# Post your favorite "non-musical" movie themes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, music\ **Created:** [March 19, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376 "2023-03-19T20:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/61 "2023-03-20T01:31:53Z")
Ron Goodwin’s “Aces High,” main theme from _ **The Battle of Britain** _ (1969): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1teoC2aMVtY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgRigqMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCbWO_U2o5X7_Cp1oPtCJK7IEklIQ "Luftwaffe March") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1teoC2aMVtY) John Williams’ _ **Midway** _ (1976): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XOI8YX8r6Ww/hqdefault.jpg "Great War Movie Themes : Battle Of Midway") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOI8YX8r6Ww) ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/62 "2023-03-20T01:37:39Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LANHWwEjOAU/hqdefault.jpg "Prologue/Anvil of Crom - Conan the Barbarian Theme (Basil Poledouris)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LANHWwEjOAU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/L_dLAw5AN7g/maxresdefault.jpg "Nausicaa OST - Opening") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_dLAw5AN7g) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/63 "2023-03-20T01:43:16Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > “The Magnificent Seven” by Elmer Bernstein. Excellent suggestion! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yulmgTcGLZw/hqdefault.jpg "The Magnificent Seven • Main Theme • Elmer Bernstein") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yulmgTcGLZw) Bernstein’s music is fantastic! I didn’t know this was one of Mancini’s: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cT3-mOHqva8/hqdefault.jpg "Ernest Gold: Exodus - Theme of Exodus") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT3-mOHqva8) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/64 "2023-03-20T01:54:32Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > And for something completely different: Shaft. Right on! 💪 Funny, innit, that Janet Leigh, who sets the whole story in motion, gets only an “and” credit in _ **Pyscho** _? That’s what happens if you get bumped off in the first half of a movie… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/65 "2023-03-20T02:10:41Z")
_Easy Rider_ (1969) - Steppenwolf [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/v1vLkj4ydmE/maxresdefault.jpg "Easy Rider (1969) Opening Credits Clip #1 HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vLkj4ydmE) _Pit Stop_ (1969) – The Daily Flash [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WemBy2sUUtE/maxresdefault.jpg "Pit Stop (1969) - Title Sequence") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WemBy2sUUtE) _Repo Man_ (1984) – Iggy Pop [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/H5Z77BMm2X0/hqdefault.jpg "Repo Man main titles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Z77BMm2X0) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/66 "2023-03-20T02:21:11Z")
Well if we’re doing Easy Rider [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pLHKIsj2QOU/maxresdefault.jpg "Tell Me- Terry Kath (Vinyl Restoration)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLHKIsj2QOU) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/67 "2023-03-20T02:23:04Z")
And finally from my favorite score of all time [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9KlXUXFRMIk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Omega Man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KlXUXFRMIk) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/68 "2023-03-20T02:28:49Z")
ooops couple more. Judge Roy Bean these is so fucking good, Tarantino used it in his last film [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/11-pW2gCUWM/maxresdefault.jpg "Maurice Jarre - Miss Lillie Langtry (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11-pW2gCUWM) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Kfu2RLj-eeQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Jeremiah Johnson - Ending") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfu2RLj-eeQ) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/69 "2023-03-20T02:53:44Z")
Oscar-winning theme from _ **Working Girl** _ (1988): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cv-0mmVnxPA/hqdefault.jpg "Let The River Run - Carly Simon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-0mmVnxPA) Theme from John Carpenter’s _ **Dark Star** _ (1974). There’s an “unofficial” third verse in Joe Bethancourt’s performance on YouTube. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xs-jXgNHW7Y/maxresdefault.jpg "Dark Star - Benson Arizona") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs-jXgNHW7Y) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/70 "2023-03-20T03:01:04Z")
We could make a 100 Carpenter posts AND Morricone’s The Thing work. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/71 "2023-03-20T03:34:46Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > You just wait until they make a Hawaii 5-0 movie! Did you know there are at least two versions of the Five-O theme with lyrics? (Three, if you count Nick the Lounge Singer’s version, which used to be on YouTube, but I can’t find it now.). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BnCEVOSarqw/hqdefault.jpg "Sammy Davis, Jr - You Can Count On Me (Theme From Hawaii 5-0)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnCEVOSarqw) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JR9jN20RqJ4/hqdefault.jpg "Don Ho - YOU CAN COME WITH ME (Theme from "Hawaii Five-0") + LYRICS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR9jN20RqJ4) While Sammy’s version might be more appropriate for a gritty cop show, I must say I prefer Don’s. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/72 "2023-03-20T03:42:23Z")
John Williams’ Superman theme. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e9vrfEoc8_g/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGBwgPyh_MA8=&rs=AOn4CLANXAWKX7Iu59fDLYhvMbXd9AbffA "Superman Theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9vrfEoc8_g) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/73 "2023-03-20T04:56:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Did you know there are at least two versions of the Five-O theme with lyrics? And then there’s the Aussie.punk version… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Fmeoc8fi2aY/maxresdefault.jpg "ALOHA STEVE AND DANNO- RADIO BIRDMAN") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmeoc8fi2aY) ---
**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:** [March 20, 2023, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/74 "2023-03-20T05:59:52Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Anything by Lalo Schifrin. The original TV version was brilliant, but it got butchered for the movie. Someone hit it with a rock until it was in 4/4 time instead of 5/4 > [@terentii](#): > > [The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (2004 Remaster)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBixD-rTB_c) Also great, but from that movie I prefer _The Ecstasy of Gold_. It starts at about 0:45 in this clip: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ubVc2MQwMkg/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHUBoAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgYihZMA8=&rs=AOn4CLD8OVzEMmGpoh1Xc1mCTDAVNgbc4w "The good, the bad and the ugly - Ecstasy of Gold") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubVc2MQwMkg) > [@Biggirl](#): > > Hate to double post but there’s a thread about The Sting right under this one and I remember being, like, 7 and teaching myself the melody on my tiny Casio keyboard. I was so proud of myself! From _The Sting_, I’m partial to “Solace”. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GOwachalNNw/hqdefault.jpg "Scott Joplin's Solace - The Sting Soundtrack") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOwachalNNw) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/75 "2023-03-20T07:39:01Z")
The Battle On The Ice, from Prokofiev’s music for Alexander Nevsky [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u93s_grWY3o/hqdefault.jpg "The Battle of the Ice || Alexander Nevsky (1938)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u93s_grWY3o) The Sea Hawk - Korngold [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C-RPzAbW7No/hqdefault.jpg "Erich Korngold - The Sea Hawk 1/2") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-RPzAbW7No) North by Northwest - Bernard Herrmann [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AX_kid-pL5k/hqdefault.jpg "North by Northwest Theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX_kid-pL5k) Battle of Agincourt from Walton’s music for Henry V [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WOCMvfLjmVM/hqdefault.jpg "The Battle of Agincourt - Henry V (1944) - Sir William Walton") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOCMvfLjmVM) Genevieve - Larry Adler [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9eB6CvxBnzs/maxresdefault.jpg "Larry Adler - Genevieve Waltz - (Genevieve, 1953)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eB6CvxBnzs) Things to Come - Arthur Bliss [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6t6_piBtLpA/hqdefault.jpg "March from "Things to Come" - Sir Arthur Bliss conducts") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t6_piBtLpA) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/76 "2023-03-20T12:43:59Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > The Sea Hawk - Korngold I thought of posting this (it’s great!), but a vocal version is featured in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/77 "2023-03-20T12:46:40Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Also great, but from that movie I prefer _The Ecstasy of Gold_. This performance (live in Venice, 2007) gives me the chills: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nOE24dd0Xmc/hqdefault.jpg "The Ecstasy of Gold (Live) - Ennio Morricone Orchestra") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOE24dd0Xmc) Magnificent! ---
**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:** [March 20, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/78 "2023-03-20T13:23:07Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > This performance (live in Venice, 2007) gives me the chills: Morricone was supposed to do an American tour in 2014, and I splurged on a fourth-row ticket to see him in New York. I imagine it would have been something like that video, and I was really looking forward to it. He had to cancel for health reasons, though. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/79 "2023-03-21T14:12:25Z")
Someone mentioned John Carpenter, surely “Assault on precinct 13” is worth a mention [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/i5UU2TxOcZs/maxresdefault.jpg "John Carpenter: Assault on Precinct 13 (Main Title/Julie)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5UU2TxOcZs) And memorably used in [“megablast”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfqWEqObhM) by Bomb the Bass (and close to my heart as an early Amiga user, it was the theme to Xenon2) Of course Vangelis has to get a look in here as well, “chariots of fire” is very obvious but I think “conquest of paradise” is a theme that captures the spirit of the respective movie perfectly. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WYeDsa4Tw0c/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-AoACoAKKAgwIABABGHIgRShDMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBXgV2NRk1RMnvNpBYVAAZzeJudPw "Vangelis - Conquest of paradise") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYeDsa4Tw0c) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376/80 "2023-03-21T14:19:13Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Of course Vangelis has to get a look in here as well, “chariots of fire” is very obvious but I think “conquest of paradise” is a theme that captures the spirit of the respective movie perfectly. I am **so** glad you brought up Vangelis! **This theme** is from a great but vastly underappreciated movie with a wonderful cast: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cBBQNKHqrgk/hqdefault.jpg "The Year of Living Dangerously • L'Enfant • Vangelis") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBBQNKHqrgk) It too gives me the chills! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-favorite-non-musical-movie-themes/981376.md?page=5)