Excuse me but how about
SUPERMAN
I also think the music to Field of Dreams was perfect for the film.
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.
Another James Horner score! Cool choice, Cal. The Rocketeer is one of my favorite examples of a great score for a disappointing film.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the theme from “Rocky”!
What about the theme for The Black Hole? It’s moody and wonderful, and one of my favorites (the movie isn’t bad either).
Gotta be the Rocky theme.
Star Wars is way up there too along with Laurence of Arabia and Gone with the Wind.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Morricone’s the master.
Another vote for the 20th Century Fox bit. I’ve always liked the main theme to Battlestar Gallactica
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 (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.
Dammit. I knew I’d hit submit and then think of another one.
Ronan Hardiman - Lord of the Dance. I love lively Irish tunes.
I don’t know if this counts, but the music from Bram Stoker’s Dracula has always ranked up there among my favorites.
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.
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…
Mmmm. Lion in Winter. Great score. I like John Barry too. Hey! I’m listening to an MP3 of his right now!
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!”
Absolutely incredible. 34 posts and noboy’s mentioned The Godfather.
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.
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!
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.
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).