Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

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carlos74
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Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by carlos74 »

https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-an ... me/?page=1

01-Vangelis - Blade Runner (1984)
02-Mica Levi - Under the Skin (2014)
03-Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood (2007)
04-Air - The Virgin Suicides (1999)
05-Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
06-Wendy Carlos - A Clockwork Orange (1971)
07-Miles Davis - Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (1958)
08 Bernard Herrmann - Psycho (1960)
09-Isaac Hayes - Shaft (1971)
10-John Carpenter - Halloween (1978)
11-Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network (2010)
12-RZA - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
13-Bernard Herrmann - Taxi Driver (1976)
14-Anton Karas - The Third Man (1949)
15-Neil Young - Dead Man (1995)
16-David Lynch and Alan R. Splet - Eraserhead (1977)
17-Philip Glass - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
18-Eduard Artemiev - Solaris (1972)
19-Cliff Martinez - Drive (2011)
20-Popol Vuh - Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)
21-Jonny Greenwood - Phantom Thread (2017)
22-Bill Conti - Rocky (1976)
23-Burt Bacharach - Casino Royale (1967)
24-Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Akira (1988)
25-Bruce Langhorne - The Hired Hand (1971)
26-Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury - Annihilation (2018)
27-John Williams - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
28-Georges Delerue - Le Mépris (1963)
29-Bernard Herrmann - Vertigo (1958)
30-Michael Nyman - The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989)
31-Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
32-Jóhann Jóhannsson - Sicario (2015)
33-Alain Goraguer - La Planète Sauvage (1973)
34-Henry Mancini - Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
35-Manu Dibango - Ceddo (1977)
36-Duke Ellington - Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
37-John Barry - Walkabout (1971)
38-Ennio Morricone - Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
39-Haruomi Hosono - The Tale of Genji (1987)
40-John Williams - Jaws (1975)
41-Angelo Badalamenti - Blue Velvet (1986)
42-Goblin - Suspiria (1977)
43-Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
44-Mica Levi - Jackie (2016)
45-Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances à Sophie (1971)
46-Henry Mancini - The Pink Panther (1963)
47-Danny Elfman - Batman (1989)
48-Rahul Dev Burman - Teesri Manzil (1966)
49-Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man (1972)
50-Tan Dun - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
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Rob
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by Rob »

Regardless of my own preferences, this is actually an outstanding list. Very varied, with a good mix of established titles and deserved surprises, capturing a wide range of musical styles as well as movies. I've come to see much of what Pitchfork does as disingenuous, but this is really good.

I'm almost tempted to read the write-ups, but am scared for comparisons between the soundtrack of Koyaanisqatsi and the complete works of Boyzone or something stupid like that. Did someone read it and can they assure me that is free of Pitchfork affectations?
Huangal70
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by Huangal70 »

Apart from an irrelevant dig at James Woods in the Once Upon a Time in America one, i don't remember anything particularly irritating/Pitchforky.
Jackson
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by Jackson »

I love the elevation of recent scores in this list. Under the Skin at 2 is an inspired choice, and it's nice to see Drive and Sicario as well.
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prosecutorgodot
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Listened to the Blade Runner soundtrack after seeing it on this list, and I get how one could rank it at number one. Vangelis's music is like a part of the movie itself, inseparable; one can't imagine the visuals without the accompanying score. If one uses that as the main criteria, then it easily is a top contender, if not an automatic #1. Besides that, you have the fact that it kinda revolutionized the use of reverb in music in general.
Just me personally, I like the score a lot, but is it something I would put on and be super excited to listen to all the way through? Are the tracks all well-written songs? Not necessarily.
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Pierre
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by Pierre »

prosecutorgodot wrote:Listened to the Blade Runner soundtrack after seeing it on this list, and I get how one could rank it at number one. Vangelis's music is like a part of the movie itself, inseparable; one can't imagine the visuals without the accompanying score. If one uses that as the main criteria, then it easily is a top contender, if not an automatic #1. Besides that, you have the fact that it kinda revolutionized the use of reverb in music in general.
Just me personally, I like the score a lot, but is it something I would put on and be super excited to listen to all the way through? Are the tracks all well-written songs? Not necessarily.
N°2 album of all time for me :P
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Daniel
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by Daniel »

A lot less John Williams than I would have expected (no Star Wars: A New Hope; Superman; Raiders of the Lost Ark?), and for a list that has Vangelis at #1, I am shocked that the far more iconic Chariots of Fire score is not on the list.
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Matski
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Re: Pitchfork - The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time (2019)

Post by Matski »

Composers like John Williams are probably too passé for Pitchfork and while The Chariots of Fire title theme is arguably Vangelis' most ubiquitous piece, the rest of the record doesn't quite match its gravitas.

The Blade Runner soundtrack would likely be favoutite soundtrack and electronic record if it weren't for the odd decision to insert One More Kiss, Dear into the middle of the tracklisting. It's just too disruptive to the ambience/flow of the record for me. I skip it each and every time - something I wouldn't do to a 10/10 record. I have no problem with the track itself but it would have been better placed at the end of the record, or left off altogether. There were dozens of worthy tracks that never made the cut - easily enough to make a double album. It's bizarre that Vangelis chose to use that song over any of them.
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