Greatest Soundtrack Ever: Lord of the Rings voted Number One. (1 Viewer)

[Steve Christou]

Maybe these are the scores that those 50,000+ listeners are currently listening to, ofcourse Bernard Herrmann should be on that list, his Hitchcock scores should be up there definitely, especially 'Vertigo' and 'Psycho'.

 

[Steve Christou]

Just be thankful they didn't include 'pop soundtracks' than you might have had 'Goldmember' at number one.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Would you call '2001' a score? The film wasn't scored, but pre-existing music added. It's terrifically incorporated, but not what I would call a score.

If you'll notice, it's not the "Greatest Score Ever," it's the "Greatest Soundtrack Ever." That's why it was included, in my opinion.

 

[Joe D]

This list is not valid, simply because Conan the Barbarian is not included on the list.
It's nice to see Blade Runner in there however, since that score by Vangelis is great.

 

[Paul_D]

Hold the phone... Not... even... one... Bernard... Herrmann... score...
Crap list.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Paul’s post brought the percentage of posts mentioning the absence of Herrmann to 20. While this is not a consensus, it is enough of a trend to make me wonder what the criterion for voting was. Perhaps one was supposed to listen to the soundtrack independently of the movie.

Even so, I think that this list overlooks important work of serious composers.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Hmmmmmmm, 3 scores by Horner and no Star Trek - The Motion Picture (no Goldsmith at all for that matter).

Superman - The Movie is not in the top 10 but Fellowship of the Ring, Gladiator and Titanic are. And to add insult to injury, the photo of Superman (at least he's pictured) is from Superman II.

This list is worthless.

Neil

 

[Jay_Leonard]

Maybe it does not belong on the list, ( who am I to tell anyone what belongs on their list) and the list does seem skewed to the "Orchestral" side of things

the Matrix which you will not find yourself singing in the shower but is minimalist and supurb.

J

 

[Kevin M]

Jerry Goldsmith is nowhere on this "list" so it can kiss me bum!
Really, I mean how could they forget such incredible scores as
Seconds
The Wind & the Lion
Alien
Freud
The Agony and the Ecstasy
The Omen
Planet of the Apes
Star Trek The Motion Picture
The Illustrated Man
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Mom & Dad save The World (Mind you those two are personal favorites and very underrated I always thought)
Magic
Patton Etc.Etc.
Sorry for the rant, it's just my opinion.

 

[Bill Huelbig]

A lot of great scores are in there, but it looks like some of the finest film composers ever (Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman, Alex North, Jerry Goldsmith, Miklos Rozsa) have been left off the list intentionally. I can't think of any other explanation for why they're not mentioned even once.

--Bill

 

[Greg_S_H]

I was going to weigh in with Herrmann as well, but it looks like that's been covered. So, where are Waxman and Korngold? There's nothing wrong with this list, but it does betray a lack of knowledge about past greats.

Perhaps one was supposed to listen to the soundtrack independently of the movie.

I believe most of Herrmann's scores can easily be listened to independently of the film. I bet the problem is, as I've said, a lack of knowledge. No sense of history, if you will. This isn't a knock against these people, but a list would have more meaning if it was compiled by people with a broad knowledge of film scores old and new. And, no, I am not that person.

 

[Jordan_E]

RINGS number one? I think not! I used to think GLORY was until I heard Horner's speech at the Oscars for his Titanic win and called it his most important score ever. That left a taste in my mouth akin to chewing a fresh snail. 52K classic FM listeners? Then were the heck is Stairway to Heaven?! Oh, wrong kind of classic FM listner!

 

[Michael Ballack]

How in the Hell is Jerry Goldsmith not on there? Rudy has to have one of the most beautiful music pieces ever composed for a picture. What about Bill Conti for Rocky? He got jiffed. "Much to learn, they still have"

 

[Greg_S_H]

52K classic FM listeners? Then were the heck is Stairway to Heaven?! Oh, wrong kind of classic FM listner!

I saw this list a while back, and your post is the first time I got it. FM="film music," right? I literally thought they were asking FM radio listeners.

 

[Steve Christou]

I'm just glad that Classic FM listeners were asked their favorites and not the readers of the newspaper I found the list in, otherwise it might have been a different list all together.
Classic FM is actually a very good radio station, no pop cack, just great music, and they regularly play film music tracks.
STEVE C. HAS NOT RECIEVED ANY PAYMENT FROM CLASSIC FM FOR THIS POST.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

While the absence of some of Bernard Herrman's classics is questionable, I am glad to see that Maurice Jarre's great work on Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago was recognized!

 

[Agee Bassett]

As for not taking this list seriously, in lieu of the short shrift given Herrmann, Korngold, Steiner, Newman, etc., may I also add that any inventory of "greatest soundtracks" which does not include Prokofiev's astonishing scores to Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible (which, to add to my broken record of mentioning this, was ripped off wholesale by Horner for his score to Glory), renders itself negligible.
But isn't that the nature of these "lists"?

 

[Patrick McCart]

Where is Bernard Herrmann?

Geez...the composer of the scores for Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, Taxi Driver, Cape Fear, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Devil and Daniel Webster, and The Trouble With Harry doesn't get a single vote?

I'd think at least Vertigo would show up!

 

[Steve Christou]

Patrick you left out 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, Mysterious Island and Three Worlds of Gulliver.
I think with all the posts mentioning Bernard Herrmann on this thread we've made up for his being left out on that list.
Herrmann is my alltime favorite film composer with Jerry Goldsmith coming in second.
ps. What about Danny Elfman? Looks like everyones forgotten him, tsk tsk.

 

[Tom Ryan]

Coming from someone who loved the FOTR score, thought it the best of the year, this list is a total joke. Scads of legendary composers have been left off the list, and FOTR #1? It's not even top 20 material. Oh well, such is popularity.