Every year Classic FM composes their listeners into a cacophony of a public vote over the very best film soundtracks of all time; as we all know, ‘all time’ needs updating annually. However, if the top spot is anything to go by, they could probably leave it with the updates for a little while, seeing as the Lord of the Rings trilogy tops the polls once again. For the sixth year in a row as it goes. Still, it’s a fucking good soundtrack though, isn’t it?
Anyhoo, being Classic FM, you can obviously expect a certain kind of bias to the sorts of soundtracks their listeners have voted in; airing heavily on the side of orchestral scores, you won’t be finding the Drive soundtrack in here for example, or any classic compilation soundtracks for that matter (see: any Tarantino film). In the end, the top ten is pretty predictable, but in the end, aren’t the predictable ones predictable for a reason?
I mean, it’s not like this list is lacking in amazing scores, iconic scores, scores that soundtrack the inside of your skull and claim every whistle as their own for days on end. Tough competition aside, Lord of the Rings bags the top spot for the sixth year running, with Frodo Baggins himself discussing he popularity and brilliance of the trilogy’s score;
“The music is a huge part of the identity of those films. I think film scores are always extremely important with regard to the atmosphere and the emotional connection that you have to a film. Think about the Hobbiton theme – it’s really iconic, the music transcends the films themselves. We hear those pieces of music, we know those films.”
Though Howard Shore took the victory with his score, John Williams takes the cake as king composer, if sheer numbers are anything to go by, with thirteen of his film scores making it onto the list; Schindler’s List, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Superman to name a few. Alongside this, Hans Zimmer continues to make a claim for most iconic contemporary film composer with his work on Interstellar becoming the newest entry on the list, and a number of his others making the cut too.
If you want to see the full list, you can do so over at Classic FM, but for your convenience you can check out the top 10 below. What do you think though? Is the list too predictable? Does the bias toward orchestral scores mean more deserving soundtracks are missing out? Should Cultured Vultures take on the challenge of a more all encompassing list of film soundtracks? Let us know.
10. Pirate of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Klaus Badelt
9. Jurassic Park – John Williams
8. The Mission – Ennio Morricone
7. Harry Potter – John Williams
6. Dances With Wolves – John Barry
5. Out of Africa – John Barry
4. Star Wars – John Williams
3. Gladiator – Hans Zimmer
2. Schindler’s List – John Williams
1. The Lord of the Rings – Howard Shore
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
