The Best Movie Scores according to Shine Music School

2 June 2020

We asked our teachers to recommend their favourite movies according to the original soundtracks. Music is all important when it comes to films. In fact a movie can become a masterpiece just because of its soundtrack.
Many composers have made it their life work to create masterful original scores for movies. We are sure that you must find yourself sometimes overwhelmed with the emotion that a great musical piece can cause when you are watching an enjoyable film. Movie music is so important that each year the film industry hands out accolades to the best original scores. You can see a list of the Oscar winners for the last few years here. What is your favourite original score for a movie? Do you agree with our teachers?

The good, the bad and the ugly – Ennio Moricone

 

 

The Deer Hunter – Stanley Myers

 

 

The Book of Eli – Atticus Ross

 

 

Deux Moi – Loïc Dury, Christophe Minck

 

 

Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows) – Miles Davis

 

 

The Cook, the Thief, his Wife & her Lover – Michael Nyman

Goodbye Lenin – Yann Tiersen

https://youtu.be/awtWSj_qTkE
 
 

Into the wild – Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder

https://youtu.be/eQ2kWADXAfo

The Shining – edited by Gordon Stainforth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3taGWHEz8w0&feature=youtu.be

On the waterfront – Leonard Bernstein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOVs50Axufs&list=PLsTCsctPKEHby_0D27Ec4OJVHKZFHxfKO

Rumble fish – Stewart Copeland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJlV4hzl7Ok&list=PLE7DD22D66CEAA005&index=1

Catch me if you can – John Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcOkk03PnZE&list=PLB71872ADAF25DCA0

Jackie Brown – James Newton Howard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH0T0mgE2c8

Donnie Darko – Michael Andrews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1_4e7gFBDw

Pirates of the Caribbean – Hans Zimmer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cScVoZWVDLQ

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) – Heaven on their Minds (Carl Anderson)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqoeM18vCaU

American Beauty – Thomas Newman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al21Vtlsg4A

Melancolía – Richard Wagner (Lars von Trier)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JEYnjKxf4A

The Killing of a Sacred Deer – (Yorgos Lanthimos)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXaDJEVS0e4

The Sacrifice – (Andrei Tarkovski) Johann Sebastian Bach, Watazumido-Shuso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv9VCnvb41E

Perhaps you have discovered a new movie to watch from the list above. Perhaps now you will appreciate the music of a film or notice how it carries the story. Think about the movies that you have seen where the music has made an impact on you! If you need more inspiration for films with great soundtracks, you can take a look at this list of 50 best Movie Scores. Of course in the end, it’s also a matter of opinion, but we hope you enjoy some good music filled movies from now on! And if you ever wanted to consider a career in composition, for film or television or music production, just contact us, our teachers can get you started!