[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

[Setenza]

No, indeed that would be rude.

A Shot In The Dark - Henry Mancini
Dirty Harry/Magnum Force - Lalo Schifrin

[alle v]

...To Live and Die in L.A. gets my vote

[lee789]

A couple of my favourites which aren't listed

Beverley Hills Cop - Harold Faltemyer - love the electro 80's theme running throughout the film (and Axel F signature tune, quality)

Kundun - Philip Glass - An extremely moving amd interesting score. Listened to this loads before seeing the film.

Heat - Eliot Goldenthal and Kronos Quartet.

All quality scores make a film

A couple fo favourite Soundtracks

Pulp Fiction , Reservoir Dogs, The Beach, Trainspotting and not forgetting The Blues Brothers.

[dynamic turtle]

Quadrophenia wasn't bad either......

[huwg]

If we can have Quadrophenia, I'm nominating :-
Pink Floyd - The Wall

[pat clancy]

hi all,i must say my fav soundtrack is fistful of dollars few dollars more,good bad etc,john williams ,jaws,a classic,out of africa ,dances with wolves,j barry,i prefer original tracks not mixes of old songs,i also like titanic and gladiatorr,rgds pat

[Gorshin]

I love the Memento soundtrack. It fits the film perfectly. Battle of Britain has a GREAT score. Some faves

Once UPon A Time In America/West
Empire Strikes Back
Chinatown
The Usual Suspects (AMAZING SCORE!)
Superman (oh yes!)
Concorde (Airport '80?: Superb score by Lalo schifrin: don't laugh!)
Pretty much anything by Bernard Herman, esp. Vertigo, North by Northwest or Psycho
The Third Man
Terminator 2 is great
Blade Runner ( a gimme)
The list goes on and on...

[Donnacha]

The Last of the Mohicans
Heat
The Insider
(spot the Michael Mann link!!)
The Magnificent Seven
Empire Strikes Back
etc...........

so many!

[Mac Man]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Lord of the Rings. Howard Shore's score is the perfect accompaniment to the action.

Bullitt: the music is just as cool as that car chase.

Star wars episode one: the music for the climactic battle between Obi wan and Darth maul is just stunning.

The Omen - that music is just bloody scary!!

Jaws: without the music it'd be just a mechanical rubber fish film. Probably some of the most famous notes in history.

CL

[philipb]

You can't leave out The Mission. Most of John Barry's stuff - the Bond movies, Out of Africa etc.

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by Xusia Of Delos

... by my defintion, a soundtrack refers to original music composed directly for the material on screen...

Using Xusia's definition (which I like) I'd second his choices for:

Unbreakable - James Newton Howard;
Conan the Barbarian - Basil Poledouris.

But a few of my other favourites include:

Quigley Down Under & Robocop - Basil Poledouris;
The Accidental Tourist, Superman (my all time #1) and TESB - John Williams;
Thief (AKA Violent Streets) - Tangerine Dream;
Glory, Aliens & Field of Dreams - James Horner;
Silverado - Bruce Broughton;
Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog and Vampires - John Carpenter.

There's probably lots more but I have to draw a line somewhere.

[Mike S]

Suspiria - Goblin

Star Wars - John Williams

Lost In Translation - Various

These are the only three soundtracks I've been inclined to buy on CD and can comfortably listen to. I find most soundtracks just don't 'work' for me when taken out of context.

[samwiley]

If I had to pick one soundtrack it would be Bladerunner.

Not just for Vangelis' superbly atmospheric music but for the way the soundtrack is presented on the CD - incorporating snippets of the dialogue and generally making it feel like you're watching the film every time you listen to it - top of my chill out heap every time!!!

[G a f f e r]

Jackie Brown
Ocean's 11
City Of God

(good enough to buy the CDs)

[muppetmick]

One not mentioned yet:

Midnight Express - Giorgio Moroder

Mick.