Recently the filmmakers behind the upcoming Incredible Hulk movie held a panel discussion at the New York Comic-Con to promote the film to its key audience: fanboys. When director Louis Letterier declared the musical score for Hulk was, "Star Wars good" he reportedly got booed by the audience.
It cracks me up that, to a certain group of fans it is sacrilegious to ever suggest anything is as good as (or — gasp! — better than) that famous, ominous tune. Then again, to some degree, I can understand that kind of passion.
A great musical score not only helps to set the tone of a movie, but when done right audiences will forever associate the sounds with the emotion of a film. For example, the sound of a clacking typewriter will probably always make me think of the subsequent piano music and then the overall sense of agony and guilt associated with Atonement, a score that ended up nabbing the Oscar.
Of course, it's hard to look at Harrison Ford without the boisterous Indiana Jones score cuing up in my brain immediately. And while I hardly remember a single line from Driving Miss Daisy, that whimsical old-timey score is clear as day in my head.
What are some of your favorite movie scores? Are there any that will always evoke certain memories? Is there one that tops all the rest?

















Marlies Dekkers
Citizens of Humanity
Juicy Couture
Anything by Danny Elfman, but especially Edward Scissorhands!
1I loved the score of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I even went to the symphony/concert that the composer Howard Shore directed.
Another one I like is the Garden State soundtrack, if that counts.
2I adore the soundtrack to "The Nightmare Before Christmas." I have the double-disc with versions of the songs performed by todays artists; I love Fiona Apple's voice on "Sally's Song." Emotional & haunting.
3Oh yeah, I also love the soundtack to Lord of The Rings: Return of The King. Just beautiful.
The soundtrack to "The Pledge" is also well done. My favorite song on there is "Ex Cop"; it has a relaxing beat that I think is perfect on a summer night.
4Rudy
5American President
Legends of the Fall
The Mission, Glory, Cinema Paradiso, Day for Night and anything by Ennio Morricone!
6I'm a total score freak- I've got at least 2 gigs worth on my iPod! I love Nightmare Before Christmas and lots of Danny Elfman's stuff. I'm also a huge fan of the Harry Potter themes. But my all time favorite is the Pleasantville score- it's just so beautiful and paired with the stunning visuals of the film it's very effective. It landed Randy Newman a place in my heart for good.
7Gladiator! It was so moving
8I love anything by John Williams. I didn't like the movie much, but the soundtrack for Jurassic Park is gorgeous. As is the theme to JFK.
9Requiem for a dream
Blade Runner
Star Wars - classic!
10Forgot about The Hours - that was one moving and heartbreaking score
11Shakespeare in Love
12Dances with Wolves
Schindler's List
Star Wars, Nightmare Before Christmas, Father of the Bride, Nine Months, Forrest Gump, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Godfather.
13Forrest Gump!! Remember the end with the feather?
And the Good Will Hunting score was nice to listen to.
14Atonement had an amazing soundtrack! I loved how they incorporated the type writer.
Forrest Gump is another favorite.
15Pride & Prejudice (the new one)
16Becoming Jane (anyone see a theme here?)
Pirates (they are so fun!)
Titanic (not even ashamed to admit it)
My favorite is the Amelie soundtrack. So beautiful! Yann Tiersen, I believe, is his name.
17Cinema Paradiso
18I like Amelie's soundtrack, the music for Jules Et Jim and the Air score for the movie The Virgin Suicides.
19legends of the fall
20interview with the vampire
(notice a theme?)
My all time favorite is La Femme Nikita by Eric Serra. I abolsutely Love that score (it's part sexy, part scary, part mysterious).
Also I love The Matrix Revolutions Score. It's amazing a real hidden jewel. My nephew bought it and plays it in my car when he drives around.
I also love my DUNE score by Toto and Blade Runner by Vangelis. Both so good.
And the one that evokes great and hilarious memories is the one that is still in my brother's car - SW VI: The Empire Strikes Back. My brother has been blasting VI since 1986. Whenever he feels stressed now he cranks it up. Funniest thing is I've driven next to him on the freeway when he's playing VI and he's super intense and weaving in and out of traffic like a TIE fighter. All the while you can see him mouthing the Imperial March.
21Only You. I have it on cassette tape.
and I still listen to it all the time!
22I bought the Gladiator and Patriot soundtracks because I loved them so much.
I think Indiana Jones is one of my all-time faves, and probably among the most recognizable ever.
23I love the Jurassic Park and Beetlejuice soundtracks, but The Fifth Element soundtrack is probably the first and last non-musical soundtrack I've bought.
24Jurassic Park, hands down!
25Gladiator!
Almost anything by Hans Zimmer. I have his work on random anytime I have any studying or projects to do.
Another recent favorite is 300. It's rock and classical all mixed into one!
26Oh it's so cool to read posts of like minds. I love this question.
27Atonement
28The Virgin Suicides (love Air!)
Brokeback Mountain
Amelie
Gone With the Wind and Pee Wee's Big Adventure
29this just inspired me to copy all of my OST's to my new comp. a few favorites i've come across are: Finding Neverland, Braveheart, all the Harry Potters, Indy J trilogy, Matrix trilogy, POTC, and of course, LOTR trilogy. i'll have to dig around for more of my collection
30oops found more already! Back to the Future, ET, Mr & Mrs Smith, Requiem for a Dream
31My husband and I played the Lord of the Rings soundtrack as background music at our wedding reception. We got so many compliments, gorgeous!
32AMERICAN BEAUTY!!! Anything by Thomas Newman is magical.
Also:
33Nightmare Before Christmas
Lost in Translation
Garden State
Amelie
just to name a few...
Amelie, Atonement and Little Miss Sunshine.
34i absolutely loved the score for The Hours!!
35I forgot about Lost In Translation and also The Graduate and even though they're not scores, soundtracks for Wes Anderson movies.
36I used to listen to Legends of the Fall every night as I fell asleep...man did I love me some Brad Pitt. Honestly though, I still think it's beautiful.
37I don't know, its so hard to think off the top of my head. Obviously Star Wars, Harry Potter, Forrest Gump, anything but Danny Elfman (especially The Nightmare Before Christmas). The score to Atonement was also really good.
38Oh I can't forget Beauty and the Beast! I love hearing the music for the Transformation scene and the West Wing scene.
39Ooh I agree californiagirlx7! I have 'Transformation' on my general iPod playlist
40I do love the titanic/lord of the rings soundtracks. I also really like 'My Name is Lincoln' from The Island. It's the song right at the end.
Atonement!!
41It gave me chills and fit really well with the action.
Amelie, followed very closely by Shakespeare in Love.
42Field of Dreams
43The English Patient
I'm on the Danny Elfman train. Also, the Ocean's Eleven soundtrack was PERFECT. Jurassic Park was a favorite when I was in high school; the main melody is so great.
44requiem for a dream
45passion: the last temptation of christ
Brokeback Mountain is the fist that comes to mind. It gives me chills, it's so beautiful
46Far From Heaven is beautiful too!
47"Crimson Tide" is by far my fave - I tend to like a lot of Hans Zimmer's work. I also like "Last of the Mohicans" - we used one track from that as our wedding processional.
48Anything by JAMES HORNER...Legends of the Fall, Field of Dreams, Braveheart. John Barry is amazing too...Peggy Sue Got Married, Dances with Wolves.
49Reality Bites!
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