100 Greatest Movie Theme Songs

4/14/2019by admin
100 Greatest Movie Theme Songs Rating: 3,7/5 9275 votes
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The songs listed below don't have to appear on a soundtrack album to be eligible for this list and they are not automatically eligible if they were. These are basically 'Movie Moments' where no other song could have captured the moment like these did. I also tried to avoid using musicals like 'Grease' or 'Willie Wonka' or biographical films about musicians like La Bamba or Walk The Line since that's just too easy.

If the song used was an already existing recording that was not written for the show, this is a big negative unless it somehow really fits the show. 2 - Popularity - How popular did the song become as a result of being the theme song for the show? Popularity that already existed before the song was used as the theme does not count here.

  1. The 10 Most Memorable Movie Theme Songs. Anna Jauhola. Updated: 25 November 2016. Share this article. Power of Love‘ rocketed to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 at #1 and was nominated for an Academy Award for The Best Original Song. The above video clip is, however.
  2. Best Movie Soundtrack Songs. Updated on July 11, 2015. Contact Author. (The greatest soundtrack theme ever created by a rock band from) FLASH GORDON. I just got finished watching The Warriors and got to thinking about the best songs played at the end of a movie. In the city has got to be one of the best for me.

The Greatest Musical Movie Moments or MMMs

Listed by SONG, (Scene in which the song appears) and MOVIE.

  1. MOVING IN STEREO by THE CARS (Phoebe Cates comes out of the pool and adolescence will never be the same in) FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
  2. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU by STEALER'S WHEEL (The ear-chopping scene with the cop Marvin in) RESERVOIR DOGS
  3. GOODBYE HORSES by Q LAZZARUS (The tuck your penis in and dance like a total trans-gender psycho song in) THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
  4. DAY-O (THE BANANA BOAT SONG) by HARRY BELAFONTE (The amusing séance song from) BEETLEJUICE
  5. IN YOUR EYES by PETER GABRIEL (John Cusack's overhead boombox for unrequited love in) SAY ANYTHING..
  6. THEME FROM 'FLASH' by QUEEN (The greatest soundtrack theme ever created by a rock band from) FLASH GORDON
  7. I GOT YOU BABE by SONNY & CHER (The wake up and start it all over again song from) GROUNDHOG DAY
  8. JUST DROPPED IN (TO SEE WHAT CONDITION MY CONDITION WAS IN) by FIRST EDITION (The Dude's bowling montage / acid-flashback in) THE BIG LEBOWSKI
  9. GIMME SHELTER by THE ROLLING STONES (The drug-induced spinout of Henry Hill and his cocaine mistress in) GOODFELLAS

  10. LUST FOR LIFE by IGGY POP (The opening chase scene / hit by a car in) TRAINSPOTTING

  11. DAMN, IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GANGSTA by GETO BOYS (Getting seriously gangsta on the Copy Machine in) OFFICE SPACE

  12. ROCKY'S THEME (GONNA FLY NOW) by BILL CONTI (Running through the Streets of Philly with all the kids and then up the steps from) ROCKY and ROCKY II

  13. ARTHUR'S THEME (BEST THAT YOU CAN DO) by CHRISTOPHER CROSS (Take me through the park Bitterman, you know how much I love the park! from) ARTHUR

  14. IT'S HARD OUT HERE FOR A PIMP by THREE SIX MAFIA (The studio recording scene in) HUSTLE & FLOW

  15. HOLIDAY ROAD by LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM (Griswold traveling theme to) NATIONAL LAMPOON'S 'VACATION'

  16. SHOUT by Otis Day & The Knights (Live from the frat house in) NATIONAL LAMPOON'S 'ANIMAL HOUSE'

  17. SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW by JUDY GARLAND (The final shootout in) FACE/OFF

  18. BRAND NEW KEY by MELANIE (The Rollergirl Strip song in) BOOGIE NIGHTS

  19. ANYONE ELSE BUT YOU by THE MOLDY PEACHES (The closing duet between Cera & Page in) JUNO

  20. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE by GUNS N' ROSES (The violent opening scene transition in ) LEAN ON ME

  21. EYE OF THE TIGER by SURVIVOR (training montage in) ROCKY III

  22. THIS WOMAN'S WORK by KATE BUSH (Kevin Bacon's maternity waiting room song from) SHE'S HAVING A BABY

  23. MRS. ROBINSON by SIMON & GARFUNKEL (The coming of age pool scene in) THE GRADUATE

  24. TROUBLE by CAT STEVENS (Teenage heartbreak of a whole other kind from) HAROLD AND MAUDE

  25. QUE SERA SERA by SYD STRAW (Backyard Croquet in) HEATHERS

  26. BATTLE WITHOUT HONOR OR HUMANITY by TOMOYASU HOTEI (The Battle with the Crazy 88s in) KILL BILL VOL. 1

  27. NOW THAT I'VE FOUND YOU by THE FOUNDATIONS (Closing theme to) SHALLOW HAL

  28. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT by THE ROLLING STONES (Funeral procession in) THE BIG CHILL

  29. FIGHT THE POWER by PUBLIC ENEMY (used throughout the amazing and important) DO THE RIGHT THING

  30. BURNIN' FOR YOU by BLUE OYSTER CULT (Vampire in the Backseat song in) LET ME IN

  31. FOOTBALL RAP by LL COOL J (The closing credits song with Goldie Hawn and cast) WILDCATS

  32. IT'S COLD OUTSIDE by WILL FERRELL & ZOE DESCHANEL (The funny shower-room scene in) ELF

  33. SON OF A PREACHER MAN by DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (Picking Up Mrs. Mia Wallace in) PULP FICTION

  34. FREE BIRD by LYNYRD SKYNYRD (The final highway shootout in) THE DEVIL'S REJECTS

  35. IF YOU WERE HERE by THOMPSON TWINS (The closing kiss, wish 'already came true' song in) SIXTEEN CANDLES

  36. MAKING TIME by CREATION (Bill Murray's bicycle run-over revenge in) RUSHMORE

  37. SINGING IN THE RAIN by Malcolm McDowell (The shockingly funny rape scene in) CLOCKWORK ORANGE

  38. HIP TO BE SQUARE by HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS (The greatest murder in the film is done to this hilariously bad song from) AMERICAN PSYCHO

  39. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY by ESQUIVEL (The Troublemakers theme in) FOUR ROOMS

  40. TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS by THE COMMITMENTS (their best performance before utter implosion) THE COMMITMENTS

  41. UP WHERE WE BELONG by JOE COCKER & JENNIFER WARNES (The romantic warehouse ending to) AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN

  42. TOO YOUNG by PHOENIX (The streets of Tokyo in) LOST IN TRANSLATION

  43. PEOPLE ARE STRANGE by ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (Welcome to Santa Carla theme from) THE LOST BOYS

  44. BAD TO THE BONE by GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS (The theme to one evil car in) CHRISTINE

  45. DREAM AWAY by GEORGE HARRISON (The closing credits to) TIME BANDITS

  46. CANNED HEAT by JAMIROQUAI (The 'VOTE FOR PEDRO' big dance contest winner in) NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

  47. WHERE IS MY MIND? by THE PIXIES (The world collapsing on itself in) FIGHT CLUB

  48. ALL BY MYSELF by ERIC CARMEN (The hilarious funeral boombox in) TO DIE FOR

  49. NOT READY TO MAKE NICE by THE DIXIE CHICKS (The Free Speech anthem from) SHUT UP & SING

  50. I AM A MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW by THE SOGGY BOTTOM BOYS (live performance in) O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

  51. BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP by THE FOUNDATIONS (the closing theme to) THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY

  52. THE BABYSITTING BLUES by ELIZABETH SHUE (Nobody leave this place without sangin' the blues song from) ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING

  53. AIN'T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD by DEAN MARTIN (Budding romance in) A BRONX TALE

  54. LITTLE GREEN BAG by GEORGE BAKER SELECTION (The opening slo-mo shot in) RESERVOIR DOGS

  55. BLACK BETTY by RAM JAM (for the Dope runs to South America in) BLOW

  56. WHITE RABBIT by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (The hysterical attempted bathtub suicide in) FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS

  57. GOT TO GIVE IT UP (Pt. 1) by MARVIN GAYE (The song that keeps the peace in the) BARBERSHOP

  58. WISE UP by AIMEE MANN (The song they all spontaneously start singing in) MAGNOLIA

  59. LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL by HOWARD JONES (The 'Fix up the car with a foreign exchange student' song in) BETTER OFF DEAD

  60. SWEET JANE by THE COWBOY JUNKIES (The love scene in) PRELUDE TO A KISS and also used in NATURAL BORN KILLERS

  61. ROLLING WITH MY HOMIES by COOLIO (the hilarious Brittany Murphy version in) CLUELESS

  62. UNDER PRESSURE by QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE (Music Therapy in) IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY

  63. WAVE OF MUTILATION by THE PIXIES (Walking home paranoid as hell in) PUMP UP THE VOLUME

  64. EVERYBODY'S TALKIN' by NILSSON (Gigolo Cowboy Street-combing in NYC) MIDNIGHT COWBOY

  65. HEY YOU by PINK FLOYD (The Un-original song sung by Jesse Eisenberg in) THE SQUID AND THE WHALE

  66. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY by THE EAGLES (Will Ferrell's version is heartbreaking in) WINTER PASSING {a must-see}

  67. AMERICA by NEIL DIAMOND (the big concert at the end of) THE JAZZ SINGER

  68. DON'T BE SHY by CAT STEVENS (The amazing opening of) HAROLD AND MAUDE

  69. MARY JANE by RICK JAMES (For a joint over at Smokey's house in ) FRIDAY

  70. BOYS BETTER by THE DANDY WARHOLS (The Sound of New York City in) IGBY GOES DOWN

  71. UNCHAINED MELODY by THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS (The clay mold love scene in ) GHOST

  72. WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE by DANIEL REY (a/k/a Weiner Dog's theme from) WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE

  73. SUMMER IN THE CITY by THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL (Opening credits and a bomb going off in Manhattan in) DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE

  74. READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN by BARRY MANILOW (The opening West Coast Highway song in) FOUL PLAY

  75. GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON by URGE OVERKILL (Uma dances and then..Overdose!!!! in) PULP FICTION

  76. SUMMER BREEZE by SEALS & CROFTS (Out til the morning light in) DAZED & CONFUSED

  77. SOMEBODY'S BABY by JACKSON BROWNE (The losing your virginity at a baseball field song in) FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH

  78. AMERICAN GIRL by TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (The final victim in) THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

  79. DANCING IN HEAVEN (Orbital Be Bop) by Q-Feel (The Dance Contest Song from) GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

  80. MIDNIGHT RIDER by GREGG ALLMAN (The opening credit sequence to) THE DEVIL'S REJECTS

  81. MAY THIS BE LOVE by JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE (the 'gettin to know you' song in) SINGLES

  82. NEW JACK HUSTLER (NINO'S THEME) by ICE-T (The big chase after Chris Rock on the bike from) NEW JACK CITY

  83. IT MUST BE LOVE by MADNESS (The funny love scene in which Jeff Goldbum & Emma Thompson trash the apartment in) THE TALL GUY

  84. BOOM SHAK-A-LAK by APACHE INDIAN (The Shaggin' Wagon theme to) DUMB AND DUMBER

  85. WALKING ON SUNSHINE by KATRINA AND THE WAVES (Used in too many films to count but hilarious in) HIGH FIDELITY

  86. LOVE IS STRANGE by MICKEY AND SYLVIA (Dance lesson classic in) DIRTY DANCING

  87. SUPERSTITION by STEVIE WONDER (Watching the infected dog walking around camp in) THE THING

  88. [tie] NO EASY WAY OUT by ROBERT TEPPER (The angry drive-history montage); HEART'S ON FIRE by JOHN CAFFERTY (Training montage in the snow from) ROCKY IV

  89. THE PROMISE by WHEN IN ROME (The tether-ball song in) NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

  90. HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO by BONNIE TYLER (Playing chicken on the tractors) FOOTLOOSE

  91. YOU'RE THE BEST! by GERALDO ESPOSITO (the karate finale in) THE KARATE KID

  92. I'M CASTING MY LASSO TOWARDS THE SKY by SLIM WHITMAN (The song that saves the earth in) MARS ATTACKS!

  93. BORN SLIPPY by UNDERWORLD (The 'how it worked out' ending of) TRAINSPOTTING

  94. DUELING BANJOS by ??? (The Holy Shit, where the hell are we? song in) DELIVERANCE

  95. SWEET EMOTION by AEROSMITH (The opening minutes of the first day of school 1976 from) DAZED AND CONFUSED

  96. LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR by Pete Townshend (Steve Carell vs. Dane Cook love triangle song in) DAN IN REAL LIFE

  97. IT MIGHT BE YOU by Stephen Bishop (The realizing you're in love with a woman who thinks you're a woman song from) TOOTSIE

  98. YOU NEVER CAN TELL by CHUCK BERRY (The twist contest at Jack Rabbit Slim's in) PULP FICTION

  99. HEY PAULA by PAUL AND PAULA (The guitar smashing Belushi in) NATIONAL LAMPOON'S 'ANIMAL HOUSE'

  100. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME! by VAN HALEN (The claymation hamburger song in) BETTER OFF DEAD

  • Love the list. one correction. Number 17 is sung by Olivia Newton John.

  • I am really pulling for 'Tiny Dancer' in Almost Famous. Such a great MMM!!

  • Cool List you have here, check out my Top Movie Soundtracks at http://tad.co.in/?p=814

  • Come On! 'Hold Tight' - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

    Drive and die in a car crash ('Bulletproof ' of Quentin Tarantino

  • 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem in 8 Mile?

    'MY Heart Will Go on' in Titanic?

    'Johnny B. Goode' in Back To The Future?

    'Bohemian Rhapsody' in Wayne's World?

  • When Maximus dies in Gladiator and Lisa Gerard sings on the Gladiator movie soundtrack. That is one of the greatest film music moments of all time. http://filmscorereviews.com/

  • I'm sure somebody has probably mentioned this, but Harry Belafonte's 'Jump in the Line' is actually played at the end of Beetlejuice, when Winona Rider gets her good marks and gets to dance in the air. The tune played during the meal where the guests get possessed is Belafonte's version of 'Day-O' (The Banana Boat Song). During the séance scene it is just creepy Danny Elfman music.

    It doesn't detract from the fact that 'Jump in the Line' is one of the greatest soundtrack tunes ever though! I'm a reggae and party DJ and it's one of my absolute favourite songs and I play it almost without fail every set. Beetlejuice is also one of my favourite movies.

    Sorry to correct you!

    x

  • Titanic. My heart will go on!!?!

  • Jonny B Goode - Back to the future?!?

  • Great list.

    I love #3.

    I would have gone with 'Let's Stay Together' from Pulp Fiction. 'Walk On By' by Issac Hayes in 'Dead Presidents' is also great. Ramayanam story in tamil language. The whole Dead Presidents soundtrack is actually pretty money.

  • good list. animal house scene with 'hey, hey paula' was when Donald Sutherland smoked with his students. Check out 'lunatic fringe' in the movie 'Vision Quest'. how about that Motown? song scene in Platoon when they were smoking through their guns.

  • Or 'Power of Love' by Huey Lewis in Back to the Future, 'Only the Young' by Journey in Vision Quest, 'Born to be Wild' from Easy Rider, 'White Wedding' from Wedding Singer,

  • What about 'Staying alive' in Saturday night fever, 'East bound and Down' in Smokey and the Bandit, 'Fight to Survive' in Bloodsport, 'Hurricane' by Bob Dylan in the Hurricane, 'Don't you forget about me' in Breakfast Club, 'Mad World' Donnie Darko, 'Looking for Love' or 'Cherokee Fiddle' in Urban Cowboy by Johnny Lee

  • What about Kashmir by Led Zeppelin? Defos one of the best movie soundtracks

  • # 32 'Baby, it's cold outside' performed by Zooey Deschannel & Leon Redbone (not Will Ferrell)

  • 'Jump in the Line' was used at the end of 'Beetlejuice'

    'The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)' was the song used in the séance.

  • Just letting you know that Making Time by creation is a fabulous song in one of my all time favorite movies Rushmore BUT it's not during Murray's run over bicycle revenge scene, its during the very beginning when they show all the clubs he is in at Rushmore. The bicycle scene has another great song A quick one while he's away by The Who.

  • John Murphy - Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor) from the movie Sunshine should be up there.

    You obviously haven't seen the movie otherwise it would be one there. In fact there's no John Murphy or Danny Elfman or even Hans Zimmer which basically makes this list invalid.

  • My goodness - where is Arms of an Angel?

  • great list but as far as fear and loathing goes i always thought of 'expecting to fly' by buffalo springfield as the song the truly defines a moment in the movie as it occurs when thompson realizes the falseness of the ideals he had set out to live due to those 'who never understood the essential old mystic fallacy of the acid culture'

  • What about when Ferris says goodbye to Sloane and The Edge of Forever by The Dream Academy.

  • Great great list! loved it! although i was looking for 'Angel' by Massive Attack, from Snatch, you know that scene where Brad Pitt's mum's caravan is burning, with his mum inside..I thought that was a genuine scene-maker.

    Somebody else might have already suggested that, i was too lazy to read all the comments.

  • Everybody Wants to Rule the World (REAL GENIUS) .. every time i hear it, i think of a house exploding from popping popcorn.

  • tracks of my tears - deer hunter

    Forest Gump almost all the songs

    Butch cassidy - Raindrops keep falling on my head

    Layla instumental exit good fellas

    Cant you hear me Knocking Blow

  • Hi, the song that slim whitman sang in 'Mars attacks' that saved the world was 'Indian Love Call' and not 'I'm Casting My Lasso Towards The Sky'. Hope this is of help.

  • Only english music

    Only american films..

    the list has no credibility

  • surprised not to see any from almost famous on here that film has an amazing soundtrack

  • I love the connection of pop/rock songs and movies. How about Charlie Sheen's theme in Major League, Wild Thing by the Troggs? How about (I can't get no) Satisfaction while going up river in Apocalypse Now? Bad to the Bone in Terminator 2? or 3? Just too many to get them all. I love this stuff...

  • Battleme - 'Hey Hey, My My'

    The last song, in the last show, on the 3rd season of SOA.Sweet potatoe!

  • Thanks for your list!

    How about 'All Summer Long' at the end of American Graffiti?

  • have you considered sympathy for the devil by the rolling stones in the credits for the movie Fallen

  • u didn't see 'my heart will go on' anywhere. dissapointing :/

  • Hi, really enjoyable choices, was humming away with memories. My age late 40's so if I did a list from the 60's/70's/80's I would name 'The Way we Were' (Barbara Streisand) and also Barbara for the movie she did with Kris Kristofferson 'A Star is Born' for the music, which sadly at this time the exact name of the theme tune escapes me, although I can remember the tune and words! It goes 'Love, soft as an easy chair, love, fresh as the morning air, One Love, that is shared by two..you know!! Anyway good read, thank you!

  • first off, GREAT LIST! Second, where are the Righteous Brothers with You've lost that lovin feelin? Top Gun Soundtrack. End credits.

  • Whoops .. How could I forget David Bowie's 'The Heart's Filthy Lesson' from Se7en?

  • Great list .. one add: THe amazing E. Coli mix of Pete Townsend's 'Let My Love Open the Door' from Grosse Point Blanke

  • i do love your article

  • huey lewis' hip to be square is not a terrible song!

  • When I go to this site I receive the following virus:

    Trojan.JS.lframe.rr

    Can someone contact the owner of this site about this? I can't find a 'Contact Us' link on this website in order to contact him about it. Thanks.

  • The Rock (1996) undefeatable soundtracks and best of the bests from the beginning till the end.

  • How come 'Cruel Intentions' soundtrack is not anywhere on the list?

  • Great list! One of my favorite movie moments highlighted by a fantatic song would be in the movie 'Like Father, Like Son' when Kirk Cameron decks the school bully. As his fist makes contact with the bully's face, in slow-mo, Motley Crue's Wild Side comes blasting in! AWESOME!

  • Thank you so very much for taking the time to compose this list it totally ROCKS! :)

  • How about Gimme Some Loving from Days of Thunder. Fits in perfectly with Tom Cruise learning about NASCAR

  • lisa gerrard now we are free in gladiator, music couldn't sum up the situation any better

  • Pretty huge list of movie soundtrack songs.

    Thanks.

  • New Dawn Fades - Moby (joy division cover) used when Pacione follows Deniro on the highway in HEAT

  • Twist and shout, Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Really?! How memorable was that. Its just a transient song in that film.

    But yet no Ghostbusters, Neverending Story, Magic Dance (Labyrinth), the Last Unicorn, He's Back (Jason 7), The Gael (The Last of the Mohicans), The Living Daylights, Story Book Love (The Princess Bride) and more.

    These are all exciting, memorable and canonical songs written specifically for those great movies.

    Unlike 'WALKING ON SUNSHINE by KATRINA AND THE WAVES (Used in too many films to count but hilarious in)'

  • Bennie and the Jets from the bar scene of 27 Dresses!!

    Great List!!

  • I miss the soundtrack from 'Requiem for a dream'!!!!!!!!!

    best soundtrack ever!!!!

    hear the original at youtube and i promise you, that you want to watch the film!!! ;)

  • Great playlist!! Thanks a million

    Great suggestions for both classic movies and amazing songs !

  • you make my dreams by hall and oates in (500) days of summer. that. scene. rocks. mostly because of the contrast between that scene and the next one, otherwise, an astoundingly good list

  • Great list. I really like 'Love on railtrain' with tangerine dreams from the movie Risky Business and 'don´t fear the reaper' with blue oyster cult from the stand. Another favorite is the main theme from das boot or 'pet semetary' with the ramones from Pet semetary.

    But your list was truly amazing.

  • Duuude, just reading through that list brought back so many good memories of great movies!

  • I just got finished watching The Warriors and got to thinking about the best songs played at the end of a movie. In the city has got to be one of the best for me. So I did a search for others and found this list.

  • the doors - the end. opening scene of apocalypse now

  • Hi movieman

    Some excellent choices - some weird i.e. the one from Silence of the Lambs - that gave me shivers! I was surprised no Against all Odds, Phil Collins. Great reading though, thanks.

  • these days - nico (margot gets off bus to see brother in) The Royal Tenenbaums

  • oh god your 100 is so wrong, you forget about platoon, fight club, 28 days later, the pianist. i dont think i need to go on but i will ammend your whole site of you like so that its actually sane

  • Statler Brothers - Flowers on the wall.. Bruce Willis in this Honda !

  • First of all..Great list ! I spent much time with your Hub's !! Q Lazzarus caused Goose pimples (is that the right word ?!), great song :) But i miss Oliver Onions Songs, the whole 'Death Proof' Soundtrack is great, Top Gun, Old habits die hard (Alfie), All i need is you (Over the Top), No easy way out (Rocky), Oakenfold - Ready steady go (Collateral) and things like that !

    Greets from Germany ;)

  • You forgot sugarhigh by coyote shivers in empire records!!

  • What about New Divide from Linkin Park in Transformers 2 and Lose Yourself by Eminem in 8 Mile? C'mon, those were great!

  • Great List One That Should Be in the top 10 is Gary Jules' 'Mad World' at the end of Donnie Darko. Or even Echo and the bunny men's 'The Killing Moon' at the beginning of Donnie Darko.

  • Few of them are my lifetime favourites!! By the way, Thanks a million for the list, I will try other tracks also!

  • Hmm.. Not too shabby, but I'm confused how Neil Diamond's America could be in a movie made in 1927..

  • Amazing! Thanks!

  • Love the list, but I would have to include, from Purple Rain, 'The Beautiful Ones.' I cannot hear the song without visualizing the movie.

  • Great list - this is something to be proud of. A couple of my choices - Top Gun tunes - Danger Zone, Take my Breath Away, and Mess Around from Planes, Trains, and Autos.

  • Trisha Yearwood - How Do I Live. closing scene of Con Air.

    perfect.

  • No banana splits by dickies in the film kick-ass?

    ultraviolence with a childrens tv theme song..

    works. really. well.

  • Karate Kid song needs to be moved up to top 20 imo!!

  • Enjoyed the list. I didn't see Leaving Las Vegas in there anywhere. I haven't seen the movie in a while, yet I remember 'Lonely old town' and 'Angel eyes' beautifully interwoven with the emotion of the story.

    And the movie 'Thief' (a while back) used Tangerine Dream to great effect.

  • Great list. Do you happen to know what movie that starred Cher, Bette Midler, and sorry, can't remember the third. The three of them ( at least Cher was) sang Mr. Sandman. Neither my husband or I can think of the name of the movie.

  • showdown, from kingpin.

  • What about 'My Sharona' by the Knack..from the movie Reality Bites?

  • awesome list.

We all know movie magic isn’t just on the screen — it’s also in your ears. We’re not just talking about breathtaking surround sound technology like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. We’re talking about the music itself.

Long after you exit the theater and floss the popcorn out of your teeth, the best film soundtracks stick in your head. Sometimes you hum along to them with your family and friends — the incredible first line of Star Wars is a great example (you’re hearing it right now, aren’t you). Other times, you’re not even aware how integral they really are (the hollow austerity of Interstellar, for example). But they’re always there, viscerally drawing out your emotions.

To celebrate these cinematic musical masterpieces, we’ve put together a list of our favorite film soundtracks, separated by scores and soundtrack compilations, in no particular order. Whether you’re a lover of the purpose-composed epics that propel your favorite films’ plot points, or a fan of the perfectly assembled playlist that colors a film’s overall tone, you’ll find something to love below.

Best original scores

Greatest

Star Wars saga — John Williams

Arguably the most iconic film music ever written, John Williams’ epic themes for the Star Wars filmsare not only instantly recognizable around the globe, but they also created a film score renaissance, bringing back the grandiose scores from 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 and horns sewn with 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 repeated heavily 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 Ringstrilogy. 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 feelings of tension and release that fit well inside the epic three-part storyline.

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 franchise’smusic. He also draws 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 Interstellarscore 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, creating 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 mark 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 plenty 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 Godfatherscore — 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, and helped create 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 Silvestri using shimmery harp and percussion tones for fun-loving moments, as well as deep horn cues 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

Best Movie Songs Ever

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 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 John Williams for the Jawsfranchise 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 complements the black-and-white classic, creating a constant air of suspense throughout what remains one of cinema’s best thrillers.

‘The Great Escape’ (1963) — Elmer Bernstein

The essence of this intrepid, creative prisoner of war film was perfectly captured by composer Elmer Bernstein in his classic (and utterly whistlable) theme for The Great Escape. It’s a gently flowing string melody with quick-paced woodwinds, brass, and percussion cues. In fact, the soundtrack is so catchy, it was repurposed by fans in the English Premier League in the 1990s as one of their massive, full-stadium chants.

‘E.T. the Extra Terrestrial’ — John Williams

The score for E.T. the Extra Terrestrialresembles John 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 showcases 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 the elements 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 Kidis 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.


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