The best film scores of all time
The top 3 according to 84 votes from people: Star Wars — John Williams · Psycho — Bernard Herrmann · The Godfather — Nino Rota. (Updated Jun 4, 2026.)
Original orchestral scores that top AFI's 25 Greatest Film Scores and Classic FM's Movie Music Hall of Fame, with the modern scores fans vote for most.
Top 25
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1
Star Wars — John Williams
1977. The main title, the Force theme and the Imperial March (1980) to come; AFI's number one score.
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2
Psycho — Bernard Herrmann
1960. Strings only, and the shrieking violins of the shower scene.
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3
The Godfather — Nino Rota
1972. The waltz and the love theme that define the Corleone family.
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4
Gone with the Wind — Max Steiner
1939. Tara's Theme, the second-highest score on AFI's list.
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5
The Lord of the Rings — Howard Shore
2001–2003. Leitmotifs for the Shire, Rohan and Gondor across three films; three Oscars.
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6
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly — Ennio Morricone
1966. The coyote howl and 'The Ecstasy of Gold'.
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7
Lawrence of Arabia — Maurice Jarre
1962. A sweeping desert theme that won Jarre his first Oscar.
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8
Gladiator — Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard
2000. 'Now We Are Free' and the battle music copied by trailers for a decade.
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9
The Mission — Ennio Morricone
1986. 'Gabriel's Oboe', voted many times as Classic FM listeners' favourite film music.
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10
Once Upon a Time in the West — Ennio Morricone
1968. Each character has a theme, from Jill's soprano to the harmonica.
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11
Schindler's List — John Williams
1993. Itzhak Perlman's violin theme; Oscar for Best Original Score.
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12
Interstellar — Hans Zimmer
2014. Recorded with the organ of London's Temple Church.
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13
Jaws — John Williams
1975. Two notes that made a whole generation afraid of the sea; Oscar.
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14
Cinema Paradiso — Ennio and Andrea Morricone
1988. The love theme was written by Morricone's son Andrea.
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15
Jurassic Park — John Williams
1993. The awe-struck theme of the first sight of the dinosaurs.
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16
Raiders of the Lost Ark — John Williams
1981. The Raiders March, Indiana Jones' signature.
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17
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl — Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer
2003. 'He's a Pirate', a staple of school orchestras.
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18
Vertigo — Bernard Herrmann
1958. Spiralling, Wagnerian music for Hitchcock's obsession.
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19
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — John Williams
2001. 'Hedwig's Theme' on the celesta became the sound of the saga.
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20
Out of Africa — John Barry
1985. Romantic strings over the Kenyan landscape; Oscar.
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21
The Magnificent Seven — Elmer Bernstein
1960. The galloping western theme on AFI's top ten.
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22
Chinatown — Jerry Goldsmith
1974. A lonely trumpet written in ten days to replace a rejected score.
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23
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — John Williams
1982. The flying-bicycle finale; Spielberg re-edited the scene to match the music.
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24
Inception — Hans Zimmer
2010. 'Time' and the 'BRAAAM' derived from slowing down Édith Piaf.
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25
How to Train Your Dragon — John Powell
2010. Celtic-tinged flying music, a favourite in Classic FM's Hall of Fame.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (3)
Morricone with three scores on the list and still underrated. The Mission's Gabriel's Oboe 🥲
Star Wars at #1 is right. That opening fanfare is the most recognizable piece of film music ever.
Interstellar's organ in the docking scene... Zimmer's best work.