The Best of 90s Scores (Top 10)

Without further ado (hehe), here is the Top 10 to complete this list.  As I said before, there are many great scores that did not make this list, but these are my picks for the very best.

10.  Much Ado About Nothing - Patrick Doyle, 1993

            So this is Doyle twice in a row.  Much Ado gets a slight advantage due to its more highly theatrical sound, appropriate for a Shakespeare movie.  It starts very strong with the Overture and never really lets up.  Doyle can kill you with strings, like "You Have Killed A Sweet Lady," or he can use horns like few others like "The Gulling of Benedick."  He has the hauntingly beautiful "Pardon Goddess of the Night" and he ends like he began with the triumphal "Strike Up the Pipers."  Branaugh knew what he was doing paring with Doyle.

9.  Tombstone - Bruce Broughton, 1993

            There is no better Western sound in the last 50 years than Broughton.  He has a few good ones, but this is definitely his best.  It's epic, violent, dramatic, thrilling, and beautiful.  It starts off strong with the old piano sound, then goes straight into the full orchestra that blows you away.  The love theme is great, but of course you come here for the gunfights.  It doesn't get any better than the montage music "Wyatt's Revenge."  I could listen to this all day.

8.  The Hunt for Red October - Basil Poledouris, 1990

            One of the real strengths of this score is that, while there is a sound, each cue is individual, so there is little chance for it to be repetitive.  The Hymn is one of the best of the decade.  "Chopper" is still one of my favorite cues, those strings going a mile a minute.  The whole score makes you feel like you're underwater, trying to figure out what exactly is happening and trying not to die.  There are a lot of good Poledouris scores, but this is the best.

7.  Waterworld - James Newton Howard, 1995

            I've mentioned a number of good action scores in the 90s, and while others might have a better action sound, this is the best of the bunch.  Newton Howard creates a sound that shows why he was the best of the decade.  He kept getting matched up with Costner, which meant he got a few chances for hugely epic scores, and each one was great, but Waterworld stands out.  For setting up a final clash, nothing is better than "Deacon's Speech."  For action, you can't go wrong with "Escaping the Smokers" or "Smokers Sighted" or "The Skyboat."  If I could only take one action score from the 90s, this would be it.

6.  Dances with Wolves - John Barry, 1990

            This movie has such a great sound, for a long time this was the only John Barry for me (I didn't discover his Bond scores until much later).  It's perfect for driving on open highways, transporting you back to a different time.  The Buffalo Hunt is especially good, either the film version or the album version.  And any time the Pawnees show up, the drums create an atmosphere unlike in any other movie. 

5.  Apollo 13 - James Horner, 1995

            One of the things I love about Apollo 13, and why it might be Horner's best, is that each cue is unique but there's an amazing thread that runs throughout.  "The Launch" is one of the great lengthy pieces in cinematic history, and you can't listen to it without feeling the awe and wonder, and triumph, of spaceflight.  "Dark Side of the Moon" has always been one of my favorite reflective sounds.  Then there is the anticipation building to triumphal success in "Re-Entry and Splashdown."  And, just when you think you know what this movie sounds like, Horner throws in the completely different, electronic End Credits, where most reuse cues from the movie, he wrote a new and amazing conclusion.  How this did not win Best Score I'll never know.

4.  The Shawshank Redemption - Thomas Newman, 1994

            Ok, I'll start with this, it's impossible to think of this and not hear the cue as Andy exits the sewers and has his Christ-moment in the pouring rain.  It's one of the most iconic scenes ever, and Newman lets the orchestra sound off.  While that is clearly the highlight, this movie is full of great music and it's Newman's masterpiece.  I say that with the belief that Newman is one of the top 5, at least, composers of the last 30 years.  There are so many emotions in this movie, it's hard to describe how meaningful this score is without tying it to what's on the screen.  It's probably the most serious score Newman has written, and it's dominated but the "Stoic Theme" appropriately enough.  And when Red shows up in Zihuatanejo, the release is felt by the audience as well as the orchestra.  Again, how this did not win Best Score is beyond me.

3.  The Fugitive - James Newton Howard, 1993

            Slight spoiler alert, but I love that I unintentionally did not choose any duplicates for composers in the Top 10, save this guy.  There were a lot of great composers in the decade, but he really took the reins (he ended the decade with his first collaboration with Shyamalan, one of the best composer/director collaborations of all time).  Regarding this score, it's the perfect blend of cop action score and a jazzy sound.  It's a big reason why The Fugitive is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect movies.  The back-to-back of "Helicopter Chase" and "The Sewer" is one of the best nine minutes of score anywhere.  But this score is more than just action, which it does brilliantly, it's also thoughtful, like "No Press" or "Memorial Hospital."

2.  Jurassic Park/The Lost World - John Williams, 1993/1997

            How do I convey my love for Jurassic Park?  Before there was Star Wars (for me) there was Jurassic Park.  It was the movie that made me want to be a paleontologist (until I realized how much science was involved).  And, like most Spielberg movies, Williams creates the iconic sound.  Now it's nearly impossible to think of dinosaurs and not hear that horn theme.  There's the awe and grandeur of the "Journey to the Island" and the shear horror of "The Raptor Attack."  He has the lullaby of "Remembering Petticoat Lane" and the jungle madness of "Dennis Steals the Embryo."  Oh, and of course there is the impending doom leading to the improbable savior of "T-Rex Rescue & Finale."  The Lost World is kind of up a notch with quite a bit more frenzy, most particularly with "Rescuing Sarah," but the best of the movie has to be "The Hunt" and the creepy sounds as raptors pick them off one by one in "The Long Grass."  As much as I love this music, somehow it's not #1.

1.  Edward Scissorhands - Danny Elfman, 1990

            Elfman's score for Edward Scissorhands is perfect, the best example of the second best collaboration between director and composer in film history.  "The Ice Dance" is, of course, the stand-out cue and the one that his most aped by other movies/commercials.  I also love the quirky suburbia that is created, the almost absurd perfection of these people's lives.  It can be heard best in the clockwork "Ballet de Suburbia" but also in the phenomenal "Edwardo the Barber."  There's also the mechanical "The Cookie Factory" which movies into the entirely sweet "Etiquette Lesson," and of course you really feel for Edward when his maker dies and he is left alone.  It all builds up to the almost overpowering "Grand Finale" before the bedtime story sound of the End Credits.  It's hard to choose a best score of the decade, but this is Elfman at the height of his powers, sandwiched right between the equally laudable Batman and the great Dick Tracy.  And somehow, it didn't even get nominated for Best Score.  It's an iconic sound that any story book-type movie or commercial has tried to copy.  It's fun, it's sweet, it's weird, it's emotional, it speaks for Edward, and it set the tone for the best decade in movie music history.

The Best of 90s Scores (40-11)

I've been fighting a bad flu, so it's taken me some time to get back to this.

40.  Sneakers - James Horner, 1992

            It's hard to say any Horner score is underrated, but I'd say this is one.  It fits the suspense of the movie perfectly.  If you haven't seen this one, you really should.  It's a great cast in a fun movie.

39.  Bram Stoker's Dracula - Wojciech Kilar, 1992

            This is probably my favorite horror score ever.  There's not much to compare it to.  The hunters music is so great.  I just wish the movie was half as good.

38.  The Matrix - Don Davis, 1999

            In some ways this score was as revolutionary and mind blowing as the movie was when it came out.  It's hard to beat the epic-ness of everything from the scene where they're picking out weapons through the lobby shooting scene (not Davis) through to the end.  Non-stop action.  And the sequel scores were just as good if not better, unlike the movies.

37.  Speed/Speed 2 - Mark Mancina, 1994, 1997

            If I could only have one score to drive to for the rest of my life, Speed would be my choice.  The only problem is it makes me speed (get it).  I still can't believe Mancina did so little after this.

36.  Tomorrow Never Dies/The World is Not Enough - David Arnold, 1997, 1999

            Why are these so high?  In a way I'm giving Arnold credit for being the second greatest Bond composer (after Barry, of course).  He made the Bond scores fun, and had no qualms with using the theme to make a statement.  The Backseat Driver cue in Tomorrow Never Dies might be the best Bond action cue in the series.

35.  Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - John Williams, 1999

            A score from my favorite franchise this low?  What's the deal?  I was trying to base it just off the newer stuff, and while some of it is good (Duel of the Fates, Darth Maul stuff in general) it's not one of the best of the franchise.  Plus, we're getting into some really good music.

34.  American Beauty - Thomas Newman, 1999

            I think this is the first score of his that I ever listened to, and it still sticks with me.  It's haunting and beautiful and a bit quirky.  It's only this low because it's a bit repetitive.

33.  Good Will Hunting - Danny Elfman, 1997

            One of my all-time favorite movies, the score has great highlights but not a ton of substance.  The final cue, "Weepy Donuts" on the soundtrack, has huge emotional impact still.

32.  For Love of the Game - Basil Poledouris, 1999

            A great baseball score from the fanfare Main Titles to the explosive last out.  It also has some of the great relationship music of any film.

31.  Darkman - Danny Elfman, 1990

            We're getting firmly into the Elfman section of this list.  Even a "lesser" Elfman superhero score is better than what most people can do.  Yes, it's very weird with the carnival stuff, but the theme and the final action cues are right up there with his Batman.

30.  Mission: Impossible - Danny Elfman, 1996

            Elfman smartly did not shy away from the fantastic theme of the show, using a few cues here and there to ground the score.  It's a move that Giacchino continued expertly in the later films of the series.  The scene on the train might be my favorite Elfman action cue, especially when the theme kicks in.

29.  Michael Collins - Elliot Goldenthal, 1996

            My favorite Goldenthal, it's also probably his least Goldenthal-y (which is probably why I liked it best).  It still has some of his quirk, but it's mostly appropriate for a good movie about the Irish revolt.  The building strings in Funeral/Coda and the Irish flair throughout are what really make it for me.

28.  Independence Day - David Arnold, 1996

            As the filmmakers said, only a Brit could write such patriotic music.  The president's speech, while great on its own, became classic partly due to his bombastic theme.  That's not a criticism.

27.  Batman: Mask of the Phantasm - Shirley Walker, 1993

            The best Batman movie ever, the score is second only to Elfman's original, which it is heavily influenced by.  I love everything about it, the choir in the theme, the love story stuff, the creepy Phantasm stuff, the action cues, and the Joker tidbits. 

26.  Schindler's List - John Williams, 1993

            This was nearly much lower on the list because, like Saving Private Ryan, there simply isn't a lot of music in the movie.  That being said, when it is used, it really pulls at the heartstrings.  The theme might not be Williams' most memorable, but it might be his best (lovingly played by the incomparable Itzhak Perlman).

25.  The Ghost and the Darkness - Jerry Goldsmith, 1996

            Not one of Goldsmith's most famous scores, it stands out to me because it has a lot of the same sound of his other 90s scores mixed with the sound of a turn-of-the-century safari.  I can't listen to it and not want to go there myself, without the man-eating lions of course.

24.  As Good As It Gets - Hans Zimmer, 1997

            The best non-action Zimmer score (slightly better than The Holiday).  It's playful yet serious, like the movie.  Yes it's a bit repetitive, but that's expected in a rom-com.

23.  Contact - Alan Silvestri, 1997

            Back in the day when I was studying space, this was on the top of my list of go-to scores while reading/researching/writing.  This is Silvestri at his best, caring about the movie and not just using generic action beats like the rut he got into shortly after this movie.

22.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Brad Fiedel, 1991

            One more example of a highly electronic score that I still love because it fits the movie.  He took what was good in the first and ramped it up to create probably my favorite sci-fi action score (to go along with the best sci-fi action movie of all time).  From the SWAT team attack to the end it does not give up, just like the terminators.

21.  Backdraft - Hans Zimmer, 1991

            There was a time when this was my most-listened-to score.  It really showed what Zimmer was capable of this decade.  It has a great love theme but also fantastic action cues.

20.  Patriot Games/Clear and Present Danger - James Horner, 1992/1994

            Something about these scores, especially Patriot Games, really holds onto me.  The long action cues in both are nearly perfect for on the edge of your seat scenes, but the rest are just so darn good as well.  The somewhat subdued Electronic Battlefield and Laser-Guided Missile really hit the mark as well (no pun intended).  Plus you get the little Irish flair in Patriot Games that together makes it one of my favorites.

19.  The Last of the Mohicans - Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones, 1992

            Everybody knows "The Kiss," but this score is so much more than that.  The Fort Battle is epic, and The Courier has always been a favorite of mine.  The two composers, with very different sounds, somehow work pretty well together (though Jones clearly has the better contributions).

18.  Braveheart - James Horner, 1995

            Truly one of the best Horner scores.  How can you not get pumped by "Revenge?"  Or wrecked by the execution music? 

17.  Sleepy Hollow - Danny Elfman, 1999

            I might get chastized for this, but Sleepy Hollow is one of the underrated brilliant scores by Elfman.  He goes full-on old-school horror (though he even trumped this later with Wolfman, the best "classic" horror score).  The Chase is one of the best Elfman action cues anywhere, with the strings going 100 mph.

16.  The Rocketeer - James Horner, 1991

            One of the all-time best superhero scores.  In the theme, you can really hear Horner's love for flying.  It really transports you to another age.  It doesn't get much more fun than "The Flying Circus."

15.  Dick Tracy - Danny Elfman, 1990

            Coming right off has Batman score the year before, and the same year as Darkman, Elfman was clearly king of the comic book movies of this era.  I love Dick Tracy because there are three major themes, each of which are gold.  My favorite is the theme for Tess, particularly when it explodes in the finale.  There were good comic book movies before the 2000s.

14.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - Michael Kamen, 1991

            I mentioned before this was the score that really got me into them, but yet it's this low?  Yes, that's how great this decade was.  A recently released (nearly) complete recording reminded me just how great this score was.  Yes, the Marian theme is beautiful.  I will always gravitate to the action cues.

13.  Legends of the Fall - James Horner, 1994

            As much as I love some of his other stuff, if I want to listen to peak Horner, this often is where I go.  It's a very emotional movie, it explores a lot of human territory, and the score goes right along with it.  But when that main theme is played on piano, my goodness.  It might be the most beautiful of his career (way better than Titanic).

12.  The Rock - Hans Zimmer and friends, 1996

            You want your Zimmer 90s action?  It does not get any better.  Of course, it helps that at least a half-dozen other guys were working on it as well, but that's another story.  Throw this in and hop on the highway, you'll be speeding in no time!

11.  Sense and Sensibility - Patrick Doyle, 1995

            A surprise, maybe, more for me because it's this low.  Doyle is clearly the best composer for this type of movie, and he destroys it with this score.  It's light, beautiful, fun, and serious exactly where it needs to be.  My only complaint is that it is so scarce in the film!  It's a 136 minute film with only 41 minutes of music.  Oh well, it's absolutely one of the best in the best year for film music, as well as movies, ever.

The Best of 90s Scores (70-41)

Here is how this premise started:  I was thinking about this year's movies and scores and lamenting the lack of good scores this year.  Outside of Star Wars and Justice League, there really aren't any themes that are memorable (and, oh yeah, those themes are rehashes).  There are some scores that are fine, but most have turned into generic noise.  I blame two people: Christopher Nolan (and by proxy Hans Zimmer) and Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross.  I know that's actually four people, but two pairs of people.  At least the Zimmer scores for Nolan movies I will give a listen to, though I don't expect much.  Reznor/Ross are completely unlistenable to me.  The "revolutionary" Social Network is maybe their most listenable, but only when they are (poorly) sampling source material.  I'm ending my rant now.

Anyways, I was then listening to Waterworld, one of my favorite scores of all time.  They do not make action scores like that anymore.  I began to think about how awesome the 90s was for film scores.  Easily the best decade, in my opinion.  Sure, I'm biased because that's when I started listening to scores (1991, specifically).  It's not coincidence that the first two scores my brother owned (and hence I listened to) were Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Rocketeer are still two of my favorites.  Coincidentally, and very fortunately, they both recently received great re-releases with their complete or near-complete scores.

Again, let's refocus and get to the point.  As I was thinking about the 90s, I guessed that there were at least 50 scores from that decade that were better than anything that came out this year, with the possible exceptions of the resourcing scores in Justice League and Star Wars.  So, this list is an attempt to see how right I was.

Here's the problem, when I started to make a list of the potential top 50, my first go was way too long.  It was at 178 to be precise.  I am NOT saying all 178 were better than anything this year.  I AM saying there were at least 178 scores that deserved consideration for best of the decade.  That's a heck of a lot (and goes to my point to how great the decade was).  So then I had to pare down the list.  One easy thing to do is to condense all sequels and anthologies into one representative.  A couple exceptions included those with different composers and very different sounds, for example, Star Trek, so they had to be kept separate.  Unfortunately, that only narrowed it down to 171.  You see, the 90s were not as obsessed with sequels as today.  So I had to do a big purge.  Even in this first cut there were some really good scores cut like The Silence of the Lambs, Medicine Man, Swing Kids, Sabrina, Con Air, A Bug's Life, and The Replacement Killers (very underrated).  Ugh, only down to 136.

Let's go about this another way.  How about if I cut down each year to just 7 scores, then I can eliminate from there.  If you're not in the best 7 of a year, you can't be in the top 50, right?  Now we're cutting out some really great ones.  Back to the Future Part III, Home Alone, A League of Their Own, Rudy, Gettysburg, The Man Without a Face, Geronimo: An American Legend, Star Trek : Generations, Wyatt Earp, The Lion King, The Quick and the Dead, Rob Roy, Crimson Tide, First Knight, Bad Boys, Judge Dredd, Toy Story (ugh), Executive Decision, The Phantom, Broken Arrow (gasp!), Amistad, The Fifth Element, Face/Off, Men in Black, The Postman, Titanic (yes, though it's gone up hugely in my book with the recent extended release, but still too much synth), L.A. Confidential, Godzilla, Rounders, Ronin, The Green Mile, and The Sixth Sense were some of my most difficult cuts.  But now I was down to 70.  I can work with that.  The TOP 70 Scores of the 90s (all of which are superior to anything from this year):

70.  Hook - John Williams, 1991

            Starting off with good old Williams and Spielberg.  It's kind of average for Williams, which means better than most.  The Never-Fest is the highlight.

69.  Enemy of the State - Trevor Rabin & Harry Gregson-Williams, 1998

            We will see this duo later with a better score, but this is still one of the best action scores of the 90s.  The various chase cues in particular shine, and point towards the later Spy Game.

68.  Saving Private Ryan - John Williams, 1998

            If we're talking just themes, Hymn to the Fallen is hauntingly amazing.  The rest of the score, however, is fairly lackluster.  This was one of a few movies with Spielberg pulled back Williams to let the visuals speak for themselves.

67.  The Prince of Egypt - Hans Zimmer, 1998

            If we're talking overall music, this might be higher (and, spoiler alert, another Hans Zimmer animated feature, The Lion King, would have made the list).  But going strictly on score, the amazing highlights, Chariot Race, The Burning Bush, The Red Sea, stand out amongst the rest of the somewhat paint-by-numbers score.

66.  Outbreak - James Newton Howard, 1995

            From a very strong year, this was one of the many great scores from the composer of the decade.  It's got just the right blend of pure chaos and thoughtfulness.

65. Cliffhanger - Trevor Jones, 1993

            A score that is pretty much perfect for this fun action movie with amazing snowy visuals. 

64.  Starship Troopers - Basil Poledouris, 1997

            Here's a composer that is frequently hit home runs and is now missed.  It's a hugely triumphant, science fiction/military score that goes great with the satire of the movie.

63.  The Saint - Graeme Revell, 1997

            It's in some ways an understated send up on the spy genre.  Not only is the main theme great, and used well throughout, but the love theme is one of the best of the decade.

62.  The Mask of Zorro - James Horner, 1998

            Horner, of course, will be all over this list.  This one in particular is a very good take on the swashbuckler scores of old with some great Spanish stylings. 

61.  Armageddon - Trevor Rabin & Harry Gregson-Williams, 1998

            I hinted at this early with Enemy of the State, from the same year.  It's an over-the-top action-packed, patriotic score that fits the movie. 

60.  Galaxy Quest - David Newman, 1999

            One of the best Star Trek movies of all time with a similarly great score.  The theme is classic and Newman gets across the comedic aspects as well as the action.

59.  The Man in the Iron Mask - Nick Glennie-Smith, 1998

            One might think that I would never go for a rockish swashbuckler score, but I think it works well here.  Every time I listen to it I wonder, whatever happened to Nick Glennie-Smith?

58.  Forrest Gump - Alan Silvestri, 1994

            Somewhat surprised myself that this isn't higher, but that shows the strength of the decade.  Of course there's also the problem that after the first few cues, it kind of gets boring.

57.  What Dreams May Come - Michael Kamen, 1998

            It's an interesting, almost experimental score for Kamen which fits the movie.  The opening cue in particular gets me every time.

56.  Far and Away - John Williams, 1992

            A perhaps forgotten Williams score, it is greatly helped by The Chieftains doing their thing.

55.  Drop Zone - Hans Zimmer, 1994

            A score you've definitely heard even if you don't know it, it's been used in many trailers.  This paved the way for Zimmer's later, greater action scores of the 90s.  Though I usually hate synths, it doesn't get much better than Too Many Notes-Not Enough Rests (a great title).

54.  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - Cliff Eidelman, 1991

            The first Star Trek movie I ever saw, it happens to be my favorite and my favorite non-Goldsmith Star Trek score.  It's weird, yes, but it's also epic, particularly The Battle for Peace.  Again, whatever happened to Cliff Eidelman?

53.  Beauty and the Beast - Alan Menken, 1991

            Perhaps the best Disney score of all time, it kind of stands in for the others by Menken. 

52.  Star Trek: First Contact/Insurrection - Jerry Goldsmith, 1996/1998

            Goldsmith remains the top dog for Star Trek scores, and these two are big parts of the reason. 

51.  Scream/2 - Marco Beltrami, 1996/1997

            The scores that cemented Beltrami as the best horror composer of all time. 

50.  Air Force One - Jerry Goldsmith and Joel McNeely, 1997

            My first "R" rated movie in the theater, this is one epic Goldsmith score.  In an era when a lot of his work blends together, this stands out.  Interesting that McNeely came in to help finish it, but it's nearly impossible to tell who did what because he apes Goldsmith so well.

49.  The Mummy - Jerry Goldsmith, 1999

            One of the last truly great, epic scores of a master.  It's got a perfect blend of action/adventure and Egyptian sounds.  In fact, it might be the best non-Indiana Jones adventure score.

48.  Cutthroat Island - John Debney, 1995

            I surprised myself with how low this is because it is an amazing throwback to the old Korngold-style swashbucklers.  Pirates of the Caribbean is fine, but this is what pirates movies should sound like.

47.  Don Juan DeMarco - Michael Kamen, 1995

            Amazingly beautiful music for an underrated Johnny Depp movie (almost impossible these days).  It's sweeping and intimate and a great Latin flair.

46.  Stargate - David Arnold, 1994

            You know everything I said about The Mummy?  Well switch out science fiction and this one-ups it.  Procession leading into Slave Rebellion is still one of my favorite examples of music adding to the tension.  This score put Arnold on the map.  Of course the movie also put Devlin and Emmerich on the map, something that now is not to be bragged about.

45.  Batman Returns - Danny Elfman, 1992

            The original Batman score is the greatest superhero score of all time.  This is a very good sequel (movie and score).  It's only this low because the circus music gets a little annoying at points, though it makes sense (somewhat) in the movie.  The screeching strings for Catwoman, however, is a great addition.

44.  The Shadow - Jerry Goldsmith, 1994

            I really love this score, though it gets a little dull at points.  Still, the theme is fantastic and The Tank is one of my favorite Goldsmith action cues.

43.  Total Recall - Jerry Goldsmith, 1990

            Speaking of great Goldsmith, the action cues in this score are epic.  The only unfortunate thing is that this became his template for later action scores (Chain Reaction is just one) so after awhile it sounded over used.

42.  Lethal Weapon 3/4 - Michael Kamen, 1992, 1998

            The thing with the Lethal Weapon scores is that Kamen was a little paint-by-numbers, so they sometimes blend together.  That being said, Armour Piercing Bullets is by far the best action cue of the series, one possibly the best of Kamen's career.

41.  Die Hard 2/Die Hard with a Vengeance - Michael Kamen 1990, 1995

            And here you see my choice between the two great Kamen cop series.  They're very close, but Die Hard just gets the nod.  I know it doesn't really count, but I love how he used source cues (Finlandia, Johnny Comes Marching Home) in these scores.