Movie magic isn’t just on-screen, it’s also in your ears. We’re not just talking about excellent sound design or breathtaking surround sound technology like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. We’re talking about the music, man.
Long after you exit the theater and brush the popcorn out of your teeth, the best film soundtracks stick in your head. Sometimes you sing along to them with your family and friends, like the incredible first line of Star Wars (you’re hearing it right now), while other times you’re not even aware how integral they really are, such as the hollow austerity of Interstellar. But they’re always there, propping up the integral moments, and viscerally drawing out your emotions.
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To celebrate these cinematic musical masterpieces, we’ve put together a list of our 30 favorite film soundtracks of all time, in no particular order. Whether you’re a lover of the purpose-composed epics that propel your favorite films’ plot points, or a follower of the perfectly assembled song compilations that color their overall tone, you’ll find something to love below.
Here are our favorite original scores and compilation soundtracks of all time:
Best Original Scores
Star Wars Series — John Williams
Arguably the most iconic film music ever written, John Williams’ epic themes for the Star Wars are not only instantly recognizable around the globe, they also created a film score renaissance, bringing back the grandiose scores from the cinema’s earlier days. To create the Star Wars backdrop, the legendary composer drew heavily from space-themed classical compositions like Gustav Holst’s Planets series, using diverse layers of strings, horns, and unforgettable melodies to capture the emotions of the space opera set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. As for Williams, get used to hearing about him as the iconic composer’s name is awash throughout this list.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy — Howard Shore
Massive choirs, huge drums, and epic brass ensembles join soft and supple woodwinds and strings in composer Howard Shore’s soundtrack for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s a diverse array of sounds that showcases a wide universe of creatures and magic, using techniques like odd time signatures and celtic violin melodies to spawn vast feelings of tension and release that fit well inside the epic three-part story line.
Indiana Jones Series — John Williams
John Williams uses various percussion instruments and dissonant melodic structures to bring a sense of adventure to the Indiana Jones soundtrack, also drawing on concepts like simple repeating melodies — in this case among the catchiest film themes ever written — to help propel the story through each act.
Interstellar — Hans Zimmer
Slow, sparse, and haunting, Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar score moves through your ears like a dust cloud in the vast emptiness of space. Strings and organ float languidly throughout director Christopher Nolan’s space epic, a musical backdrop that invites deep introspective thought, and brilliantly draws your eyes to the beautiful shots on screen.
Jurassic Park Series — John Williams
Shimmering bells and slow-moving vocal backgrounds round out the scores of the Jurassic Park films, a series of works that Williams once called, “These kind of funny ballets.” To mix the primal and the modern, the score includes a good amount of percussion instruments and subtly mixed synthesizers, pitting ancient sounds against the most contemporary tones (and, for you music nerds, that epic flat 7).
The Godfather — Nino Rota
There is a distinct tinge of the old world in the warbly trumpet and string tones composed by Nino Rota for the Godfather score — a group of melancholy compositions with an eye firmly planted on classic Italy. Beautiful accordion-driven waltzes meet jazzy swing music, with all the songs woven together by dark and somber orchestral music.
Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy — James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer
Co-composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard did well to avoid superhero tropes in their score for Christopher Nolan’s dark Batman trilogy, going so far as to hold back introducing a main theme until almost the end of the first film. Instead, the pair used deep drum, synthesizer, and brass tones, creating a Batman franchise that felt more primal than anything before it. Holding off till nearly the last moment makes the theme all the more dramatic when it finally does arrive.
Back to the Future Trilogy — Alan Silvestri
There’s a playful and mysterious nature to the sounds of the Back to the Future trilogy, with composer Alan Silvestry using shimmery harp and percussion tones for fun-loving moments, as well as deep horn cues to for fast-paced intensity. Like many others on this list, recurring melodic themes play a huge role in drawing your ear, with the main theme typically appearing in a cloud of brass and strings. And while the orchestral numbers are fantastic, we can’t leave out Huey Lewis here, who pumped out some of his catchiest ’80s hits for the original film. That’s the power of love, folks.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — John Williams
The spirit of the wizarding world is perfectly captured by John Williams on Hedwig’s Theme, a mysterious keyboard driven ballad that appears throughout the first Harry Potter film. In general, Williams shows off his more intimate side on this score, with many quick-paced horn and string lines underlying the longer, more melodic elements of the music.
Jaws — John Williams
The bold, ominous main theme crafted by Williams for the Jaws franchise is a work of simple and elegant genius. Slowly creeping into your ears like the sight of the massive shark itself, the composer builds tension over time, eventually bursting into your head with sharp, tooth-like tones.
Psycho — Bernard Herrmann
The slow-building high pitched string wail composed by Bernard Hermann for the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho remains among the most panic-inducing sounds in the history of modern cinema. The remainder of Hermann’s strings-only soundtrack perfectly compliments the black and white classic, lending a constant air of suspense throughout what remains one of cinema’s best thrillers.
The Magnificent Seven (1960) — Elmer Bernstein
The essence of the American frontier was perfectly captured by composer Elmer Bernstein in his classic (and utterly hummable) theme for The Magnificent Seven, with a gently flowing string melody and quick-paced woodwinds, brass, and percussion cues. In fact, the soundtrack is so catchy it was repurposed for advertising by both Marlboro cigarettes and Victoria beer as well as the classic James Bond film Moonraker, among numerous other references.
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial — John Williams
The score for E.T. the Extra Terrestrial resembles Williams’ work on the original Star Wars trilogy in many ways. Though not quite as melody-focused as the Star Wars compositions, the musical landscape is driven by deep woodwind tones, shimmering strings, and soft flutes — a group of sounds that helps humanize the strange alien on screen, and helps showcase his overall emotion and fear of the darker side of humanity.
Blade Runner — Vangelis
Classic ’80s synthesizer tones and epic string arrangements transport the listener instantly to Ridley Scott’s dark dystopia, with recurring bell tones that call out through a constant musical mist. Though each song feels unique — from the saxophone-laden Wait for Me to the soft female vocals of Rachel’s Song — there is a reverb-soaked mystery to everything on Vangelis’ soundtrack that helps every element of the film flow together.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid — Burt Bacharach
The playful and poetic nature of both main characters in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is well-reflected in the musical accompaniment of Burt Bacharach, who uses classic tones like out-of-tune piano and melds them with more modern string and horn arrangements. It’s a score that sounds equal parts Broadway musical and country classic.
Best Compilation Soundtracks
‘O Brother: Where Art Thou
Producer T Bone Burnett’s playful, hand-picked mix of Appalachian folk songs has been certified eight times platinum since the film’s release — easily ranking among the most successful compilation soundtracks of all time. The songs are elegant interpretations of classics that feature acoustic guitar, mandolin, and various other folk instruments, and are often driven by beautiful vocal harmonies.
High Fidelity
The producers of this music snob-focused rom-com reportedly listened to over 2,000 different songs to come up with the film’s 70 total musical cues — a job which resulted in one of the most critically-acclaimed indie music soundtracks ever assembled. Previously obscure recordings like The Beta Band’s The Three EP’s saw a massive increase in popularity following the film’s release, and helped encapsulate the world of rock nerds in a way which feels (and sounds) authentic.
Goodfellas
Director Martin Scorsese decided to pick only music that could have been heard at the time each specific scene was set in his gangster classic Goodfellas. But though that was his only hard and fast rule, in general, the director has said his jazz-driven choices were designed to coincide with the emotions of the characters and happenings in each scene. As such, music plays a key role in the film, with various vocal lines from jazz classics often intersecting with on-screen dialogue.
Pulp Fiction
The gritty surf rock and soul music at the heart of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction adds a certain something to the long, wordy scenes in the film — releasing tension in a cathartic and cool manner throughout. Tarantino’s choices also helped revive the then-fading genre of surf rock in the American and international consciousness, with musicians like Dick Dale seeing a revival in popularity throughout the ’90s.
Almost Famous
Classic songs from groups like Led Zeppelin, Yes, and David Bowie help fully-develop the time stamp of Almost Famous, which centers on an up-and-coming band from the ’70s rock era. Thoughtful musical choices also provide context to each character’s thoughts and emotions, adding an important depth to what you see on-screen.
Saturday Night Fever
The world’s most perfect disco soundtrack can be heard on Saturday Night Fever, a Bee Gees-lead group of songs which has been certified 15 times platinum in the decades since its mid-’70s release. Propelled by the Travolota’s dance moves, the soundtrack epitomized the disco scene in the United States at the time, making it an unmistakable landmark in the world of compilation-based soundtracks.
Do The Right Thing
Spike Lee’s classic urban comedy Do The Right Thing relies heavily on a compilation of cassette tape hip-hop, pop, and R&B, and provided a launch pad for now-famous songs like Public Enemy’s Fight The Power. In addition to helping grow hip-hop’s popularity, it also serves as a true-to-era backdrop for late-’80s Brooklyn, making the film feel more authentic overall.
Trainspotting
Director Danny Boyle’s film about the drug-filled UK underground features the sounds of iconic musicians like Iggy Pop and bands like Primal Scream and New Order. It’s a rough and tumble group of songs that fits the heroin addicts’ dingy lifestyle like a glove, and has been long hailed by audiences and critics alike as among the best ever compiled.
Once
Though some of the songs performed on the Once soundtrack by songwriters and co-stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová were written explicitly for the film, most were already recorded by the pair on an album called The Swell Season. Subtle and moving, the pair’s vocal-driven folk helped propel the film about a struggling musician to international acclaim, and helped grow their own careers as independent artists.
Garden State
Actor/director Zach Braff made huge waves in the music world with his song choices on classic indie film Garden State, helping propel now-legendary indie acts like Iron and Wine and The Shins to huge new heights.
American Graffiti
Even before his Star Wars days, director George Lucas had an ear for good music. The soundtrack to his ’50s-set coming-of-age film American Graffiti consists largely of classic rock and roll, featuring easy-listening hits like Louie Louie, Surfin’ Safari, and Maybe Baby. A portrait of his own youth, the song choices helped underscore the simple conflicts that unfold on screen.
The Graduate
Softly sung ballads from folk legends Simon and Garfunkel accompany the sticky conflicts that appear throughout The Graduate. Complex and haunting, songs like The Sound of Silence appear numerous times throughout the film, helping to drive the plot — and the audience’s prospective — to new and interesting places.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
While the gorgeous acoustic covers of David Bowie classics sung in Portuguese on Wes Anderson’s Life Aquatic were performed by guitarist Seu George specifically for the film, they are joined by numerous hits from Bowie and artists like The Stooges and The Zombies. It’s a group of songs with a unique and interesting outward aesthetic, a re-worked bit of modernity that joins well with Anderson’s heavily curated visuals. We could have picked any number of Anderson films for this one — his love of The Kinks helped make the band cool for a whole new generation — but this one really hits home.
The Blues Brothers
Classic comedy The Blues Brothers relies heavily on a raucous soundtrack of vintage blues, jazz, and R&B songs, re-interpreted to fit the adopted personalities of the two lead characters and their band. It’s a high-energy compilation with deep grooves and great horn accompaniment that gives the film an extremely fun-loving feel.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Epic classical works from composers like Johann Strauss II and Aram Khachaturian provide the epic and eerie musical backdrops in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic sci-fi classic, giving the beautiful, revolutionary effects and camera work a deep sense of mystery.
Don’t see your favorite score or soundtrack on our list? Let us know your picks in the comments section below.
