The opening credits to “The Great Escape”:
No. 9: Michael Giacchino
Giacchino is relatively new to the movie music business compared with others on this list, but he’s made a distinct impression in a short time. His breakthrough came with “The Incredibles, ” and he continues to have a solid relationship with Pixar, contributing the musical score for “Ratatouille” and “Cars 2.” Giacchino’s best work to date, however, is definitely on “Up.” Giacchino’s score is all that we hear during most of the movie’s 15-minute prologue, and it’s masterful. The music deftly moves from joyful to subdued to mournful with ease, and it provides all the emotional context we need without a single word of dialogue. It’s no wonder Giacchino won an Oscar for the score and continues to be in high demand.
From the prologue of “Up”:
The main theme from “The Incredibles”:
No. 8: Danny Elfman
Elfman’s best known piece of music is probably the theme from “The Simpsons, ” but he’s done consistently great work for movies as well, usually in collaboration with Tim Burton. Elfman’s work is usually characterized by a slightly zany, whimsical feel and odd tempos, but he can also create more traditional marches and themes, as seen by his work on Burton’s “Batman.” Other notable scores by Elfman include “Edward Scissorhands, ” and the “Spider-Man” movies. Elfman is also a reasonably gifted songwriter, as seen by his work on the Burton-produced “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
The opening titles to Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman”:
“This Is Halloween” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”:
No. 7: James Horner
Horner has worked a great deal with director James Cameron, and so most of his best work comes from Cameron’s movies, including “Aliens, ” “Titanic” and “Avatar.” With “Aliens” in particular, Horner showed a mastery of using music to amplify suspense and tension to near unbearable levels, something he also displayed in his work on “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and “Apollo 13.” Though he’s been less prolific in recent years, Horner’s work speaks for itself.
From “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” (Do you best to ignore the dialogue and other sound effects and just focus on the music, particularly in the moments leading up to Khan’s first strike against the Enterprise.)
