# Thomas Newman, Elliot Goldenthal, Leonard Rosenman, John Barry and John Carpenter picked their favorite film scores of all time



## Aenae (Mar 29, 2020)

Most of these are from the 1990s, only John Carpenter's picks are from recent years.

*Thomas Newman's top 5 film scores of all time:*

1. Chinatown - Jerry Goldsmith - ”For its mood — it fits the time and place perfectly.”
2. To Kill a Mockingbird - Elmer Bernstein - ”Very effective, it just works.”
3. Psycho - Bernard Herrmann - ”Unique and utterly unusual.”
4. The Wizard of Oz - Herbert Stothart - ”Sure, I love the songs, but the score itself is excellent.”
5. King Kong - Max Steiner - ”There's a total sense of popcorn fun. It's a fountainhead score - the beginning of something new.”

*Elliot Goldenthal's top 5 film scores of all time:*

1. Cape Fear - Bernard Herrmann - ”He was the first minimalist. The score was played at a volume where it wouldn't compete with the movie's sound effects.”
2. La Strada - Nino Rota - ”It brought together the carnival and sensual elements of the church.”
3. Altered States - John Corigliano - ”With this soundtrack, he reinvented orchestration in film scoring.”
4. On the Waterfront - Leonard Bernstein - ”His only score had the sky-soaring melodic beauty of the American school.”
5. The Informer - Max Steiner - ”This has both Irish and Celtic folk melodies combined with a sweeping orchestral tapestry. It's brilliant.”

*John Barry's top 10 favorite film scores of all time (in no particular order):*

A Streetcar Named Desire - Alex North
Juliet of the Spirits - Nino Rota
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Sea Hawk - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - Max Steiner
Star Wars - John Williams
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone
Once Upon a Time in America - Ennio Morricone
The Big Country - Jerome Moross
Chariots of Fire - Vangelis

*Leonard Rosenman's top 5 film scores of all time (in no order, although we can assume the Herrmann score is his #1):*

Psycho - Bernard Herrmann
Jaws - John Williams
Gone with the Wind - Max Steiner
Patton - Jerry Goldsmith
East of Eden - Leonard Rosenman

He included himself in the top 5 of all time.

*John Carpenter's top 10 film scores of all time:*

1. Vertigo - Bernard Herrmann - ""A dark, haunting score. Music for a love story, conceived in a nightmare."
2. North by Northwest - Bernard Herrmann - "Funny and suspenseful. One of Hermann's best."
3. Rio Bravo - Dimitri Tiomkin - "Dimitri Tiomkin at his best. The tension themes are great."
4. The Quatermass Xperiment - James Bernard - "James Bernard at his creeping, crawling, spine-tingling best."
5. Forbidden Planet - Louis & Bebe Barron - "The first electronic score for a movie. Weird and haunting."
6. Sorcerer - Tangerine Dream - "Tangerine Dream score the literal heart of darkness."
7. Straw Dogs - Jerry Fielding - "The music expresses the character’s inner turmoil and conflicts."
8. Journey to the Center of the Earth - Bernard Herrmann - "Hermann’s opening theme goes as low and as dark as possible."
9. Horror of Dracula - James Bernard - "James Bernard used to sing the title of the movie he was scoring. In the British release, it was Drac – u – la…"
10. The Magnificent Seven - Elmer Bernstein - "This became standard fare for scoring Westerns. The music channelled Aaron Copland."

Thoughts on their choices?


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## Ashermusic (Mar 29, 2020)

All excellent.


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## I like music (Mar 29, 2020)

Goldsmith scored and recorded Chinatown in 10 days, I heard. If true, absolutely insane.


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## patrick76 (Mar 29, 2020)

All great scores. It's noticeable that they are almost all significantly old. I suppose it makes sense to be sure they stand the test of time, but..


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## Hayden (Mar 29, 2020)

patrick76 said:


> All great scores. It's noticeable that they are almost all significantly old. I suppose it makes sense to be sure they stand the test of time, but..



and naturally, with only five slots to fill, the likes of Korgold, Morricone, and even John Williams are omitted.


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## Consona (Mar 30, 2020)

I was listening to Steiner's King Kong just yesterday. There's this newly recorded John Morgan edition from 90s with clean very nice sound.


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## Akarin (Mar 30, 2020)

As someone mentioned, these are all great scores but they are rather old. As if idealizing the past. Out with the old, in with the new! I'd have loved to see things like Harry Potter, Interstellar or even Nocturnal Animals in this list.


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## Consona (Mar 30, 2020)

Akarin said:


> As someone mentioned, these are all great scores but they are rather old. As if idealizing the past. Out with the old, in with the new! I'd have loved to see things like Harry Potter, Interstellar or even Nocturnal Animals in this list.


You know...

"John Williams, who frequently collaborates with Spielberg, composed the score for Schindler's List. The composer was amazed by the film, and felt it would be too challenging. He said to Spielberg, "You need a better composer than I am for this film." Spielberg responded, "I know. But they're all dead!""


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## CT (Mar 30, 2020)

I'd call several of Newman's and Goldenthal's own scores more interesting to me than some of their choices here. Chinatown is awesome though.


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## wst3 (Mar 30, 2020)

They are all great scores, and I understand why Newman and Goldenthal would not include their own work, but it might have been cool to include a current score?


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## Aenae (Mar 30, 2020)

Akarin said:


> I'd have loved to see things like Harry Potter, Interstellar or even Nocturnal Animals in this list.


I forgot to mention, these two lists are from 1995. I just thought I would share it, I wasn't aware of their choices before. I don't think they would have included something recent if they were asked again today though.


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## bryla (Mar 30, 2020)

I imagine their favorite scores where made when they were younger and starting out, maybe studying, as they tend to make a greater impression on one. My favorite scores are almost all from the late 80’s and 90’s. Just like you can tell a girls age by asking what her boyband was. (Sure there are other ways that are more bulletproof but in a dating scenario this one tends to lead).


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## MA-Simon (Mar 30, 2020)

Aenae said:


> these two lists are from 1995


That seems very important.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 30, 2020)

The problem is that you can't limit it to five without leaving out many scores that belong on that list (not that I can speak for those guys, of course).

Can you leave Jerry Fielding off the list in good conscience, for instance?

And then there are obvious people like John Williams, other scores by the composers on the list (Patton! Planet of the Apes!)... this is like picking a favorite letter.


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## Loïc D (Mar 30, 2020)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> this is like picking a favorite letter.


You mean... N ?


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 30, 2020)

LowweeK said:


> You mean... N ?



Of course!


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## Aenae (Sep 20, 2020)

-


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## Aenae (Jul 15, 2021)

-


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## Aenae (Jul 15, 2021)

Here is Leonard Rosenman's top 5 and John Carpenter's top 10.

*Leonard Rosenman's top 5 film scores of all time (in no order, although we can assume the Herrmann score is his #1):*

Psycho - Bernard Herrmann
Jaws - John Williams
Gone with the Wind - Max Steiner
Patton - Jerry Goldsmith
East of Eden - Leonard Rosenman

He included himself in the top 5 of all time.

*John Carpenter's top 10 film scores of all time:*

1. Vertigo - Bernard Herrmann - ""A dark, haunting score. Music for a love story, conceived in a nightmare."
2. North by Northwest - Bernard Herrmann - "Funny and suspenseful. One of Hermann's best."
3. Rio Bravo - Dimitri Tiomkin - "Dimitri Tiomkin at his best. The tension themes are great."
4. The Quatermass Xperiment - James Bernard - "James Bernard at his creeping, crawling, spine-tingling best."
5. Forbidden Planet - Louis & Bebe Barron - "The first electronic score for a movie. Weird and haunting."
6. Sorcerer - Tangerine Dream - "Tangerine Dream score the literal heart of darkness."
7. Straw Dogs - Jerry Fielding - "The music expresses the character’s inner turmoil and conflicts."
8. Journey to the Center of the Earth - Bernard Herrmann - "Hermann’s opening theme goes as low and as dark as possible."
9. Horror of Dracula - James Bernard - "James Bernard used to sing the title of the movie he was scoring. In the British release, it was Drac – u – la…"
10. The Magnificent Seven - Elmer Bernstein - "This became standard fare for scoring Westerns. The music channelled Aaron Copland."


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## Toecutter (Jul 15, 2021)

Akarin said:


> As someone mentioned, these are all great scores but they are rather old. As if idealizing the past. Out with the old, in with the new! I'd have loved to see things like Harry Potter, Interstellar or even Nocturnal Animals in this list.


"From 1995."


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## South Thames (Jul 16, 2021)

Modesty was never one of Rosenman's attributes, so no surprise (though rather amusing) to see him pick one of his own.


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## Aenae (Sep 3, 2021)

*John Barry's top 10 favorite film scores of all time (in no particular order):*

A Streetcar Named Desire - Alex North
Juliet of the Spirits - Nino Rota
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Sea Hawk - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - Max Steiner
Star Wars - John Williams
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone
Once Upon a Time in America - Ennio Morricone
The Big Country - Jerome Moross
Chariots of Fire - Vangelis


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