# Hans Zimmer selected his top 40 film scores of all time



## Aenae (Jun 1, 2020)

I just found that Hans Zimmer picked his favourite film scores a year ago, I thought I would share it.

Elliot Goldenthal and Jerry Goldsmith have the most scores in Zimmer's top 40 apparently with 3 scores each. They are the only two composers with 3 scores on the list, everyone else that is included has two or one. I'm a bit surprised Morricone didn't have more scores in Zimmer's top 40 seeing he is Zimmer's #1 favourite film composer of all time.

Red Sparrow by James Newton Howard, How to Train Your Dragon by John Powell and There Will Be Blood by Jonny Greenwood are the three most recent scores on the list.

*Hans Zimmer's top 40 film scores of all time (in no order):*

Titus - Elliot Goldenthal
Alien 3 - Elliot Goldenthal
Frida - Elliot Goldenthal
Alien - Jerry Goldsmith
Total Recall - Jerry Goldsmith
Basic Instinct - Jerry Goldsmith
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - John Williams
Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams
Once Upon a Time in the West - Ennio Morricone
The Mission - Ennio Morricone
Blade Runner - Vangelis
Chariots of Fire - Vangelis
The Godfather - Nino Rota
La Dolce Vita - Nino Rota
King Kong - Max Steiner
Gone with the Wind - Max Steiner
Red Sparrow - James Newton Howard
The Sixth Sense - James Newton Howard
How to Train Your Dragon - John Powell
United 93 - John Powell
Avalon - Randy Newman
The Natural - Randy Newman
Predator - Alan Silvestri
Back to the Future - Alan Silvestri
Zulu - John Barry
The Quiller Memorandum - John Barry
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - Ryuichi Sakamoto
The Last Emperor - Ryuichi Sakamoto
Kingdom of Heaven - Harry Gregson-Williams
The English Patient - Gabriel Yared
Modern Times - Charlie Chaplin
High Spirits - George Fenton
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - Michel Legrand
Midnight Express - Giorgio Moroder
Léon - Éric Serra
There Will Be Blood - Jonny Greenwood
Laura - David Raksin
Taxi Driver - Bernard Herrmann
Ran - Toru Takemitsu
The Shawshank Redemption - Thomas Newman

Many good choices here, even if I disagree with some and note the omissions.

Thoughts on his choices?


----------



## tmhuud (Jun 1, 2020)

I don’t know. I think it’s a great list. Hard to get it down to 40. I’ll pretend it’s in order even though it’s not and give a special nod to A3. I’m wondering if Leon isn’t known as a different title in the US...


----------



## tmhuud (Jun 1, 2020)

And United 93 is brilliant. Simply brilliant.


----------



## Consona (Jun 1, 2020)

People like what they like, what more to say about that.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm surprised there are no Star Wars or Star Trek scores (which are IMO way better than most things on the list). Also, there are some Steiner scores, but why not any Rozsa score? From what I've heard so far from these old-school guys, his work was the most interesting to me. Something like Spellbound, wow...

But again, it's his list, and that's that.


----------



## TomislavEP (Jun 1, 2020)

Fantastic and very diverse list. My personal favorites from it are "Chariots of Fire", "Blade Runner" and "Once Upon a Time in the West". From the more Hollywood-sounding works, I would pick Goldsmith's scores of "Alien" and "Basic Instinct" as well as Silvestri's "Back to the Future".

Also, not being on the list, I would also add "Batman" by Danny Elfman, "The Village" by James Newton Howard, "Braveheart" by James Horner and Zimmer's own "Rain Man" - in my opinion, his finest work.


----------



## davidson (Jun 1, 2020)

Hypothetical question, but if he hadn't of made them himself I wonder if he would have included Gladiator, Lion King, Inception, Pirates...I mean, we all (try to) make the music we love right?


----------



## wilifordmusic (Jun 1, 2020)

tmhuud said:


> I don’t know. I think it’s a great list. Hard to get it down to 40. I’ll pretend it’s in order even though it’s not and give a special nod to A3. I’m wondering if Leon isn’t known as a different title in the US...


The Professional dir by Luc Besson. It's a decent movie.


----------



## MA-Simon (Jun 2, 2020)

wilifordmusic said:


> The Professional dir by Luc Besson. It's a decent movie.


Which made me just look up what Jean Reno is up to these days.


----------



## Dirtgrain (Jun 2, 2020)

Consona said:


> People like what they like, what more to say about that.


Yep. I like the soundtracks from the film _Pi_ and the video game _Deus Ex: Human Revolution_ better than some of Zimmer's favorites. No accounting for taste.

But I dig this list--some I have to check out or check out again.


----------



## MarcHedenberg (Jun 3, 2020)

Dirtgrain said:


> Yep. I like the soundtracks from the film _Pi_ and the video game _Deus Ex: Human Revolution_ better than some of Zimmer's favorites. No accounting for taste.
> 
> But I dig this list--some I have to check out or check out again.



Yeah, I don't see the point debating lists. Different sounds speak to different people. That's not me trying to pander to sensitive people, it's just a fact.

Having said that, WHERE THE HELL IS STAR TREK ON THIS LIST!?!?!?

Ok, I've vented my rage. And Deus Ex soundtracks are an absolute favourite of mine.


----------



## Ásta Jónsdóttir (Jun 3, 2020)

Eric Serra is one of my favorite composers. I love his soundtrack to LEON/The Professional as well as Le Grand Bleu, La Femme Nikita, Goldeneye and The Fifth Element.


Shawshank Redemtion is good but I think Thomas Newman's best work is from his recent soundtrack to the film "Tolkien". I love the melodic themes and very unique and contemporary sound:


----------



## Umi_Yu (Sep 6, 2020)

Elliot Goldenthal is definitely a genius!
Alien 3 and Demolition Man are amazing!!!


----------



## dcoscina (Sep 6, 2020)

Solid list. Nice to see love for Goldenthal!


----------



## Dave Connor (Sep 6, 2020)

Zulu, Laura and The Godfather. This guy has perfect taste.


----------



## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 7, 2020)

MA-Simon said:


> Which made me just look up what Jean Reno is up to these days.


Watch "5 no Bloods" by Spike Lee. Great score by Terence Blanchard.


----------



## Kevinside (Sep 7, 2020)

I love EGs Interview with the vampire... and Alien 3... He brings a new world to the brass sound, like Bruckner and Wagner did a long time ago...

But Jerry Goldsmith was genious... Alien,Poltergeist,Total recall and so on and on... I will always come back to his scores...And its great to see Silvestri in the list... Back to the future is a score, which will face the past and the future...timeless...Blade Runner with Vangelis typical composition is important for all the hybrid stuff today... Interesting... No Morricone in the list... I love "The Mission"... So important for later lyrical ways of composing...ok, i was too fast... The Mission is in the list... puhh good...
Btw RSakamotos last empeor is a wonderful score...its so emotional... So mr.zimmer knows, what was and is important in film scoring...


----------



## telecode101 (Sep 7, 2020)

..


----------



## tonaliszt (Sep 7, 2020)

Kevinside said:


> Btw RSakamotos last empeor is a wonderful score...its so emotional... So mr.zimmer knows, what was and is important in film scoring...


If I remember Zimmer had a hand in the Last Emperor as well!


----------



## iwritemusic (Sep 16, 2020)

Pretty darn good list. I'd add:

Cleopatra - Alex North
Sunset Boulevard - Franz Waxman
Tora! Tora! Tora! - Jerry Goldsmith
Star Trek II - James Horner

But BTTF/Silvestri has to be up there; it captured an era.


----------



## Dave Connor (Sep 16, 2020)

iwritemusic said:


> Pretty darn good list. I'd add:
> 
> Cleopatra - Alex North
> Sunset Boulevard - Franz Waxman
> ...


Great list. I wouldn't put the Horner score in there with those three others but we all have our preferences.


----------



## Bill Lacey (Sep 16, 2020)

I'm surprised this was missed:

The Great Escape - Elmer Bernstein


----------



## iwritemusic (Sep 17, 2020)

Dave Connor said:


> Great list. I wouldn't put the Horner score in there with those three others but we all have our preferences.



Yeah, there's probably some childhood bias in there, and the first three are definitely more virtuosic, but I was just so into the STII score as a kid, every theme fell right into place IMHO!


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa (Sep 17, 2020)

Vertigo and Psycho would be my additions.


----------



## JonS (Sep 17, 2020)

Aenae said:


> I just found that Hans Zimmer picked his favourite film scores a year ago, I thought I would share it.
> 
> Elliot Goldenthal and Jerry Goldsmith have the most scores in Zimmer's top 40 apparently with 3 scores each. They are the only two composers with 3 scores on the list, everyone else that is included has two or one. I'm a bit surprised Morricone didn't have more scores in Zimmer's top 40 seeing he is Zimmer's #1 favourite film composer of all time.
> 
> ...


I’m impressed with how many film scores I adore that Hans chose. I don’t agree with all of his choices, but so many of my favorite scores are his too. How cool.


----------



## Vstforever (Sep 21, 2020)

Michel Legrand:
Brian’s theme
The summer of ‘42
Parapluies De Cherbourgh
Papa can you hear me? (Yentl)
etc. etc.

Vladimir Cosma:
Michel Strogoff
L‘Aile ou la Cuisse (Louis de Funes)
Les aventures de rabbi Jacob (Louis de Funes)
etc. etc.

Johnny Pearson:
Sleepy shores
Heather

Henri Mancini:
Moon river
Pink panther
etc. etc.

Michael Kamen:
Band of brothers
Robin Hood prince of thieves

Randy Newman:
Toy Story
etc. etc.


----------



## iwritemusic (Sep 21, 2020)

Pink Panther is a tough one for me, does it get props for one of the coolest most memorable themes ever, or does it get demoted a bit because Meglio Stasera, though an awesome tune in and of itself (and exquisitely orchestrated), is used so much in the soundtrack? It almost feels like product placement for the song after a while to me. Thoughts?


----------



## Vstforever (Sep 22, 2020)

iwritemusic said:


> It almost feels like product placement for the song after a while to me. Thoughts?


You absolutely have a point here, but looking at it as a (big band) song on its own, it survives. As you already said it has a memorable theme, but also good harmonies and great rythm, depending which orchestra is playing which arrangement. It is like a 007 Bond theme. And when you whistle the first 10 notes, every child above 50 years will sing along 😆


----------

