When I’m working, relaxing, or generally minding my own business, I often pop on a playlist consisting of the my favourite soundtracks. Here’s a few that I couldn’t live without:
Hellraiser (1987): Resurrection
Christopher Young
Christopher Young’s Hellraiser is one of the most powerful horror scores, evoking baroque, hellish nightmares, and in this case accompanying Uncle Frank’s ascent through the floor. A dark waltz that takes you to hell and back. Scream along with Frank at closing crescendo.
Robocop (1987): Murphy Goes Home
Basil Poledouris
Robocop, on paper, has no business containing a piece of music this delicate, gentle and heart wrenching, but here we are. Easy to forget that the film is as much a tragedy as it is a action titan. As Murphy wanders his old homestead considering his long-lost family, Basil brings out the high strings; occasionally bottoming them out and ringing through the octaves, taking your emotions over a hill without any warning. It really is a work of art.
Batman (1989): Descent Into Mystery
Danny Elfman
A gorgeous nightmare of church organs, manic rolling strings, and demonic choirs, whisks our heroes into the heart of the night. Elfman’s Batman score, in my opinion, is only second to Williams’s Superman, in terms of being more than just a soundtrack, but another character in the film that provides so much depth. Take it away, and it’s just not as powerful.
Superman The Movie (1979): The Flying Sequence
John Williams
Where to start with this soundtrack. Much like many Williams scores from this period, he places three or four incredible character themes into the stew, and the most beautiful of all is surely the love theme. As Clark takes Lois up into the clouds, Williams provides a matching soaring accompaniment. Bra-vo.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969): We Have All the Time in the World (James Bond Theme)
John Barry
John Barry was as big a part of James Bond than the PPKs and the Vodka/Martinis. Without his sweeping strings, and brassy brass, there’s no doubt Bond would have turned out differently. In OHMSS Barry steps it up a level, providing the warmest of landings for the new 007, and wonderfully matching the love story with tactile grace.
Blade Runner (1982): Memories of Green
Vangelis
A replicant of a tune; An analogue piano wrestling within a robotic soundscape. Beautiful.
Live and Let Die (1974): Bond Meets Solitaire
George Martin
Smooth, playful, debonair, everything Roger was. A perfect soundtrack to a perfect film. What a great match George Martin was.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Main Title
James Horner
James Horner was a master of thrills. This score has a beautiful wind behind it, driving the action and excitement to insane levels.
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Map Room: Dawn
John Williams
Going back to what I said about Superman, Williams again throws in some insane cues for Raiders, and this is by far the most breath-taking. As Indy finds the location of the Ark, it’s like stepping into a wind tunnel.
The Goonies: Theme from The Goonies
Dave Gruisin
A soothing lullaby of childhood adventure. I think maybe because of the age I saw it, this score just fill me full of wonder.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Illia’s Theme
Jerry Goldsmith
A slow sail through the dense sea of stars. Goldsmith was a wizard, but out of all his scores, this cue is packed full of his greatest spells.
E.T: The Extra Terrestrial: End Titles
John Williams
One of the most beautiful scores ever committed to tape. Williams again putting hats on hats, but in the best way possible. Just has everything.
Midsommar: Fire Temple
Bobby Krlic
Like sitting next to a grand malevolent machine and listening closely as it starts slowly, and gradually brings all the individual pieces into play. An anxiety dream of a contraption, but comes out calming and pure.
The Godfather Part II: Kay
Carmine Coppola
In a film filled to the brim with endings, rot, and death, it’s fortunate that a cue of such delicacy escapes unscathed. This really is stunning, summing up Kay’s journey in the film perfectly, a flower trapped within the darkness.
Solo: Lando’s Closet
John Powell
No one was more surprised than me that a throwaway Star Wars spin-off film would contain one of the most bewitching and grand pieces of music heard for many a year, but there you go.
Poltergeist: Carol Anne’s Theme
Jerry Goldsmith
Yes it’s a film with the real skeletons, killer trees and clown, and featuring a man who peels off his own face in horror, but such is Goldsmith’s genius that he dives into the centre and makes the score a playful giggle.
The Empire Strikes Back: The Imperial March
John Williams
Yes, it’s been done to absolute death, but sometimes you just have to step back from it and admire the sheer power of it. It’s an incredible piece of work. There isn’t a thing wasted in Empire, it was truly lightning in a bottle.
Star Trek (2009): Enterprising Young Men
Michael Giacchino
I am a firm believer that Giacchino is the best blockbuster composer working today. If you want your franchise to fly out of the gate with the energy required, hire him. Here he puts a new coat of paint on Star Trek, and manages to bring both the power of Goldsmith and the urgency of Horner to the table. Wonderful.
The Batman (2022): The Batman Theme
Michael Giacchino
A fantastic score, filled with buried treasure, and a theme that broods and broods until finally igniting into an inferno.
The Rocketeer: The Flying Circus
James Horner
A moment of wonder, excitement and excitement, and there were not many composers capable of conjuring the requisite adrenaline levels than James Horner. A score much like the film; exhilarating moments wrapped around a giant beating heart.
There are so many soundtrack pieces that still get the hair on the back of my neck raised, there's quite a few of them in this list.
God, that Indy cue. Williams was on fire for a good fifteen years and this was near the peak of his powers. I've always loved Nocturnal Activities from Temple of Doom, too.