# Movie composers most likely to move you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, music\ **Created:** [January 8, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048 "2021-01-08T18:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/1 "2021-01-08T18:03:28Z")
For me, its John Barry on multiple occasions Somewhere in Time Dances With Wolves “We Have All the Time in the World” from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I see he did Peggy Sue Got Married? Thats a weird combo, I’ve seen the movie but I’ll have to revisit it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/2 "2021-01-08T18:55:08Z")
Bear McCreary. Wrote all that haunting music in _Battlestar Galactica_, and responsible for a lot of the music in _Outlander_. Rachel Portman. She wrote the music for _The Human Stain_ and _Chocolat_, among others. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/3 "2021-01-08T19:07:26Z")
I grew up on films featuring John Williams’ scores. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/4 "2021-01-08T19:15:53Z")
I grew up on films featuring [Ennio Morricone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WPMoVtHSOs)’s scores. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/5 "2021-01-08T19:17:16Z")
I also love Barry’s themes to _Midnight Cowboy_ and _You Only Live Twice_ which, curiously, start with vaguely similar melodies. Many great ones by Elmer Bernstein, with _The Magnificent Seven_ maybe my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlax/32/2927_2.png) [@Scarlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlax)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/6 "2021-01-08T19:18:33Z")
Not James Horner. Buh duh duh duuuuuuuuh. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/7 "2021-01-08T19:21:49Z")
Hans Zimmer’s stuff is fantastic. Gladiator and Interstellar are two of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/8 "2021-01-08T19:43:03Z")
Nino Rota is best known for his music for _The Godfather_, but here are a few more: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zoX6OjAL9z0/maxresdefault.jpg "The Best Nino Rota Movie Theme Songs (The Godfather, Roma, La Dolce Vita...)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoX6OjAL9z0) ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/9 "2021-01-08T20:13:41Z")
Dam Busters March by Eric Coates [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zyBLd1eRgts/maxresdefault.jpg "The Dam Busters (1955) - Re-created Main Titles in HD Colour") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyBLd1eRgts) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/10 "2021-01-08T20:14:44Z")
His career stretched nearly 50 years. His best known movie music is as iconic as it gets and never fails to evoke emotion. You’ve heard it a million times and recognize it instantly even if you don’t know the composer’s name: > **[Akira Ifukube - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006136/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr4)** > > Akira Ifukube. Composer: Godzilla. Akira Ifukube was born on May 31, 1914 in Hokkaido, Japan. He was the third son of a chief constable (his grandfather was a priest of Shin-to) and spent a majority of his childhood in areas with a mixed Japanese and... [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PDeU42u2s2Y/hqdefault.jpg "Ifukube Akira - Godzilla Medley") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDeU42u2s2Y) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/11 "2021-01-08T20:30:23Z")
**Bernard Herrmann.** He did music for Alfred Hitchcock films ( **The Man who Knew too much, North by Northwest, Psycho** ) and Ray Harryhausen movies ( **Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, The Mysterious Island** ) and random SF/Fantasy/Horror flicks ( **The Day the Earth Stood Still, It’s Alive** ). He did most of my favorite film music. That said, my overall favorite is probably James Horner’s opening for **The Rocketeer** And, as with **F.U. Shakespeare** , Elmer Bernstein’s score for **The Magnificent Seven** Plus, of course, John Williams’ great James Bond scores. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/12 "2021-01-08T20:33:25Z")
Wait, which James Bond movies did John Williams score? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/13 "2021-01-08T20:37:14Z")
Sorry – I miswrote, having a previous post in mind. I mean his many pop culture scores – Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/14 "2021-01-08T20:38:52Z")
I agree that Williams’ music is iconic. I was someplace, an office perhaps, and the Superman theme was playing in the background. It was immediately recognizable. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/15 "2021-01-08T22:31:06Z")
As in so many instances, I’m going with Tom Waits here. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eF-HAAUY45c/hqdefault.jpg "Tom Waits - Broken Bicycles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF-HAAUY45c) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/16 "2021-01-08T22:33:05Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > I grew up on films featuring [Ennio Morricone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WPMoVtHSOs)’s scores. _The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly_ is probably my favorite score ever. _The Ecstasy of Gold_ (when Tuco is running through the graveyard looking for a particular marker) is amazing. I splurged on a fourth-row ticket to see him conduct an orchestra in NYC several years ago, but he had to cancel for health reasons. Never had another chance to see him. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/17 "2021-01-08T22:39:14Z")
Harry-Gregson Williams has long been my favorite, not just in movies but also in videogames. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/18 "2021-01-08T22:46:18Z")
John Williams – his _Star Wars_ stuff generally, but his score for _The Empire Strikes Back_, in particular. It’s the best of all the SW films, and one reason why is the great music. NFL Films has a lot of bespoke music that they’ve had composed and recorded for use in their various highlight videos and films, by a number of different composers. About 15 years ago, when I was playing a lot of Madden (which featured many of those NFL Films tracks), I discovered this piece, “Heroes of War,” by David Robidoux. I know very little about his other work, but it’s one of my very favorite soundtrack pieces. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PzDpcX1ZVoU/hqdefault.jpg "Autumn Thunder: Heroes of the War by David Robidoux") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzDpcX1ZVoU) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/19 "2021-01-08T23:04:31Z")
The first time I saw Days of Heaven, I was in awe of [Ennio Morricone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WPMoVtHSOs). But _move me?_ He showed up just as the U-Haul did, and sure, he helped lighten the beer cooler, but he didn’t lift a finger when we were trying to pivot the hide-a-bed out the door… ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048/20 "2021-01-08T23:43:31Z")
Dude, Sam Spence got my arm and ear gashed open just a month ago…I put on Autumn Thunder started running in slow motion and then decided it was a good idea to wrestle my 16 year old son…then i fell onto the sharp corner of my desk [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-composers-most-likely-to-move-you/930048.md?page=2)