Best Movie Theme Songs?

[Initech]

NOTE: For this to qualify it must have been originally recorded for a movie. It cannot be an existing TV show theme (Mission: Impossible, for example) and it cannot be a previously existing song (2001's Also Sparach Zarathrusta for example). It has to be an originally recorded composition for a movie.

Here's a few to get started:

- Rocky:

- James Bond:

- Beverly Hills Cop:

- The Dark Knight:

-Star Wars

[BlueJazz]

1. The Magnificent Seven

[kairos12]

44. The absolute best

[Coventina]

58. This was my pick!!

But, I have another pop oriented one I'll post downthread....

[Stuart G]

64. First 45 rpm record I ever bought..this theme, Magnificent Seven, my favorite.

[RedstDem]

2. live and let die

I think there were a couple bond songs that got airplay, but live and let die hit the right note at the right time.

[pokerfan]

11. +1

[Initech]

26. That is a pretty strong choice.

That is definitely one of Paul McCartney's best post-Beatles songs.

[NightWatcher]

3. Vampyros Lesbos (Sexadelic Dance Party)

We found this cd when I worked at a mall cd store and used to play it all the time whilst we danced like crazy sexy vampires from the 60's would've done (picture Austin Powers).

[WinkyDink]

4. A Hard Day's Night; Lara's Theme (Zhivago); Moon River (BaTiffany's); Bridge Over the River Kwai.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. On the subject of Rocky, I also loved the theme for Rocky IV

I think this is one of the greatest musical movie intros ever:

My favorite movie soundtrack by the great (13 time Oscar nominee) Miklos Rozsa, the grandiose music from the movie El Cid.

Another fav of mine, the song 3:10 To Yuma written for the movie of the same name and sung by Frankie Laine.

[LiberalElite]

6. Romeo and Juliet (1968); West Side Story Overture

[ailsagirl]

8. That's lovely

[LiberalElite]

9. .

[davidpdx]

16. I hadn't heard the West Side Story theme in awhile

I first saw that in high school and loved the movie. The movie was released before I was born.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. Leonard Bernstein wrote some great stuff.

When he died, my dad said, "All right, you're the family musician, what do you think of his work?"

I said, "West Side Story will live forever. Also, the Overture to Candide."

This is In My Not So Humble Musical Opinion.

The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story are an orchestral suite that is excellent.

My friend Mike's uncle, Max Goberman, was the Musical Director on the original Broadway production. Max was also a famous conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, among other orchestras. Max wanted to record all the Haydn symphonies but died before he could finish it. Haydn wrote over a hundred symphonies.

The original Broadway cast recording is better than the movie recording.
If you are going to get a recording, the Original Broadway Cast is the one to get.

Marni Nixon sang for Natalie Wood in the movie version.

Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra (the national youth orchestra of Venezuela) in the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story:

And in this country we think the arts and music are "luxuries" in school. In Venezuela they have "El Sistema" which takes kids off the streets, 250,000 of them, starting in 1975, and teaches them an instrument starting at age five, so they won't join gangs.
Gustavo Dudamel is now the Principal Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and he is the product of El Sistema as a fiddler. He has electrified the classical world. He's in his early thirties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Sistema

From Wikipedia:
One very important and notable success story of an individual who is a product of El Sistema, is Gustavo Dudamel. This name is familiar to most for his present day achievement as the Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor; a highly coveted position by many classical music conductors. He says about El Sistema, that "music saved my life and has saved the lives of thousands of at risk children in Venezuela...like food, like health care, like education, music has to be a right for every citizen.[8]"

There are now several El Sistema programs in the United States.

[UglyGreed]

79. I remember playing this

song on a portable record player in the backyard on my seventh birthday.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

37. The beautiful love theme from Romeo and Juliet always brings up another piece in my memory

Last edited Sun Nov 9, 2014, 05:42 AM - Edit history (1)

written by John Williams before he was super famous, the main theme from the 1970 TV movie Jane Eyre starring George C. Scott and Susanna York, one of the greatest TV movies ever made. The theme is breathtaking with a full orchestra but I think this rendition with classical guitar, violin and recorder that occurs later in the film has a lot of charm.

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[mucifer]

7. The Conversation with Gene Hackman

The haunting and sooo sad piano:

[LiberalElite]

10. For something completely different: Koyaanisqatsi by Philip Glass

[Algernon Moncrieff]

12. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Actually, the whole soundtrack is amazing -- not just the theme song.

"The Ecstacy of Gold" (the song that plays when Eli Wallach finds the cemetery where the gold is buried) is adapted and used in a sequence in the animated film "The Book of Life".

[orleans]

15. i'm not familiar with the soundtrack but i've loved that theme song since i was a kid!

on edit: this version!!!

[cry baby]

13. A few of my favorites...

Brokeback Mountain
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Gladiator
https://m.

Da Vinci Code
https://m.

Dune
https://m.

[orleans]

14. check out this great song out by sarah vaughan

[davidpdx]

17. I'm very partial to Star Wars and Beverly Hills Copy

Although I thought the music for all the new Batman movies was well done.

[sarge43]

18. Somewhere in Time

[Bosonic]

19. Halloween

[Bosonic]

20. Ghostbusters!

[Archae]

21. Here's two of my favorites...

The Black Hole

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

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[Callmecrazy]

22. Superman...

It's my personal theme song.

[wyldwolf]

29. John William's masterpiece. The entire soundtrack.

[DFW]

23. Eastbound and Down

[DFW]

24. And of course Zorba's Dance from Zorba the Greek

[jrandom421]

25. The best movie theme ever

Midnight Express - The Chase

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[alphafemale]

28. Posting the opening credits and theme song of "Shaft"

[LeftInTX]

30. Shut Up and Bounce - Dostana

Featuring John Abraham (sexiest man alive)

[Raine1967]

31. This won the Oscar in 1973:

(OMG! that video!!!! )

I like this one:

And this:

Also:

(maybe not a movie theme song, But I love Harry Mancini)

[LeftInTX]

74. OK...Now I've got to see Posiedon Adventure

My husband tells me I've been deprived.

[Raine1967]

32. This is among my faves:

Ross' voice is just beautiful to me. The arrangement is fabulous.

[NewJeffCT]

33. Basil Poledoris' theme for the original "Conan the Barbarian" movie

Not a great movie, but I just love the theme with the pounding drums and the Mako voice over to intro it.

[Ino]

50. I'm a sucker for pounding drums...

I was going to mention Conan the Barbarian. I loved the whole soundtrack!

Also loved the ending music on Crocodile Dundee...

My Name Is Lincoln, from the movie The Island...

Let the River Run by Carly Simon (Working Girl end credits)...

The Piano soundtrack...

[kentauros]

34. David Shire - The Taking of Pelham 123

From the original/superior movie

[kentauros]

35. Tangerine Dream has done some excellent soundtracks

(for some excellent movies, naturally


[font size="3"]Sorcerer[/font] - full soundtrack

[font size="3"]Thief[/font] - full soundtrack

[font size="3"]The Keep[/font] - full soundtrack

[font size="3"]Risky Business[/font] - full soundtrack

I could go on and on, but to quote Wikipedia about TG's movie soundtracks, they should probably have their own thread

Although the group has released numerous studio and live recordings, a substantial number of their fans were introduced to Tangerine Dream by their film soundtracks, which total over sixty and include Sorcerer, Thief, The Keep, Risky Business, Firestarter, Legend, Near Dark, Shy People, and Miracle Mile. They have recently composed the original score for the video game Grand Theft Auto V.

[Ampersand Unicode]

36. COME ON AND SLAM! IF YOU WANNA JAM!

OK. I'm really young. But you have to admit that song gets you up and moving!

[KT2000]

38. To Kill a Mockingbird

by Elmer Bernstein

[LostOne4Ever]

40. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

[DFW]

41. The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini

I couldn't find a video that wasn't under restriction

[CrawlingChaos]

42. My first thought was "A Year of Living Dangerously"

I can't remember squat about the film, but the theme music was totally haunting.

[CanSocDem]

43. And this....

[Iwillnevergiveup]

45. Lawrence of Arabia

Sweeping, majestic, and I've never looked at the desert in the same way again.

[kairos12]

56. That is a majestic pick.

[petronius]

46. Schindler's List

Honorable mentions to Dr. Zhivago, and anything by Danny Elfman...

[sharp_stick]

47. Two from Vangelis

I love them both.

Blade Runner:

and of course Chariots of Fire:

[AngryOldDem]

60. "Chariots of Fire" gets my vote

Nothing like being at the end of a long run and having *that* come up on the iPod.

But the music truly captured the spirit of the film, which is also one of my favorites.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

48. Sorry, but "Blazing Saddles" FTW.

[Brother Buzz]

49. Piero Umiliani's "Svezia, inferno e paradiso" (Sweden: Heaven and Hell)

[kairos12]

51. Original score for the 1976 version of Assault on Precinct 13.

[GReedDiamond]

52. Great pick! I believe John Carpenter...

...did the music as well as wrote the screenplay and directed.

When it came out and was in theaters, I went to a screening on Hollywood Blvd with the producer, Joe Kaufman.

Great movie.

[kairos12]

53. I believe he did write the music.

[GReedDiamond]

54. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

And, on edit, the Easy Rider soundtrack, if it hasn't been mentioned already.

[kairos12]

55. Oh Brother is a great pick. "We seem to be in a geographical anomaly-100 miles from anywhere"

[UglyGreed]

76. damn we're in a tight spot N/T

[kairos12]

77. All I need is my pomade.

[UglyGreed]

78. I love that movie

I have the soundtrack on CD just watched it the other night. One of my favorites.

[kairos12]

80. George Clooney at his funniest and finest.

[UglyGreed]

81. You read my mind N/T

[kairos12]

57. Goldfinger

[Coventina]

59. "Live to Tell" from At Close Range

[kairos12]

68. That was a haunting song and movie. Good pick.

[AngryOldDem]

61. Shirley Bassey and "Goldfinger" is another good one.

Bond movies have GREAT soundtracks.

[raccoon]

62. The Great Escape.

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[LWolf]

63. I like this one:

[Stuart G]

65. Irene Cara...."What A Feeling" From Flashdance...(full album ..see post 43)

[mokawanis]

66. Paris Texas

Music by Ry Cooder. Absolutely love this song.

[kwassa]

67. A great little movie. I love Ry Cooder.

I still remember a free concert on the Santa Monica Pier. Flaco Jimenez was performing, and Ry just showed up and jammed with him. Wonderful stuff.

[Sancho]

69. Exodus

Ernest Gold won Best Soundtrack Album and Song of the Year at the 1961 Grammy Awards for the soundtrack and theme to Exodus respectively. It is the only instrumental song to ever receive that award to date.

[kentauros]

70. Repo Man by Iggy Pop

[kentauros]

71. I'm quite surprised that no one has mentioned

[font size="4"]Forbidden Planet[/font]

Soundtrack (from Wikipedia)

Forbidden Planet '​s innovative electronic music score, credited as "electronic tonalities," partly to avoid having to pay any of the film industry music guild fees, was composed by Louis and Bebe Barron.

...the Barrons' electronic composition is credited with being the first completely electronic film score; their soundtrack preceded the invention of the Moog synthesizer by eight years (1964).

[kentauros]

72. Two favorites from anime:

Akira

Ghost in the Shell

[JonLP24]

73. Taxi

It really sets the mood, I feel like I want to cry every time I hear it.

[GreatGazoo]

75. "Edward Scissorhands" - Danny Elfman