Best film soundtrack?

[gargoyle]

I bought my first film soundtrack in 1980 after watching a film that made such an impression on my life that from that point on, the film soundtrack became one of the most important aspects of the films that I watched from that point on.
It also led me to appreciate classical music and from that point, I'v never looked back.
The film was 'the Empire strikes back' and led me on a lifelong love affair with the genre - 24 years later, people like Howard shore are still creating the magic - long may it continue!
To date, I have amassed a large collection of soundtracks and list my all time favourites as -

1 - The Empire Strikes Back (john williams)
2 - Superman (john williams)
3 - Close Encounters of the Third kind (john williams)
4 - ET (john williams)
5 - Koyaanisqatsi (phillip glass)
6 - Star Trek the motion Picture (jerry goldsmith)
7 - 2001 a Space odyssey
8 - Midnight Cowboy
9 - Batman (danny elfman)
10 - Holsts, the Planets (used in several films)

Whats yours?

[The Dude]

Dazed & Confused is my all time fave... Every track a 70's rock classic

Donnie Darko and Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas are pretty good too..

can't really remember many more..

[Floodedstatue]

Tarantino has an ear for a good tune....Pulp Fiction, and more recently Kill Bill Vol.1 are excellent

[huwg]

Depends on whether we're counting original scores, or a collection of songs by various artists.

'The good, the bad and the ugly' is tops for me, also like parts of 'once upon a time in the west'
next best original score - the original Star Wars trilogy.
for good collection of songs - Reservoir Dogs & Pulp Fiction

[CrispyXUK]

Hmmm, Alien and Indiana Jones for me

[Floodedstatue]

Originally Posted by huwg

'The good, the bad and the ugly' is tops for me, also like parts of 'once upon a time in the west'

Good call!

Yep "the good the bad and the ugly" & Indiana Jones are both fantasic, I really like the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack as well (not the album with all the band tracks on but the incidental album), Amadeus is also a great film and a great soundtrack.

[Mr Cat]

american beauty - with the thomas newman scores...I've bought the donnie darko one, but never got round to listening to it yet....sigh, the downs of living with ya girl... 8o)

[Ed Selley]

Fight Club gets my vote- a blinding work.

[kelvin]

Several spring to mind for me but my top 3 (in my order of preference) would be...

-Black Hawk Down
-The Truman Show
-Gladiator

Now I'm thinking about it though, so many more are coming to mind - Top Gun, Blade... I really must watch some of them again!!

K.

[leapfrog]

Magnolia, Gladiator and Ghost in the Shell.

Can anyone please recommend any cheap retailers for soundtracks?

Thanks

[the_pauley]

Off the top of my head and in no particular order:

Bride of Frankenstein - Franz Waxman

Chinatown - Jerry Goldsmith

Alien - Jerry Goldsmith

LA Confidential - Jerry Goldsmith

Star Trek The Motion Picture - Jerry Goldsmith

OHMSS - John Barry

Vertigo - Bernard Hermann

Psycho - Bernard Hermann

Taxi Driver - Bernard Hermann

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me - Angelo Badalementi

CE3K - John Williams

Last Tango In Paris - Gato Barbieri

The Thomas Crown Affair ('60s version) - Michel Legrand

Batman (1966) - Nelson Riddle

Casino Royale - Burt Bacharach

...and many, many more!

[dynamic turtle]

Oh, very difficult question. Can I chicken-out and say anything composed/produced/written/performed by:

John Williams (A God. More important to modern cinema than ANY director/actor/producer IMO).
Jerry Goldsmith
Quincy Jones
Ennio Morricone
James Horner
Harold Faltermeyer
Isaac Hayes
Miklos Rozsa (Ben-Hur. He also taught Goldsmith!)
Hans Zimmer
And of course, the oft-forgotten Eric Idle!!!

DT

[Setenza]

It's very difficult to decide. Some soundtracks have become very iconic, yet may not necessary be the composers best work.

I would also add, that by my defintion, a soundtrack refers to original music composed directly for the material on scree. Thus not cunningly inserting a period song that may compliment the onscreen situation.

Often, a composer can do his or hers best work for a second rate film. Please consider that when viewing my choice. They are not in any order of preference.

The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes - Miklos Rozsa
The Adventure Of Robin Hood - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Bride of Frankenstein - Franz Waxman
Raise The Titanic - John Barry
Conan The Barbarian - Basil Poledouris
Orca - Ennio Morricone
Unbreakable - James Newton Howard
The Wild Geese - Roy Budd
The Battle Of Britain _ Ron Goodwin & William Walton
Krull/Star Trek 2 - James Horner
Planet Of The Apes/Alien - Jerry Goldsmith
The Day The Earth Stood Still - Bernard Hermann

All material by Barry Gray for Gerry Anderson.
The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe - Robert Mellin & Gian Reverberri

[dynamic turtle]

Oh, and don't forget Henry Mancini & Lalo Schiffrin either!!

DT