I've been listening to most of my music collection over the past few weeks and more specifically, listening to my film soundtracks has been both a great nostalgia trip and a great reminder of why I love these soundtracks so darn much. I've come to the conclusion that these are my personal top 10 greatest film soundtracks:

1. Blade Runner - Vangelis

2. Dune (1984 Lynch version) - Toto

3. The Empire Strikes Back - John Williams

4. Glory - James Horner

5. A Clockwork Orange - Wendy Carlos

6. Star Trek II Wrath of Khan - James Horner

7. Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Jerry Goldsmith

8. Tron - Wendy Carlos

9. Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams

10. 2001 A Space Odyssey - Various artists

I'd have to think about that some, but any top list should include:
Master and Commander
Conan the Barbarian (1982) or really anything with Basil Poledouris, that guy could make a movie soundtrack.
Last of the Mohicans

Conan and Hunt for Red October are his top two best film scores IMHO.

James Horner also wrote and orchestrated the soundtrack to "Krull." If you watch the film you'll notice many similarities with "Khan." I love both film scores.

There are a lot of films in the 80s scored by Tangerine Dream, and as a fan of ambient space music, they remain fond to me. Usually they were darker pieces, gritty New York sets of decay and rot.



I love the music used in "Scarface" and "Less than Zero," but I'm not sure you could consider them an original soundtrack.

What... No "This is Spinal Tap"?

In no particular order, and maybe not even 10:

Apollo 13, James Horner
Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore
Master and Commander, mainly using classical pieces.
Last of the Mohicans, Trevor Jones
Hunt For Red October, Basil Poledouris
The Right Stuff, Bill Conti. The music when Yeager breaks the sound barrier is pure excellence.

Those are some great picks!

Just copying and modifying PM's because it lines up well with mine - no particular order, though.

Blade Runner - Vangelis

Star Wars (Before it was called A New Hope) - John Williams

The Empire Strikes Back - John Williams

Superman, The Movie - John Williams

Batman 1989 - Danny Elfman

Star Trek II Wrath of Khan - James Horner

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Jerry Goldsmith

Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country - Cliff Eidelman

Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams

2001 A Space Odyssey - Various artists

Some good choices to which I will add a few of mine.

Moonrise Kingdom - Various Artists

One Upon A Time In Hollywood - Various Artists

Kill Bill 1&2 - Various Artists

Kelly's Heroes - Various Artists (Burning Bridges/Tiger Tank my 2 favourites)

Anything from Ennio Morricone, absolutely anything.

I'd have to think about that for awhile as well to come up with ten movie scores but two I go immediately to are:

The Mission(1986) - Ennio Morricone
The Straight Story - Angelo Badalamenti

The Thing

Crocodile Dundee

High School Musical 1 2 3

Great pick. Gabriel’s Oboe is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever. This version in particular gives me goosebumps, it’s so beautiful! Ennio Morricone was a true maestro!





I’d also like to add Battle of Britain, by Ron Goodwin and William Walton. I love big, orchestral scores.

Also, as a little parenthesis, I’d like to mention the soundtrack to Total Annihilation, even though it’s a game. Fully orchestral, I think it’s one of the best musical scores for any game ever.

Cool!!! Those rock man!!! You have those on vinyl or cassette?

To those already listed, I would add:
"Battle of Britain"
"School of Rock"
"Rocky Horror Show"
"Pirates of the Caribbean"

CD.

In no particular order

Master and Commander
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Last of the Mohicans
Jurassic Park
Rocky
Pirates of the Caribbean
Start Wars, probably a New Hope, I'd have to rewatch them to again to know the differences between those fist couple movies' soundtracks.


I'd still need some thought on this if we go by actual soundtracks. The above are ones that I actually listen to all the way through. Other movies like some of the already mentioned Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Star Trek have great themes, but just going off of memory I'm hard pressed to think of the music for the rest of those movies.

Ennio Morricone should be on any list like that, but what movie? Once Upon a Time in the West, any of the Man With No Name films, heck even Hateful Eight used a bunch of his music and it was great.

Top Gun maybe, I had the soundtrack as a kid and probably listened to it a thousand times. 10 year old me thought it was great and 40 year old me kind of agrees. If I count that though I'd have to put in Rocky III and IV for that awesome 80's cheese.

Special mention to Turbo Kid

Most of my favorites have been cited already.

i may add:

Out of Africa: John Barry
Barry Lindon: various artists
Hair: various artists

I'm trying to think of soundtracks where the entirety of the score is excellent and full of unique, memorable melodies or movements or consistency of theme and atmosphere. I'll keep thinking but The Mission is one of those few. Its one my top favorite movies of all time. I've loved it since I was a kid and it made a big impression on me. Morricone's score just transports you and the film likewise is one of those rare films that transports the viewer to a time a place in a way that many movies don't quite pull off. I agree semmern, Gabriel's Oboe is really special. I found this tribute video to the film recently using part of the movie's score and it is well done.


Another track from the score that I love:




On the other end of the spectrum I'd say another score I enjoy because its also crucial to the overall movie is the music to Eddie and the Cruisers. Another favorite film of mine. It has music that both places it firmly in the 80s while at the same time depicting with some of its tracks music from the 60s.

It’s impossible for me to hear “Sarabande” by Handel and not think of Barry Lyndon. In fact I think I’m long overdue for a rewatch.