# John Powell's top 100 favorite film scores of all time



## Aliandra (Feb 21, 2022)

I don't think that this has been posted here before.

In no particular order, these are John Powell's top 100 favorite film scores of all time (as of 2008).

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Elmer Bernstein
2. Goldfinger (1964) - John Barry
3. The Great Escape (1963) - Elmer Bernstein
4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - Alan Silvestri
5. Star Wars (1977) - John Williams
6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) - Jerry Goldsmith
7. The Pink Panther (1963) - Henry Mancini
8. Little Women (1994) - Thomas Newman
9. Much Ado About Nutting (1993 - Short) - Carl Stalling
10. All the President’s Men (1976) - David Shire
11. Finding Nemo (2003) - Thomas Newman
12. 633 Squadron (1964) - Ron Goodwin
13. Jaws (1975) - John Williams
14. Batman (1989) - Danny Elfman
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - John Williams
16. Predator (1987) - Alan Silvestri
17. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) - John Williams
18. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - Jon Brion
19. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) - Ernest Gold
20. Mission: Impossible (1996) - Danny Elfman
21. Michael Collins (1996) - Elliott Goldenthal
22. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Danny Elfman
23. Alien (1979) - Jerry Goldsmith
24. Queen Margot (1994) - Goran Bregovic
25. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - John Williams
26. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Thomas Newman
27. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Maestro Ennio Morricone
28. Taras Bulba (1962) - Franz Waxman
29. Back To the Future (1985) - Alan Silvestri
30. The Fifth Element (1997) - Eric Serra
31. Beetlejuice (1988) - Danny Elfman
32. Our Town (1940) - Aaron Copland
33. Once Upon A Time in America (1984) - Ennio Morricone
34. Koyaanisqatsi (1982) - Philip Glass
35. Scott of the Antarctic (1948) - Ralph Vaughan-Williams
36. Planet of the Apes (1968) - Jerry Goldsmith
37. Thin Red Line (1998) - Hans Zimmer
38. Fargo (1996)- Carter Burwell
39. The Lion King (1994) - Hans Zimmer
40. Last Temptation of Christ (1988) - Peter Gabriel
41. Jurassic Park (1993) - John Williams
42. Toy Story (1995) - Randy Newman
43. The Magnificent Seven (1960) - Elmer Bernstein
44. Babe (1995)– Nigel Westlake / Camille Saint-Saens
45. On The Waterfront (1954) - Leonard Bernstein
46. Exodus (1960) - Ernest Gold
47. North By Northwest (1959) - Bernard Herrmann
48. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) - Ennio Morricone
49. The Mission (1986) - Ennio Morricone
50. The Godfather (1972) - Nino Rota
51. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) - Ryuichi Sakamoto
52. Captain Blood (1935) - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
53. The Player (1992) - Thomas Newman
54. Bullitt (1968) - Lalo Schifrin
55. The Sea Hawk (1940) - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
56. Crimson Tide (1995) - Hans Zimmer
57. Psycho (1960) - Bernard Herrmann
58. Birth (2004) - Alexander Desplat
59. Bambi (1942) - Frank Churchill, Edward Plumb
60. Edward Scissorhands (1990)- Danny Elfman
61. Henry V (1944) -- William Walton
62. Henry V (1989) - Patrick Doyle
63. Things to Come (1936) - Arthur Bliss
64. An American Tail (1986) James Horner / Alexander Borodin
65. The Red Pony (1949) - Aaron Copland
66. From Russia With Love (1963) - John Barry
67. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) - Bernard Herrmann
68. Gladiator (2000) - Hans Zimmer
69. Get Shorty (1995) - John Lurie
70. The Natural (1984) - Randy Newman
71. The Producers (1967) - John Morris
72. Ransom (1996) - James Horner
73. Basic Instinct – Jerry Goldsmith
74. Men in Black (1997) - Danny Elfman
75. Talk to Her (2002) - Alberto Iglesias
76. Chariots of Fire (1981) - Vangelis
77. Se7en (1995) - Howard Shore
78. The Omen (1976) - Jerry Goldsmith
79. The Ice Storm (1997) - Mychael Danna
80. Capricorn One (1977) - Jerry Goldsmith
81. The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) - Michael Nyman
82. The Jungle Book (1967) - George Bruns
83. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - John Barry
84. As Good as it Gets (1997) - Hans Zimmer
85. The Witches of Eastwick (1987) - John Williams
86. Run Lola Run (1998) - Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek , Tom Tykwer
87. The Untouchables (1987) - Ennio Morricone
88. On Dangerous Ground (1951) - Bernard Herrmann
89. Chinatown (1974) - Jerry Goldsmith
90. Witness (1985) - Maurice Jarre
91. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - John Barry
92. Cool Hand Luke (1967) - Lalo Schifrin
93. Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Gustavo Santaolalla
94. Batman Forever (1995) - Elliott Goldenthal
95. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) - Danny Elfman
96. Hatari! (1962) - Henry Mancini
97. Thief of Bagdad (1940) - Mikos Rosza
98. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) - Angelo Badalementi
99. Thelma & Louis (1991) - Hans Zimmer
100. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Cy Lince

Composers with multiple entries in Powell's top 100 include: E. Bernstein (3), Barry (4), Silvestri (3), Williams (7), Goldsmith (7), Mancini, T. Newman (4), Elfman (7), Gold, Goldenthal, Morricone (5), Copland, Zimmer (6), R. Newman, Herrmann (4), Korngold, Schifrin, Horner.

Thoughts on his list?


----------



## PedroPH (Feb 21, 2022)

The presence of "Get Shorty" was a pleasant surprise. Great list.

EDIT: "As Good as it gets" is one of my Hans Zimmer favorites. Never mentioned. I already liked John Powell, but now I like him more. Also, of course he wouldn't include his own scores, but "The Bourne Identity" should be in the list. And also "How to Train Your Dragon".


----------



## partched (Apr 16, 2022)

May I ask where this is from?


----------



## jules (Apr 28, 2022)

How does it come "How to train your dragon" is not number one ?? This John Powell guy is totally wrong...


----------



## jeremyr (Apr 30, 2022)

Why did he put Borodin for An American Tail? One of the melodies is similar to Steppes, but then why not list Holst/Korngold/Stravinsky for Star Wars, Vaughan Williams for Star Trek, Herrmann for Batman, etc. etc.? Did he have a feud with Horner?


----------



## Loïc D (Apr 30, 2022)

I see none of my soundtracks.
Oh well…


----------



## Aliandra (May 14, 2022)

partched said:


> May I ask where this is from?


His Facebook page.


----------



## TomislavEP (May 14, 2022)

An interesting selection; many of my personal favorites are included in this list as well as plenty of "underdog" works, but I do find it a bit unusual that Vangelis' music for Blade Runner isn't mentioned.


----------



## Robin (May 14, 2022)

Speaks volumes that the most recent score on this list is from 2005.


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa (May 14, 2022)

Robin said:


> Speaks volumes that the most recent score on this list is from 2005.


This list was made in 2008


----------



## Robin (May 14, 2022)

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> This list was made in 2008


Ah right, missed that one. Thanks for pointing out.


----------

