I have always loved listening to movie music. In fact, my Spotify Wrapped is always overtaken by artists like Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Lorne Balfe and Ludwigg Goronsson. After watching a new movie, I'm in the habit of logging onto Spotify and adding my favourite tracks. I've even been to see a couple of live orchestra performances of my favourites, which were amazing experiences.
I thought it might be fun to collate a roughly ranked list of 100 of my favourite scores as of January 2023. A couple of disclaimers: This won't be according to 'most iconic' because I'm sure dozens of those lists already exist, so if you're wondering why Psycho, The Godfather or Jaws isn't on here, it's not because I don't love those soundtracks (I do), it's just that I don't listen to them much outside of the films. This is very much a list of the music I personally love to listen to. I have also limited it to 1 track per movie, television show or video game.
With that said, here is Part 5 of 5 of my list. I'll link each Youtube track but you can also find my full Spotify playlist including many, many more tracks here!
20) The Hand of Fate I & II - Signs (2002)
by James Newton Howard
M Night Shyamalan's Signs may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's one of my favourite movies of all time. The combination of Shyamalan's atmospheric directing and Howard's intense score, which draws from the work of Bernard Herrmann in 1960's Psycho, is pure movie magic. 'The Hand of Fate' plays during the finale of the film. I adore the quieter segments that steadily builds as Graham comes to a realisation that changes everything.
Honourable mentions: Main Titles, First Crop Circles, Baby Monitor, In the Cornfield
19) The Shepherd's Boy - Doctor Who (2005-)
by Murray Gold
To pick just one piece from Murray Gold's impressive tenure on Doctor Who, which spanned 13 years, is nearly impossible. Whereas the show had its ebbs and flows, his music was consistently top tier. 'The Shepherds Boy' is from a wonderfully written episode in Season 9 featuring the Twelfth Doctor, set over an all-time Doctor monologue delivered by Peter Capaldi. An indelible moment in the show's run and one of my favourite episodes of television.
Honourable mentions: A Good Man An Incredible Liar, Doomsday, I Am the Doctor, This is Gallifrey, The Rueful Fate of Donna Noble, Amy's Theme, Madame De Pompadour, The Doctor Forever, Vale, River of Tears, The Impossible Astronaut
18) In Motion - The Social Network (2010)
by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
One of the best written screenplays ever. Brilliant performances. Masterful directing and editing. And an all-timer score by Reznor and Ross. A modern masterpiece in every way.
Honourable mentions: A Familiar Taste, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Hand Covers Bruise
17) Test Drive - How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
by John Powell
Like many of the soundtracks in this top bracket, John Powell's music for How to Train Your Dragon was my gateway into movie music. Even now, this particular track never fails to uplift me and, in my opinion, the whole soundtrack is an all-timer. For more on why I love this particular scene, which features Hiccup and Toothless' first proper flight, you can read my article here.
Honourable mentions: This is Berk, Dragon Training, The Dragon Book, Forbidden Friendship, New Tail, See You Tomorrow, This Time For Sure, Romantic Flight, Coming Back Around
16) 100 Mile Dash - The Incredibles (2005)
by Michael Giacchino
The Incredibles' classic James Bond and superhero-inspired score is an absolute masterpiece and a perfect fit for the movie. Though there are a lot of brilliant tracks, '100 Mile Dash' plays during the best scene, where Violet and Dash have to evade a group of Syndrome's goons. I have seen it so many times that I can picture it perfectly in my head just listening to this track. The moment where Dash starts running on water is movie magic.
Honourable mentions: Adventure Calling, Life's Incredible Again, Kronos Unveiled, The Incredits
15) The Battle - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe (2005)
by Harry Gregson-Williams
Back when I first watched Narnia as a kid, I thought its soundtrack was one of the most epic and magical things I had ever heard. Years later, after many rewatches and listening to this score, I still think it is. Simply one of the best soundtracks for a fantasy film- absolutely timeless, sweeping and otherworldly.
Honourable mentions: Evacuating London, The Wardrobe, A Narnia Lullaby, Only the Beginning of the Adventure
14) Brothers in Arms - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
by Junkie XL
Mad Max: Fury Road is a masterpiece of a blockbuster movie. There is nothing else like it nor will there ever be, until perhaps the upcoming Furiosa prequel. Director George Miller and editor Margaret Sixel work seamlessly together to create a controlled sense of chaos, and Junkie XL's kinetic, reverberating score propels the action at every moment.
To read more about why this is one of is one my favourite scenes of all time, click here.
Honourable mentions: Spikey Cars, Walhalla Awaits, Chapter Doof
13) The Landing - First Man (2018)
by Justin Hurwitz
Damien Chazelle's follow up to La La Land is thoughtful, melancholy and deeply personal. Perhaps that's why the movie largely flew under the radar in 2018. It also joins the list of most egregious Oscar snubs when the Academy failed to recognise Justin Hurwtiz's beautiful score. 'The Landing' is one of the best pieces of the last few years. The rest of the soundtrack is similarly beautiful, capturing the grief at the heart of this biography.
Honourable mentions: Karen, The Armstrongs, Sextant, Apollo 11 Launch
12) Flight - Man of Steel (2013)
by Hans Zimmer
This is the first of a few Zimmer tracks that feature on this list, and for good reason. No one else composes music like Hans Zimmer, and in Man of Steel he creates an iconic superhero theme that captures the power and thrill of flight.
11) This Land - The Lion King (1994)
by Hans Zimmer
It has been years and this specific The Lion King track still remains to be one of the emotional pieces of film music I have ever heard. It's dramatic and heart-breaking and mystical all at once, and undeniably iconic. There's a reason they didn't touch a single note of this in the remake.
10) Sixteen Hundred Men - 1917 (2019)
by Thomas Newman
There was something in the air in 2019, it was such a strong year for cinema. The finale of 1917 may just be my favourite movie moment of that year though. The build-up to Schofield's climactic run through a battle is one of the most memorable scenes I have watched in the cinema. This track was my most played song on Spotify in 2019.
For an in-depth breakdown of why I adore this scene, click here.
9) All Gone (No Escape) - The Last of Us (2013)
by Gustavo Santaolalla
"I got you, baby girl." An absolutely stunning finale to a video game as Joel (the player) carries an unconscious Ellie through the Firefly hospital, mirroring the same way he carried his daughter, Sarah, 20 years prior. This scene is incredibly cinematic, but it's the added layer of the player literally being in Joel's shoes while he makes the impossible choice that makes this entire segment so utterly devastating and some of my favourite storytelling ever. I am waiting with baited breath to see this adapted in the stellar HBO series.
Honourable mentions: Vanishing Grace, The Last of Us, The Path
8) Leaving Caladan - Dune (2021)
by Hans Zimmer
Listening to this score in the cinema was absolutely incredible. If they play this during the Hans Zimmer Live show I'm attending later this year I might just cry with sheer awe. Never has a piece of music been so utterly transportive, so ethereal. Hans Zimmer is the gift that keeps giving.
Honourable mentions: Paul's Dream, Herald of the Change, Ripples in the Sand, My Road Leads Into the Desert
7) Parting Words - Lost (2004-2010)
by Micheal Giacchino
Giacchino makes yet another appearance on this list with possibly his strongest work to date. There are literally dozens of themes during the iconic show's run that are amongst the greatest TV show soundtracks of all time. 'The Constant' ("you answered, Penny...") was a strong contender but its 'Parting Words' that I think encapsulates the music and the show so well. Perhaps the greatest long-running television soundtrack of all time if it weren't for a later entry...
Honourable mentions: Moving On, Of Mice and Ben, Parallelocam, Departing Sun, Locke'd Out Again, The Constant, Ultrasonic Flash, There's No Place Like Home, Hurley's Handouts
6) The Lighting of the Beacons - The Return of the King (2003)
by Howard Shore
As a conclusion to the build-up over the last two films, one of the best aspects to The Return of the King is seeing the different kingdoms of Men rally together against Sauron's forces. 'The Lighting of the Beacons' is a brilliant sequence of sweeping shots of New Zealand's stunning vistas as each beacon is lit all the way from Gondor to Rohan. Howard Shore's music is euphoric.
To read about another musical moment in The Return of the King, read my thoughts on the Charge of the Rohirrim here.
5) A Watchful Guardian - The Dark Knight (2008)
by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
The Dark Knight concludes with Jim Gordon's voice-over ("He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.") as we see Batman escape from the police. The film finally cuts to black and Zimmer and Howard's brilliant score washes over us as we see the titles. An absolutely iconic score and my favourite cut-to-credits sequence in a movie.
Honourable mentions: Why so Serious?, Watch the World Burn, Agent of Chaos, Like a Dog Chasing Cars
4) No Time For Caution - Interstellar (2014)
by Hans Zimmer
The layers in the music, the build-up, the beauty, the awe.... A perfect track that proves that Hans Zimmer is a master of his craft. The docking sequence from Interstellar is one of the best science-fiction scenes of all time, and the music is a huge reason why.
Honourable mentions: Cornfield Chase, Day One, S.T.A.Y
3) The Winds of Winter - Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
by Ramin Djwadi
It is nigh on impossible to single out one track from Djawadi's stunning work on the most popular TV show of all time. His music is an essential component why the show feels more cinematic, more epic, more rich than anything we had seen before on television. Personally, every one of Daenerys' themes throughout the show are fantastic and encapsulate the show at its peak. (Also, hearing 'The Rains of Castamere' performed by a live orchestra was unforgettable.)
Honourable mentions: Main Title, A Lannister Always Pays His Debts, Light of the Seven, Winter Has Come, The Last of the Starks, The Night King, You'll Be Queen One Day
2) A Blessing - The Leftovers (2014-2017)
by Max Richter
Max Richter's work for The Leftovers is absolutely sublime. His music stands by itself as a composition, but when paired with the thematic richness, performances and visuals found in the show, it's absolutely breathtaking. The main theme, 'The Departure' is probably the best of the soundtrack, but I had to include 'The Blessing' in this list because of what a perfectly bittersweet but hopeful ending it provided in Season 1.
Honourable mentions: The Departure, Dona Nobis Pacem, The End of All Our Exploring
1) Time - Inception (2010)
by Hans Zimmer
I truly grappled with this being far too predictable a choice for first place but ultimately, it's predictable for a reason (and besides, if it weren't 'Time' it would be 'Dream is Collapsing' which I also adore).
Hans Zimmer's work and particularly this track is one of those rare instances that bridges the gap between film score nerds and wider pop culture. Aside from its use in the movie (which is undoubtedly incredible), 'Time' has come into a life of its own. It is iconic as a piece of music itself. it is simple but powerful and will always remain to be one of the most stirring pieces of film music created.
Honourable mentions: 528491, Dream is Collapsing, Mombaa, Radical Notion, Dream Within a Dream
Thank you for reading this list, particularly if you stuck around for all 5 parts! This was a lot of fun to put together, and there were still so many scores I couldn't fit in. I'd love to hear any of your favourites in the comments or via social media, or if you added any of mine to your playlists!
I do not own any of the videos or images used in this post.