This is a list of what I consider the best scores out there – not to be confused with best Soundtracks out there, which I’m sure will wind up being a hotly contested compilation when we finally get around to posting it. In composing this list, I stuck to a policy of no more than one nomination per composer. The industry has the rare gift of having some of the most talented composers being the most popular, a rarity in popular culture. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my list – and I welcome any and all feedback.
Solaris – Cliff Martinez
Minimalist, mournful and meditative. Cliff Martinez’s work was equally atmospheric in Traffic, and both were overlooked despite the appropriately bleak soundscapes matched up against the bleak subject matter on screen.
Favourite Track: First Sleep
Fight Club- The Dust Brothers
At least partially responsible for me graduating from University – The Dust Brothers always found a way to get my synapses firing the right way. The perfect mix of quirky industrial music to complement this completely original story; because so many of these songs have so many different movements, it’s really hard to single out a standout track.
Favourite Track: Homework
The Empire Strikes Back – John Williams
Had I not set a single nomination per composer rule, John Williams would have definitely dominated this list. Between Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and who knows what else, Williams has the gift for composing compelling music the evokes the spirit of the pit orchestra. His work for Star Wars is what the series apart from all the other space schlock out there.
Favourite Track: The Asteroid Field
Passion: The Last Temptation of Christ – Peter Gabriel
A rare case where people are probably more familiar with the soundtrack than the film it scored, this album has taken me on more mystical journeys than BC Transit. A masterpiece of world music and the pinnacle of Peter Gabriel’s career.
Favourite Track: Disturbed
Requiem for a Dream – Clint Mansell
Obviously one of the most ripped-off scores in use today. In actuality, the track the public is probably the most familiar with (a more upbeat version) is actually a remix done for the trailer of The Two Towers. This soundtrack just oozed misery and desperation out of every track, and could arguably be the best reason to give Requiem for a Dream a repeat viewing, despite the movie’s heavy themes and lower-than-low ending.
Favourite Track: Lux Aeterna
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