The 12 Best Film Composers Of All Time

There's more to a film score than an opening theme, though many of the more recognizable composers got to where they are by writing the theme to a beloved franchise. Film scores set the mood. They create an environment. As far as post-production goes, music is as important as editing when it comes to tone and pacing. Sometime you don't even notice the score in the background of a film, and that's powerful too. There's a reason that a lot of people like listening to film scores while working. It's not (just) a symptom of Main Character Syndrome — it helps you focus and work towards an end goal.

Film composers don't always have the household name recognition that directors and actors have outside of Hollywood. Yet their work is often synonymous with the films themselves, and there are several who have broken through and become favorites even for those who aren't already fans of the genre, known to browse the "Soundtracks and Scores" section at Barnes and Noble. Here's a sampling of some of the best film composers of all time, and what sets them apart.

Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is one of the most exciting new composers on the scene along with "Succession" theme and "Moonlight" composer Nicholas Britell. That said, he's not that new to this kind of music; he has a series of contemporary classical concert works. Greenwood had been composing film scores for over ten years, with prestigious credits including "There Will Be Blood," "The Master," and "Inherent Vice," when his score for Paul Thomas Anderson's "Phantom Thread" really popped, earning him an Academy Award nomination and the love of film hipsters everywhere. 

Greenwood's next score is for the buzzy "Spencer," directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Kristen Stewart. Rather than sell us on a singular theme or help to create a setting, Greenwood's scores are best at defining the tone or mood of a film — which makes him a perfect fit for auteurs like Anderson and Larraín with more complex or off-beat storytelling. But while he's already made quite the mark on the movies, with only a handful of scores under his belt the best is likely yet to come. 

You can't name just one iconic John Williams score. Well, to be more specific, you can't name just one John Williams theme. That's his legacy. He's the theme guy. They stick in your mind and transport you to your favorite fictional worlds and are as famous and memorable as the franchises they represent: "Star Wars," "Jaws," "Superman," "Indiana Jones", "Jurassic Park," and "Harry Potter" to name a few. 

Williams is also the guy behind some of the music that gets you amped for the Olympics! (Some of it. We can't discount Leo Arnaud's "Bugler's Dream," which Williams arranged, and Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man.") Williams has been composing film scores since the 1950s and is still going. Just when you think you've figured out Williams' style, he mixes it up with scores like "Catch Me If You Can" and "Seven Years in Tibet" that mix it up. He's easily the most recognizable name in composing for film. 

Not all film composers play Coachella. That's something only Hans Zimmer can pull off, and not just because of his cool name. That's what Zimmer is, however — cool. His themes are right up there with John Williams'. His "sassy" "Driving Miss Daisy" score got a shout-out in "The Holiday," courtesy of Jack Black's character. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme and score gets millennials as hyped as a Black Eyed Peas song, and that's a compliment. 

Zimmer's "Sherlock Homes" scores are equally energetic. He deconstructed Edith Piaf's "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" and put it back together to create the entire "Inception" score. Yes, those Christopher Nolan BWWWWMMMMMS are all Zimmer. The composer and director also collaborated on "The Dark Knight," "Dunkirk," and "Interstellar." He's been nominated eleven times for an Oscar and only won once, for "The Lion King," though Zimmer's score is not necessarily the first music that comes to mind when you think of the Disney animated classic. 

Rachel Portman was the first and one of the only women to win the Oscar for best original score, for the 1996 adaptation of "Emma," as well as the first female composer to win a Primetime Emmy, for Dee Rees' HBO film "Bessie." But that's not just what makes her the best of the best. Nor is the fact that she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010 for her contributions to film and television, either, but it's pretty dang cool. 

Portman's music is violin-heavy, romantic, and often a little bit melancholy. Once you start to pick out her sound, you won't be able to unhear it. Her scores include "Belle," "The Manchurian Candidate," "Never Let Me Go," "Chocolat," "The Cider House Rules," and "A Little Princess," among others. She frequently lends her tunes to period pieces, if that wasn't already obvious. Outside of film composition, Portman also adapted "The Little Prince" for opera and wrote songs for a musical based on "Little House of the Prairie." 

If you love the films of Hayao Miyazaki then you know Joe Hisaishi's music. They're joined at the hip, like many of the other composer/auteur pairings on this list. Hisaishi is responsible for the scores behind "Spirited Away," "Ponyo," "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Castle in the Sky," "Princess Mononoke" and dozens of other films. He has won eight Japanese Academy Awards and a Medal of Honor. His music has a minimalist sound that pairs well with Studio Ghibli's simple, moving stories. Besides Miyazaki, Hisaishi has also worked extensively for Japanese director Takeshi Kitano and in particular his film "Hana-bi" ("Fireworks.")

Hisaishi is just his professional name, actually. The Japanese composer was born Mamoru Fujisawa and chose the name "Hisaishi" by translating Quincy Jones' name into Japanese as an homage to the legendary producer. His lengthy career has drawn comparisons to Western composers and producers like Jones, as well as John Williams. 

The greatest composer of the Golden Age of Hollywood was Alfred Newman. He started conducting Broadway shows as a teenager and by 1930 was invited to come to Hollywood and write film scores by none other than Irving Berlin. Newman went on to become the music director for 20th Century Fox Studios for twenty years, and he still holds the record for Academy Award nominations and wins. 

Alfred Newman is also notable for developing the "Newman System," which is still used by composers today to signal cues for when the music should begin and end as well, as what tempo it should be to best cater to the action or an actor's performance in the scene. Some of his classic film scores you may have heard include the epic "How The West Was Won," "All About Eve," "How To Marry A Millionaire," and "Miracle on 34th Street."