# What's the best movie theme or fanfare? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548 "2002-07-18T04:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/21 "2002-07-18T16:34:41Z")
Excuse me but how about **SUPERMAN** I also think the music to **Field of Dreams** was perfect for the film. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/22 "2002-07-18T17:59:38Z")
Not necessarily my favorite, but in addition to a lot of the John Williams scores listed above, and a lot of Bernard Hermann scores, I really like the opening them to **The Rocketeer** , Wonderful classic theme, filled with movie grandeur. Evidently the Disney folks thought so, too. They used that score for a _lot_ of their movie trailers afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/23 "2002-07-18T18:29:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > **Not necessarily my favorite, but in addition to a lot of the John Williams scores listed above, and a lot of Bernard Hermann scores, I really like the opening them to The Rocketeer, Wonderful classic theme, filled with movie grandeur.** Another James Horner score! Cool choice, Cal. _The Rocketeer_ is one of my favorite examples of a great score for a disappointing film. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/24 "2002-07-18T21:32:52Z")
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the theme from “Rocky”! ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/25 "2002-07-18T22:26:36Z")
What about the theme for The Black Hole? It’s moody and wonderful, and one of my favorites (the movie isn’t bad either). ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/26 "2002-07-18T23:15:20Z")
Gotta be the Rocky theme. Star Wars is way up there too along with Laurence of Arabia and Gone with the Wind. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/27 "2002-07-19T00:26:11Z")
**The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly**. Morricone’s the master. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/28 "2002-07-19T00:29:13Z")
Another vote for the 20th Century Fox bit. I’ve always liked the main theme to _Battlestar Gallactica_ ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/29 "2002-07-19T01:15:01Z")
Gads **Avalonian** , I’d forgotten that TD did the score for _Near Dark_ (one of my favorite vamp movies). I guess I really couldn’t call myself a TD fan. I bought a few of their albums after listening to their film scores and the music just wasn’t what I was expecting. It may be that I couldn’t visualize the movie while listening to their non-film music, I dunno. I think _Legend_ is their best work though (but perhaps I’m biased by the movie). I’ll second the 20th Century Fox theme and **Henry Mancini** ’s _Pink Panther_. I get a kick out of the Looney Tunes theme as well. Very recognizable and always makes me smile (again, probably by associating it with endless Bugs Bunny adventures). I’ll throw out a few more honorable mentions: **Vangelis** - _Chariots of Fire_; **John Wiliams** (again!) - _Empire of the Sun_; and **Bill Conti** - theme for the TV prime time soap _[Falconcrest](http://medlem.spray.se/FalconCrest/ljud/falconcrest.wav)_ (click the link to listen. I hated the show, I’d turn it off after the opening music). Conti also did the theme for _Rocky_. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/30 "2002-07-19T01:19:35Z")
Dammit. I knew I’d hit submit and then think of another one. **Ronan Hardiman** - _Lord of the Dance_. I love lively Irish tunes. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/31 "2002-07-19T01:31:08Z")
I don’t know if this counts, but the music from _Bram Stoker’s Dracula_ has always ranked up there among my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/32 "2002-07-19T04:45:14Z")
Allow me to be the first to offer up yet _another_ Horner score, this time the music to **Titanic** , which still makes me cry whenever I hear it.\* \*Not the Celine Dion song, though. Total waste of a perfectly good melody. Makes me want to vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/33 "2002-07-19T06:43:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Hell \* > \*\*What about the theme for The Black Hole? It’s moody and wonderful, and one of my favorites (the movie isn’t bad either). \*\* One of the best by John Barry–my favorite composer! His best work also includes _Dances With Wolves_, _Out Of Africa_, _The Lion In Winter_, and eleven of the James Bond films. However, I can’t agree that\* The Black Hole\* isn’t a bad movie… ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/34 "2002-07-19T07:33:56Z")
Mmmm. _Lion in Winter_. Great score. I like John Barry too. Hey! I’m listening to an MP3 of his right now! ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/35 "2002-07-19T09:34:01Z")
How can you forget Back to the Future?! That theme just instills a sence of adventure into my inner adventurer. I almost come to tears when I’m flipping through channels and BttF (\<— that’s a scary abbreviation) is on, because I love it, and that music just makes me happy. I’ll go around the house for a week singing “Dun, dun, dun, du du du duhh dunnnnnn!” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/36 "2002-07-19T12:50:35Z")
Absolutely incredible. 34 posts and noboy’s mentioned **The Godfather**. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/37 "2002-07-19T13:09:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Horseflesh \* > **Other Tangerine Dream scores I really liked were _Risky Business_ and _Three O’Clock High_, itself being a very good movie.** > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Avalonian_ > **Cool, another TD fan. Some of my favorites among their film work are Near Dark (chilling) and Miracle Mile, of course… one of my favorite movies anyway. I have about a dozen TD studio and live concert albums as well, and the 5-disc “Tangents” boxed set.** All this talk of Tangerine Dream, and no one mentioned the score for _Sorcerer_? snif. well, _I_ liked it, anyway… But since the thread’s about themes and fanfares, so this won’t be a total hijack: I agree with most everything said before, and I would like to add the Austin Powers theme. Instantly recognizable, and kinda catchy. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/38 "2002-07-19T13:28:29Z")
Egads, people! Has no one mentioned “The Imperial March” from **The Empire Strikes Back**? Greatest theme denoting big evil and power ever. Dum.dum.dum…dun.duDUM.dun.duDUM! ---
**Author:** ![KalliopeCU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@KalliopeCU](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KalliopeCU)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/39 "2002-07-19T14:05:54Z")
As annoying as the plunking of a single piano key can be, it was remarkably effective for “Eyes Wide Shut.” And on another Kubrick note, “Clockwork Orange” will always cast “Singing in the Rain” in a disturbing light. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548/40 "2002-07-19T14:24:52Z")
Lara’s theme from **Dr. Zhivago** , and the theme from **Lawrence of Arabia** (and their respective scores in general), both by Maurice Jarre have got to be two of the most wonderful scores ever composed. Also, James Horner’s score for **Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan** is stunning, as is the score for **Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home** by Leonard Rosenman, who also scored the original Lord of the Rings film, Fantastic Voyage, and some of the Planet of the Apes films (not the first one). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-movie-theme-or-fanfare/119548.md?page=3)