100 Essential Film Scores of the 20th Century
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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.
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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: July 2024
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