Last Updated on 27 July 2024
The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 400 most popular film scores of all time.
I found 24 different ranked lists online of “best film scores or soundtracks” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation. See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 24 lists that were averaged. Below is a ranked list of each movie with the composer(s) for each one.
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – John Williams
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Ennio Morricone
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Howard Shore
- Psycho (1960) – Bernard Herrmann
- Blade Runner (1982) – Vangelis
- Schindler’s List (1993) – John Williams
- The Godfather (1972) – Nino Rota
- Purple Rain (1984) – Prince & Michel Colombier
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – John Williams
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – John Williams
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Maurice Jarre
- The Harder They Come (1972) – Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, & The Slickers
- Jurassic Park (1993) – John Williams
- Saturday Night Fever (1977) – The Bee Gees
- Help! (1965) – The Beatles
- Jaws (1975) – John Williams
- Rocky (1976) – Bill Conti
- Super Fly (1972) – Curtis Mayfield
- Trainspotting (1996) – Various
- Chariots of Fire (1981) – Vangelis
- The Lion King (1994) – Hans Zimmer
- The Graduate (1967) – Simon & Garfunkel
- Gone with the Wind (1939) – Max Steiner
- Back to the Future (1985) – Alan Silvestri
- American Graffiti (1973) – Various
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – John Williams
- Titanic (1997) – James Horner
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Various
- Vertigo (1958) – Bernard Herrmann
- The Pink Panther (1963) – Henry Mancini
- The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Elmer Bernstein
- Interstellar (2014) – Hans Zimmer
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) – John Williams
- Dazed and Confused (1993) – Various
- Elevator to the Gallows (1958) – Miles Davis
- The Bodyguard (1992) – Alan Silvestri
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – Tyler Bates
- Inception (2010) – Hans Zimmer
- Shaft (1971) – Isaac Hayes
- Halloween (1978) – John Carpenter
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – Klaus Badelt
- Singles (1992) – Paul Westerberg
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) – T Bone Burnett
- Rushmore (1998) – Mark Mothersbaugh
- Under the Skin (2013) – Mica Levi
- Easy Rider (1969) – Various
- Pulp Fiction (1994) – Various
- Do the Right Thing (1989) – Bill Lee
- Braveheart (1995) – James Horner
- The Mission (1986) – Ennio Morricone
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – Ennio Morricone
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) – RZA
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – John Williams
- Romeo + Juliet (1996) – Craig Armstrong
- Above the Rim (1994) – Marcus Miller
- Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) – Robert Rodriguez
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Lennie Hayton
- Dirty Dancing (1987) – John Morris
- This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, & Harry Shearer
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) – Erich Korngold
- Gladiator (2000) – Hans Zimmer
- The Crow (1994) – Graeme Revell
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) – Philip Glass
- Suspiria (1977) – Goblin
- Superman (1978) – John Williams
- Dances with Wolves (1990) – John Barry
- Batman (1989) – Danny Elfman
- A Star Is Born (2018) – Various
- Turning Red (2022) – Ludwig Göransson
- Boogie Nights (1997) – Various
- Footloose (1984) – Various
- The Social Network (2010) – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
- Taxi Driver (1976) – Bernard Herrmann
- The Dark Knight (2008) – Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
- Waiting to Exhale (1995) – Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds
- A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – The Beatles
- Goodfellas (1990) – Various
- Casablanca (1942) – Max Steiner
- Wild Style (1982) – Fab 5 Freddy & Chris Stein
- Drive (2011) – Cliff Martinez
- Empire Records (1995) – Various
- Marie Antoinette (2006) – Dustin O’Halloran
- The Big Chill (1983) – Various
- Out of Africa (1985) – John Barry
- High Fidelity (2000) – Howard Shore
- The Third Man (1949) – Anton Karas
- Doctor Zhivago (1965) – Maurice Jarre
- Top Gun (1986) – Harold Faltermeyer
- Pretty in Pink (1986) – Michael Gore
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) – John Williams
- Repo Man (1984) – Steven Hufsteter & Tito Larriva
- West Side Story (1961) – Leonard Bernstein
- Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) – Popol Vuh
- Belly (1998) – Stephen Cullo
- Clueless (1995) – David Kitay
- A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Wendy Carlos
- Garden State (2004) – Chad Fischer
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984) – Ennio Morricone
- The Last of the Mohicans (1992) – Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – John Barry
- Friday (1995) – Various
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – Howard Shore
- Into the Wild (2007) – Eddie Venner
- Rock ’n’ Roll High School (1979) – Various
- Black Panther (2018) – Ludwig Göransson
- 8 Mile (2002) – Various
- Moulin Rouge! (2001) – Craig Armstrong
- There Will Be Blood (2007) – Jonny Greenwood
- King Kong (1933) – Max Steiner
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Herbert Stothart
- High Noon (1952) – Dimitri Tiomkin
- Phantom Thread (2017) – Jonny Greenwood
- Alexander Nevsky (1938) – Sergei Prokofiev
- American Beauty (1999) – Thomas Newman
- The Virgin Suicides (1999) – Air
- 24 Hour Party People (2002) – Various
- Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) – RZA
- Akira (1988) – Geinoh Yamashirogumi
- Good Will Hunting (1997) – Danny Elfman
- Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Danny Elfman
- Ben-Hur (1959) – Miklos Rozsa
- On the Waterfront (1954) – Leonard Bernstein
- The Big Lebowski (1998) – Carter Burwell
- Pather Panchali (1955) – Ravi Shankar
- Chinatown (1974) – Jerry Goldsmith
- Jackie (2016) – Mica Levi
- Midnight Cowboy (1969) – John Barry
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – Dun Tan
- Judgment Night (1993) – Various
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Brad Feidel
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) – Nigel Godrich
- The Godfather Part II (1974) – Nino Rota
- Eraserhead (1977) – David Lynch & Alan R. Splet
- About a Boy (2002) – Badly Drawn Boy
- The Sound of Music (1965) – Richard Rodgers
- Trouble Man (1972) – Marvin Gaye
- The Greatest Showman (2017) – John Debney & Joseph Trapanese
- Legally Blonde (2001) – Rolfe Kent
- Planet of the Apes (1968) – Jerry Goldsmith
- Apollo 13 (1995) – James Horner
- Paris, Texas (1984) – Ry Cooder
- Amélie (2001) – Yann Tiersen
- Tron: Legacy (2010) – Daft Punk
- Almost Famous (2000) – Nancy Wilson
- Forrest Gump (1994) – Alan Silvestri
- The Hired Hand (1971) – Bruce Langhorne
- Dr. No (1962) – Monty Norman
- Sunset Blvd. (1950) – Franz Waxman
- A Fistful of Dollars (1964) – Ennio Morricone
- Solaris (1972) – Eduard Artemiev
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) – Michael Brook
- Contempt (1963) – Georges Delerue
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – Howard Shore
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) – Henry Mancini
- Head (1968) – The Monkees
- Flash Gordon (1980) – Howard Blake & Queen
- The Beach (2000) – Angelo Badalamenti
- Mo’ Better Blues (1990) – Bill Lee
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) – Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
- Moonlight (2016) – Nicholas Britell
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – Elmer Bernstein
- Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) – Ryuichi Sakamoto
- The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) – Mark Mothersbaugh
- Laura (1944) – David Raskin
- Blue Velvet (1986) – Angelo Badalamenti
- Lost in Translation (2003) – Kevin Shields
- Sicario (2015) – Jóhann Jóhannsson
- Pride & Prejudice (2005) – Dario Marianelli
- Reservoir Dogs (1992) – Various
- Encanto (2021) – Germaine Franco
- Kill Your Friends (2015) – Tom Holkenborg
- La Dolce Vita (1960) – Nino Rota
- Tron (1982) – Wendy Carlos
- North by Northwest (1959) – Bernard Herrmann
- Frozen (2013) – Christophe Beck
- Submarine (2010) – Andrew Hewitt
- Lost Highway (1997) – Angelo Badalamenti
- Joker (2019) – Hildur Guðnadóttir
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – John Williams
- Slade in Flame (1975) – Noddy Holder & Jim Lea
- Requiem for a Dream (2000) – Clint Mansell
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959) – Duke Ellington
- Flashdance (1983) – Giorgio Moroder
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – Hans Zimmer
- Juice (1992) – The Bomb Squad & Hank Shocklee
- Kids (1995) – Lou Barlow & John Davis
- Cinema Paradiso (1988) – Ennio Morricone
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) – John Williams
- The Blues Brothers (1980) – The Blues Brothers & Elmer Bernstein
- The Untouchables (1987) – Ennio Morricone
- Beauty and the Beast (1991) – Alan Menken
- Koyaanisqatsi (1982) – Philip Glass
- The Piano (1993) – Michael Nyman
- Heavy Metal (1981) – Elmer Bernstein
- Seven Samurai (1954) – Fumio Hayasaka
- Toy Story (1995) – Randy Newman
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – Alex North
- How the West Was Won (1962) – Alfred Newman
- Magical Mystery Tour (1967) – The Beatles
- On Golden Pond (1981) – Dave Grusin
- The Fountain (2006) – Clint Mansell
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) – Angelo Badalamenti
- The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) – Michael Nyman
- Mission: Impossible (1996) – Danny Elfman
- Barbie (2023) – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
- The Great Escape (1963) – Elmer Bernstein
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) – Nicholas Hooper
- Seven Years in Tibet (1997) – John Williams
- The Devil in Miss Jonas (1974) – Walter Baumgartner
- 500 Days of Summer (2009) – Mychael Danna & Rob Simonsen
- Ghostbusters (1984) – Elmer Bernstein
- Dead Man (1995) – Neil Young
- Rosemary’s Baby (1968) – Krzysztof Komeda
- Aliens (1986) – James Horner
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – John Williams
- Mulholland Drive (2001) – Angelo Badalamente
- Sing Street (2016) – Gary Clark
- The World’s End (2013) – Steven Price
- The Wicker Man (1973) – Paul Giovanni
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Alexandre Desplat
- Donnie Darko (2001) – Michael Andrews
- Annihilation (2018) – Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury
- Alien (1979) – Jerry Goldsmith
- Goldfinger (1964) – John Barry
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – Alexandre Desplat
- Birth (2004) – Alexandre Desplat
- Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) – Various
- Philadelphia (1993) – Howard Shore
- Spring Breakers (2012) – Cliff Martinez & Skrillex
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Ira Newborn
- Glitter (2001) – Terence Blanchard
- Ladies in Lavender (2004) – Nigel Hess
- Tenet (2020) – Ludwig Göransson
- The Great Gatsby (2013) – Craig Armstrong
- The Jungle Book (1967) – George Bruns
- Juno (2007) – Mateo Messina
- The Shining (1980) – Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) – Matthew Compton
- Powaqqatsi (1988) – Philip Glass
- Avatar (2009) – James Horner
- Conan the Barbarian (1982) – Basil Poledouris
- Man of Steel (2013) – Hans Zimmer & Tom Holkenborg
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) – Jerry Goldsmith
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – John Williams
- South Pacific (1958) – Richard Rodgers
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) – Michael Andrews
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – Burt Bacharach
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – James Horner
- Across the Universe (2007) – Elliot Goldenthal
- Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch
- Vanilla Sky (2001) – Nancy Wilson
- Romeo and Juliet (1968) – Nino Rota
- 633 Squadron (1964) – Ron Goodwin
- Quadrophenia (1979) – Various
- Jules and Jim (1962) – Georges Delerue
- Citizen Kane (1941) – Bernard Herrmann
- Baby Driver (2017) – Steven Price
- Dunkirk (2017) – Hans Zimmer
- Pump Up the Volume (1990) – Cliff Martinez
- The Battle of Algiers (1966) – Ennio Morricone
- Dougal and the Blue Cat (1970) – Joss Baselli
- Hustle & Flow (2005) – Scott Bomar
- Princess Mononoke (1997) – Joe Hisaishi
- Suicide Squadron (1941) – Richard Addinsell
- Beetlejuice (1988) – Danny Elfman
- Fargo (1996) – Carter Burwell
- A Goofy Movie (1995) – Carter Burwell
- Casino Royale (1967) – Burt Bacharach
- Born Free (1966) – John Barry
- The Proposition (2005) – Nick Cave
- In the Mood for Love (2000) – Michael Galasso
- Shutter Island (2010) – Various
- Twilight (2008) – Carter Burwell
- A Beautiful Mind (2001) – James Horner
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Tom Holkenborg
- Only God Forgives (2013) – Cliff Martinez
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – John Williams
- The Neon Demon (2016) – Cliff Martinez
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Jon Brion
- New Jack City (1991) – Vassal Benford & Michel Colombier
- Once (2007) – Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
- Promising Young Woman (2020) – Anthony Willis
- The Red Turtle (2016) – Laurent Perez del Mar
- You Were Never Really Here (2017) – Jonny Greenwood
- La La Land (2016) – Justin Hurwitz
- Magnolia (1999) – Jon Brion
- ‘Round Midnight (1986) – Herbie Hancock
- Jailhouse Rock (1957) – Elvis Presley
- Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) – Bob Dylan
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – Hans Zimmer & Tom Holkenborg
- Jackie Brown (1997) – Various
- The Dam Busters (1955) – Eric Coates
- Battle of Britain (1969) – Ron Goodwin & William Walton
- Ex Machina (2014) – Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow
- Fantasia (1940) – Various
- Fantastic Planet (1973) – Alain Goraguer
- Rocketman (2019) – Matthew Margeson
- Adventureland (2009) – Yo La Tengo
- River’s Edge (1986) – Various
- Alfie (1966) – Sonny Rollins
- Outsiders (1977) – Manu Dibango
- The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) – Mark Mothersbaugh
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – John Williams
- The Italian Job (1969) – Quincy Jones
- The Mambo Kings (1992) – Carlos Franzetti & Robert Kraft
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011) – Carter Burwell
- The Wedding Singer (1998) – Teddy Castellucci
- The Big Country (1958) – Jerome Moross
- Walkabout (1971) – John Barry
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – Jack Nitzsche
- Maximum Overdrive (1986) – AC/DC
- The Tale of Genji (1987) – Haruomi Hosono
- Crooklyn (1994) – Various
- I’m Not There (2007) – Various
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) – Benny Andersson, Anne Dudley, & Björn Ulvaeus
- Manhunter (1986) – The Reds & Michel Rubini
- Straight Outta Compton (2015) – Joseph Trapanese
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Thomas Newman
- Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001) – Stephen Warbeck
- Deliverance (1972) – Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel
- Dreamgirls (2006) – Tom Eyen & Henry Krieger
- Don’t Look Now (1973) – Pino Donaggio
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Daniel Pemberton
- Until the End of the World (1991) – Graeme Revell
- Up (2009) – Michael Giacchino
- Sophie’s Ways (1971) – Art Ensemble of Chicago
- The Last Days of Disco (1998) – Mark Suozzo
- The Deer Hunter (1978) – Stanley Myers
- Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) – James Newton Howard
- Teesri Manzil (1966) – Rahul Dev Burman
- Dirty Harry (1971) – Lalo Schifrin
- Shrek (2001) – Harry Gregson-Williams & John Powell
- Sorcerer (1977) – Tangerine Dream
- The Last Emperor (1987) – David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, & Cong Su
- The Princess Bride (1987) – Mark Knopfler
- Stand by Me (1986) – Various
- Tarzan (1999) – Mark Mancina
- Amadeus (1984) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Boyz n the Hood (1991) – Stanley Clarke
- High School Musical (2006) – David Lawrence
- The Red Shoes (1948) – Brian Easdale
- Metropolis (1927) – Gottfried Huppertz
- Risky Business (1983) – Tangerine Dream
- The Parent Trap (1998) – Alan Silvestri
- Batman Begins (2005) – James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) – Various
- Emma (1996) – Rachel Portman
- The Thin Blue Line (1988) – Philip Glass
- Mughal-E-Azam (1960) – Naushad
- Wayne’s World (1992) – J. Peter Robinson
- He Got Game (1998) – Various
- Breathless (1960) – Martial Solal
- Heat (1995) – Elliot Goldenthal
- How to Train Your Dragon (2010) – John Powell
- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) – Nicholas Britell
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) – Harry Gregson-Williams
- Upstream Color (2013) – Shane Carruth
- The Avengers (2012) – Alan Silvestri
- Fellini Satyricon (1969) – Nino Rota
- Menace II Society (1993) – Quincy Jones III
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) – Hans Zimmer
- Soul (2020) – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) – Howard Shore
- Finding Nemo (2003) – Thomas Newman
- Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) – Daniele Amfitheatrof
- The Exorcist (1973) – Jack Nitzsche
- The Phantom of the Opera (2004) – Andrew Lloyd Webber
- The Cider House Rules (1999) – Rachel Portman
- Zodiac (2007) – David Shire
- For All Mankind (1989) – Brian Eno
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) – Walter Schumann
- The Rules of Attraction (2002) – tomandandy
- Double Indemnity (1944) – Miklós Rózsa
- The Hours (2002) – Philip Glass
- Apocalypse Now (1979) – Carmine Coppola & Francis Ford Coppola
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) – Maurice Jarre
- The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) – Michel Legrand
- Cruel Intentions (1999) – Edward Shearmur
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Danny Elfman
- Boomerang (1992) – Marcus Miller
- My Fair Lady (1964) – Frederick Loewe
- The Great Silence (1968) – Ennio Morricone
- Where the Wild Things Are (2009) – Carter Burwell & Karen O
- For a Few Dollars More (1965) – Ennio Morricone
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – AR Rahman
- The Incredibles (2004) – Michael Giacchino
- Platoon (1986) – Georges Delerue
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987) – John Williams
- Uncut Gems (2019) – Daniel Lopatin
- Atonement (2007) – Dario Marianelli
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) – Dan Mudford & Pete Woodhead
- Touch of Evil (1958) – Henry Mancini
- True Grit (2010) – Carter Burwell
- Harold and Maude (1971) – Cat Stevens
- The Darjeeling Limited (2007) – Various
- The King and I (1956) – Richard Rodgers
- Get Carter (1971) – Roy Budd
- Home Alone (1990) – John Williams
- Batman Returns (1992) – Danny Elfman
- The Breakfast Club (1985) – Keith Forsey
