Film scores are, believe it or not, one of our key outlets of orchestral music. And there are some incredibly talented composers working for the movies.
We sat down, sifted through the various scores, especially over the last ten years or so, when superhero movies really took off, and picked out the ten best scores.
Unsurprisingly, at least two involve Batman.
Say what you will about the movie, Carlo Siliotto's score was top-notch. Especially since he's largely worked in Italian cinema and when he comes to the US to compose, it's for movies about puppies and romantic comedies.
There's a reason "Superman Returns" pretty much just had a few tweaks and rearrangements of John Williams' score.
The movie may be love it or hate it, but film score nerds were shocked Danny Elfman handed in something so unlike him.
You know, like this.
And speaking of the late '80s-early '90s comic movie boom...
James Horner handed in a handful of incredibly influential scores (that he copied relentlessly: listen to "Aliens" and "Star Trek II" closely and you'll realize they're basically the same score). But this is fairly unique, and it soars.
Boy, Danny Elfman turns up on this list a lot.
What's actually interesting about Hans Zimmer's score is that the Joker and Batman are represented on the soundtrack not by a specific theme but by two notes apiece: Batman with two notes of brass, and the Joker with a violin note stretched beyond seeming human capacity.
Any you think we missed? Post 'em in the comments.
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I gotta say, I dug the score for X-Men: First Class. It didn’t exactly have a “hummable” theme to it, but the music was just really well orchestrated and appropriate for building tension. Particularly the Nazi hunting scenes and the more emotional parts.
The score was definitely solid. Henry Jackman is actually pretty good, although I tend to like him more as a supervisor than a composer (for example, the scene in Kick-Ass with a twelve year old murdering gangsters with a katana? Apparently the idea of setting it to the “Banana Splits” theme song was Jackman’s idea).
Michael Kamen and John Ottman’s scores for X-Men and X2, respectively, are also great. X-Men 3 didn’t happen.
Ugh, Ottman. I love the man’s work as an editor, and how he puts it perfectly with his work as a composer, but just on their own, his scores don’t do it for me.
Good list.
The Elfman’s Batman theme will always be THE Batman for me, but I think that’s more due to B:TAS than any of the actual movies.
Shirley Jackson, the B:TAS composer, is actually very talented in her own right: I’ve always wondered why, especially after some of the scores she put in, she never got viewed as a “top tier” composer.
It’s not from a movie but the theme from Batman: Arkham City is phenomenal
[www.youtube.com]
Damn straight. Here’s to hoping it’ll get picked up in other media.
Lists like these are always great fabric for debate. I found some of the choices here surprising, but that’s what makes it an interesting list.
Myself, I think Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s ‘Molossus’ theme, the Batman’s theme from BATMAN BEGINS, is so evocative and resonant, it displaces Danny Elfman’s BATMAN theme — which I see now as being cold, impassive, dissonant. I hope the ‘Molossus theme makes a return in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
I disliked Elfman’s work on HULK, but I think his SPIDER-MAN theme is a high point, capturing the themes of the character’s story and interpreting them as opera.
Williams’ SUPERMAN theme remains for me the brass ring for any composer to aspire to.
So THAT’S what that god-awful noise was in TDK that we must’ve heard for about 20 minutes of the film.
Does “Flash Gordon” count?
AH-AHHHHHH!!!
HE’LL SAVE EVERY ONE OF US!!!
I’ve always been partial to the Robocop theme. Not sure if it counts, since he’s a robot hero and not a superhero, but if Batman counts, I think Robocop should.
Basil Poledouris! Great composer: also put out the “Conan the Barbarian” theme. That steel clanking noise you hear is a dude actually pounding an anvil.
I assume Terminator doesn’t count?
Silverado by Bruce Broughton. What? Cowboys can’t be superheroes??
*holds up dvd copy of Quigley Down Under, points to it* My friend and I disagree.
Agree completely with Dark Knight, but would add Batman Begins, specifically the theme surrounding Bruce’s memories of his father. Powerful stuff.
Also, maybe slightly cheesy, but I LOVE Alan Silvestri’s work on Captain America TFA. Inspirational without going overboard. Makes me wanna sign up and go punch a Nazi!
the music from the new star trek movie has always stuck with me, esp the main theme. i like it cause its short, sharp and very dramatic.
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I love the Avengers theme ([www.youtube.com]) and the Iron Man theme ([www.youtube.com]) a lot. They are intense and reflect the movie well