1963) -- Jerome Moross

CASABLANCA (1942) - Max Steiner

CLEOPATRA (1963) -- Alex North

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) - John Williams

DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) -- John Barry

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) -- Bernard Herrmann

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER
(original title: ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY, 1941)-- Bernard Herrmann

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) -- Maurice Jarre

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) -- Miklos Rozsa

DUEL IN THE SUN (1946) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

EL CID (1961) -- Miklos Rozsa

+E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) -- John Williams

FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) -- Bernard Herrmann

FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

FIELD OF DREAMS (1989) - James Horner

+THE GODFATHER (1972)-- Nino Rota

GOLDFINGER (1964) -- John Barry

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965) -- Alfred Newman

HATARI (1960) -- Henry Mancini

HAWAII (1966) -- Elmer Bernstein

THE HEIRESS (1949) -- Aaron Copland

HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1940) -- Alfred Newman

+HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1963) -- Alfred Newman and Ken Darby

THE HURRICANE (1937) -- Alfred Newman

THE INFORMER (1935) -- Max Steiner

ISLANDS IN THE STREAM (1976) -- Jerry Goldsmith

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

IVANHOE (1952) -- Miklos Rozsa

+JAWS (1975) -- John Williams

JURASSIC PARK (1993) -- John Williams

KING OF KINGS (1961) -- Miklos Rozsa

KINGS ROW (1942) -- Erich Wolfgang Korngold

+LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) -- Maurice Jarre

THE LOST WEEKEND (1944) - Miklos Rozsa

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955)-- Elmer Bernstein

MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1961) -- Bernard Herrmann

PATTON (1970) - Jerry Goldsmith

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) -- Bernard Herrmann

NOW VOYAGER (1942) -- Max Steiner

OBSESSION (1975) -- Bernard Herrmann

THE OMEN (1976) -- Jerry Goldsmith

ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) -- Leonard Bernstein

OUR TOWN (1940) - Aaron Copland

+OUT OF AFRICA (1985) -- John Barry

PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE (1952) -- Miklos Rozsa

THE QUIET MAN (1952) -- Victor Young

QUO VADIS (1951) -- Miklos Rozsa

+THE PINK PANTHER (1964) -- Henry Mancini

A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951) -- Franz Waxman

RAINTREE COUNTRY (1957) -- Johnny Green

THE RED PONY (1949) -- Aaron Copland

RED RIVER (1948) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

RIO BRAVO (1959) -- Dimitri Tiomkin

THE ROBE (1953) -- Alfred Newman

THE RUSSIA HOUSE (1990)-- Jerry Goldsmith

THE SAND PEBBLES (1966) -- Jerry Goldsmith

THE SEARCHERS (1956) -- Max Steiner

THE SEA HAWK (1941) -- Erich Wolfgang Korngold

SHANE (1953) -- Victor Young

SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944) -- Max Steiner

SPELLBOUND (1945) -- Miklos Rozsa

+A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951) -- Alex North

SUMMER AND SMOKE (1961) -- Elmer Bernstein

+SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) -- Franz Waxman

SUPERMAN (1978)-- John Williams

TARAS BULBA (1962) -- Franz Waxman

+THE MISSION (1985) - Ennio Morricone

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) -- Elmer Bernstein

THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940) -- Miklos Rozsa

TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) -- Henry Mancini

THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948) -- Max Steiner

TRUE GRIT (1969) TRUE GRIT (1969) -- Elmer Bernstein

WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939) -- Alfred Newman





By Decade:

1930s = 6

1940s = 23

1950s = 23

1960s = 27

1970s = 10

1980s = 5

1990s = 6

 

Film composers with 3 or more scores on the Essential Film Scores list:

Bernard Herrmann = 10

Miklos Rozsa = 9

Max Steiner = 8

Elmer Bernstein = 7

Jerry Goldsmith = 7

Alfred Newman = 7

Dimitri Tiomkin = 7

John Williams = 7

Henry Mancini = 4

Franz Waxman = 4

John Barry = 3

Erich Wolfgang Korngold = 3

Aaron Copland = 3

Alex North = 3

Victor Young = 3

 

List updated: Janaury 2024


 

 

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