The Best Film Music of the 21st Century (So Far)
Film music accompanies the enthralling, emotional and action-filled scenes of movies. They work simultaneously with the visual stimulus of films to enhance and amplify the scenery playing out on the big screen.
There have been equally, if not more, memorable film scores that solidify a film in history in the history of films. To cover all of these would take a very long time to write and would produce a very long article. So here, let’s take a look at the past 20 years into some of my favourite composers and their history-making music.
Hans Zimmer
When one talks about the last 20 years of film music, many names come up but a recurring name is Hans Zimmer. Zimmer, born in 1957, is a German film music composer and known for writing some of the most engaging and beautiful film music in the past two decades.
Zimmer began composing in the early 1980s and has gone on to compose scores for films such as ‘The Lion King’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. He is the go-to composer for director Christopher Nolan scoring films such as ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’, ‘Inception’, ‘Interstellar’ and ‘Dunkirk’. The list goes on.
Here are my select picks from Hans Zimmer’s growing discography.
Molossus — ‘Batman Begins’
‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ has some of Zimmer’s best film music.
For his work on the ‘Dark Knight Trilogy’ film score, he was awarded Grammy, Saturn and Classical BRIT awards, shared with James Newton Howard with whom he co-composed the music.
Featuring bass-heavy instrumentation, the deep swells of the loud brass and continual moving string parts, Zimmer creates a looming sense of darkness and fear, perfect for the themes of ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’. Zimmer’s use of electronic music, such as the percussive elements of the music, in all three films of the trilogy, adds to the action and suspense that is packed into each piece of the soundtrack.
Zimmer’s use of electronic elements in his scores is not only unique to his Batman score, however. It is a recurring element that occurs in multiple scores he has done across his life as a film music composer.
Supermarine —’Dunkirk’
Zimmer returned to compose Nolan’s World War II film ‘Dunkirk’. The repeated electronic semiquaver percussion adds to the thrilling fear and looming sense of danger that is characteristic of the film. The scene the music accompanies follows two pilots engaging in an aerial battle with opposing fighter jets. The intensity and exhilarating action captured by Nolan is exemplified by Zimmer’s frightening score.
The increase in tempo and synthesised musical use of what sounds like an alarm, further works to accentuate the fear meant for the scene.
Henry Jackman
Born in 1974, Henry Jackman is an English composer, conductor, arranger, pianist, musician, and songwriter. Jackman, learning from his mentor Hans Zimmer, has composed for many films such as ‘X-Men: First Class’, Netflix’s ‘Extraction’ and most notably the MCU’s ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War’.
Jackman’s compositions take notes from his mentor Zimmer, incorporating orchestral sounds with electronic additions to create intense and extravagant soundtracks.
Lemurian Star — ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’
The film’s first espionage-style scene features the title Lemurian Star. The piece starts with some electronically modified strings before heavy, yet inspiring brass debut to signify the entry of the righteous Captain America.
In the latter half of the piece, Jackman focuses purely on percussion, adding an extra layer of excitement. The fast-paced strings further amplify this feeling of adrenaline, making for a thrilling and interesting opening sequence.
When talking about the score Jackman stated, “…it’s 50% production and all the tricks I’ve learnt from spending years in the record industry but then it’s also got the kind of injection of symphonic, thematic, heroic music that all kind of merges into one musical, and hopefully coherent piece”.
Eggsy Is Back — ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’
In keeping with the opening title trend, the piece Eggsy is Back is a great composition. Beginning with bagpipes and an inspirational opening with strings and brass, the piece quickly develops into one of exhilaration and zing.
The pairing of strings and trumpets pairs the themes of the mystery showed by the skilled spy work of the Kingsman — a group of British spies — and the grandiose and style of the agents.
Jackman’s electronic music influence returns towards the end of the piece, blending with the orchestral elements synthesising an inspirational opening to the film.
Michael Giacchino
While still intermingling electronic beats and samples into his music, Michael Giacchino tends to have a larger focus on orchestra heavy scores, a more classical approach to film scoring. Giacchino is an American composer, born in 1967, who has won a multitude of awards for his musical works.
Giacchino, a graduate of SVA, the Julliard School and UCLA, initially began scoring music for video games for consoles like the SEGA Genesis, SNES and PlayStation.
Since he began film composition, Giacchino has come extremely far and has scored for films such as ‘The Incredibles’ and its sequel, the ‘Star Trek’ reboot series, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, the Marvel Cinematic Universe ‘Spider-man’ films, the ‘Jurrasic World’ series, Disney’s ‘Tomorrowland’ and much more.
Diggin’ the New Digs— ‘Incredibles 2’
Giacchino’s first feature film composition came in 2004 with Brad Bird’s ‘The Incredibles’. Not only was the jazz big band composition style a departure from Pixar’s usual films, but it was also a big change for Giacchino. Yet the Incredibles soundtrack, and its 2018 sequel, ‘Incredibles 2’ are still incredible to listen to today.
Giacchino utilises a large amount of brass and percussion in his scores for the Incredibles films. Both scores capture the jazz and swing styles of the 60s, the fictional time setting for the animated superhero film.
“Bird wanted an old feel and as such the score was recorded on analogue tapes…brass instruments, which are at the forefront of the score of ‘The Incredibles’, sound better on analog” — Brad Bird, Michael Giacchino et al. (2011).
Giacchino’s heavy brass and percussion elements can also be seen in these two tracks as well.
Off to Work — ‘The Incredibles’
Life’s Incredible Again — ‘The Incredibles’
Kronos Unveiled — ‘The Incredibles’
Giacchino’s scores suit the films perfectly. Even in action scenes, jazz elements are incorporated so the viewer never leaves the 60s setting. He is also capable of creating chilling and intense scores as seen with his work in ‘The Incredibles’ with Kronos Unveiled.
End Credits — ‘Star Trek’
After working on J.J. Abrams’ shows ‘Alias’ and ‘Lost’, returned to the director to compose the soundtrack for ‘Star Trek’ and its sequels ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and ‘Star Trek Beyond’.
The ‘Star Trek’ soundtrack ditches all electronic sounds and samples, instead, focusing on raw orchestral and choral magnificence.
The uplifting and inspirational string lines combined with loud bright brass add to the soundtrack’s brilliance and remains to this day some of the best music Giacchino has composed.
Thomas Newman
Thomas Newman is another brilliant American composer of the 21st century. Born in 1955, Newman’s career has spanned more than four decades with some of his best work shining in the last 20 years.
Holding a Master of Music from Yale, Newman has composed for many films including ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘WALL-E’, ‘1917’ and two James Bond films, ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Spectre’. Newman tends to mix electronic and orchestral scores together, creating moving and exciting music.
‘Skyfall’
Newman’s work on ‘Skyfall’ in 2012, is some of his best composition work. The ‘Skyfall’ soundtrack won Newman a Grammy and a BAFTA award as well as being nominated for an Academy Award.
The whole soundtrack is full of amazing sounds that perfectly encapsulate a recovering James Bond after being injured at the beginning of the film and helped director Sam Mendes paint a new image for this era of Bond.
‘1917’
Newman’s work on the 2019 World War I film ‘1917’, again directed by Sam Mendes, has some beautiful and emotional string parts. Most tracks feature a solo cello part with a rich and powerful tone, exemplifying the theme of loss and grief in wartime.
For Newman’s work on the soundtrack, it received a nomination for best original score at the Academy Awards.
Ludwig Göransson
Named after Ludwig van Beethoven, Ludwig Göransson is a master Swedish composer and record producer. Göransson has scored for many films such as ‘Creed I’ and ‘Creed II’, ‘Venom’, Nolan’s 2020 film ‘Tenet’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2018 ‘Black Panther’ film. Göransson won a Grammy Award and an Academy Award for his ‘Black Panther’ score.
Göransson has also had success with composing for TV, working on ‘Community’ and the critically acclaimed ‘The Mandalorian’ from LucasFilm and Disney. For his Star Wars work on ‘The Mandalorian’, he was awarded a Prime Time Emmy Award.
Göransson’s music is heavily influenced by his hip-hop and rap producing background, with much of his tracks featuring heavy bass and jaw-dropping beats.
The Great Mound Battle — ‘Black Panther’
This track from the ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack is a package of engaging, thrilling and exciting elements in one piece.
Göransson uses moving string parts, an entertaining beat and vocals to make a truly magnificent piece of film of music.
The bright strings and brass elevate the scene’s action and the combination of hip-hop and traditional film music is truly excellent.
Göransson travelled to Africa to investigate traditional African music for the film after reading the script. He went on tour with Senegalese artist Baaba Maal, recording Maal and other African musicians for use in the soundtrack. For character themes in the film, Göransson used recordings of talking drums and a tambin, while Maal sang an original song for the score’s beginning.
These traditional African elements were mixed by Göransson with the classical orchestra that is frequently heard in superhero films.
RAINY NIGHT IN TALLINN — ‘Tenet’
2020 was the most difficult year for cinema, including the film music industry (for obvious pandemic-related reasons). Despite the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christopher Nolan helped keep the film industry afloat with his sci-fi, spy film Tenet, featuring a character who faces enemies inverted in time.
The theme of time inversion inspired Göransson to utilise his hip-hop background and create immersive music perfect for the complex plot of the film.
Many of the tracks in the film, when played in reverse, sound exactly the same as when they are played normally. In other words, “inversing” the track (just like in the film) produces the same music if you play it from start to finish.
This genius level of composition is some of Göransson’s best work. Not only does the music display pure, raw excitement and action, bringing loud and body-rumbling sound, but it also perfectly accompanies the film’s main plot device.
To do this, is to encompass and master the most important aspect of film music; to enhance and amplify what is played out on the big screen.
Additionally, for the use of live instruments, Göransson worked around the pandemic, recording musicians from home and had the final soundtrack completed three to four months before filming had even finished.
Göransson also worked with Travis Scott in producing the end title track to the credits ‘The Plan’, which fully grasps at the heart-pumping, adrenaline-filled and inverted action of ‘Tenet’.
Note: the music contains explicit language.
Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Desplat is an amazing french composer and conductor who has worked on numerous low-budget films as well as large-scale productions. Desplat is an incredibly celebrated composer and has won two Academy Awards, for his musical scores to the films ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘The Shape of Water’, ten BAFTA nominations, eleven Golden Globe nominations and ten Grammy nominations. His full list of accomplishments can be found here.
The Imitation Game — ‘The Imitation Game’
Working alongside the London Symphony Orchestra, Desplat’s score for the 2014 film ‘The Imitation Game’ is simultaneously beautiful and inspiring heavily featuring strings and piano.
Currently, the main theme title is the second most listened track on Spotify for the LSO at just under 48 million listens.
‘The Imitation Game’ follows the World War II cryptanalyst Alan Turing and Desplat’s score is another masterful work that perfectly encompasses the amazing mind of Turing and his struggles with recognition and homosexuality in 1950s England.
The soundtrack by Desplat has a light feel with the string part encouraging an inspirational feel while the arpeggios in the piano explain the complexity of Alan Turing’s mind.
For his work on the soundtrack, Desplat was nominated for an Academy Award, which he lost to his other score for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’.
Broomsticks and Fire — ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’
Desplat worked on creating the soundtrack for the final two films in the Harry Potter film series.
The track in the final film, Broomsticks and Fire is a snapshot of the grand and exciting music Desplat crafted for the two films in the franchise.
The use of a grandiose choir, accentuates the danger and rising intensity of the scene as the main characters attempt to escape a flame-filled room.
Lorne Balfe
Hailing from Scotland, Lorne Balfe is an exciting composer who, since 1999, has combined the use of electronic and orchestral sounds to create suspenseful and dramatic music.
Having previously worked with Hans Zimmer, Balfe has composed soundtracks for various films and other media, including video games such as the Assasin’s Creed series and Call of Duty series.
Stairs and Rooftops — ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’
Balfe worked on the score for 2018’s ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ for eight months. Balfe employs his use of grand orchestral sounds with a heavy emphasis on percussion to create an atmosphere of suspense and excitement.
The percussion elements of the score are almost ‘jumpy’ and bring a unique touch to the score.
Additionally, the recurring arpeggiated piano theme highlight the mysterious nature behind the villainous organisation in the film, The Apostles. The interjecting brass and return of this piano theme accentuate the struggle between the righteous Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and The Apostles.
The slower stringed theme, highlights Ethan Hunt’s own internal fears of losing his wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan) due to the nature of his work.
The score has been commended by numerous critics, calling it an epic and motivating score, with both powerful and sentimental themes.
The title, Stairs and Rooftops, perfectly encompasses the suspense and thrill of seeing Tom Cruise jump and sprint through London’s rooftops.
The cuts to Henry Cavill’s villainous character accompanied by Balfe’s score emphasises the increasing time pressure faced by the lead cast of heroes.
The Pursuit — ‘Black Widow’
After numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ was released in cinemas in 2021. Along with the long-awaited film came a fantastic score from Lorne Balfe. Balfe used a strings-heavy score in the lower register and sliding strings to create the theme for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character.
Lorne Balfe’s Black Widow has a delightful, intriguing and well-crafted symphonic style. Balfe’s composition masterfully captures the suspense and enigma behind the Red Room, a fictitious evil organisation that kidnapped young women and trained them into masterful assassins.
Lorne Balfe’s upcoming projects include Michael Bay’s ‘Ambulance’ and two ‘Mission: Impossible’ films.
John Williams
No film music list is complete without the inclusion of John Williams. Since 1952, Williams has composed music for films including themes, such as Harry Potter, Superman, Jaws and Star Wars, that are bound to be recognised in every household across the globe.
Having won 25 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards (as well as numerous nominations), Williams is one of the most celebrated film composers of all time and has scored for over 75 films. Due to the sheer volume (and quality) of all his works, I’ve chosen my favourite two compositions by the legendary John Williams.
Star Wars and the Revenge of the Sith — ‘Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith’
The bright, brass-heavy opening of the iconic ‘Star Wars’ main title is followed by a surprising burst of even more heavy brass, capturing the beautiful chaos that defines this era of ‘Star Wars’.
Unlike most of the films in the Skywalker Saga, ‘Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith’ opens right in the middle of an exciting battle with lasers and explosions riddling the screen.
Williams’ jumpy and military-style theme music following the main titles is perfect for the on-screen action. It perfectly encapsulates the status quo of the ‘Star Wars’ universe—war spreading across the galaxy — and captures the might of the Republic as they dominate the galaxy.
Quidditch, Third Year — ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
Often regarded as the best ‘Harry Potter’ film to be made, ‘The Prisoner of Azkaban’ follows Harry learning about Sirius Black — a mass murderer who has escaped the “in-escapable” Azkaban prison — and his plans to kill Harry.
Due to Sirius Black’s escape from the fortress prison, the guards of Azkaban, the Dementors — hooded, dark creatures that feed on happiness — now surround Hogwarts to try and capture Sirius. But the Dementors do not differentiate between Sirius and others, thus posing a threat to the protagonists.
John Williams’ title Quidditch, Third Year follows Harry in a game of Quidditch, but in his attempt to catch the Golden Snitch — a ball that wins the game for the team that captures it — he runs into the Dementors.
John Williams’ score uses lots of brass and woodwinds to incite tension and excitement into the viewer. The high register strings with semi-quavers, further amplify tension and fear as the Dementors close in on Harry. Williams’ use of vocals gives the piece an ethereal feel, foreshadowing the Dementors attacking Harry and heightening the haunting Dementors.
This composition by Williams’ really completes the frightening and tense scene crafted by director Alfonso Cuarón. The following YouTube clip is the scene that Quidditch, Third Year accompanies.
Film music does so many things and does all those well. Film music highlights the moments of danger or the inspirational uprising of a hero. Film music accentuates the looming fear increasing or the fast-paced action unfurling on the big screen. Film music incites many feelings: excitement, fear, suspense and many more.
While most pieces are masterpieces as standalone pieces, film music works at its best when it accompanies the visual elements of a film. In other words, film music in the context of the film amplifies what we love so much about the stories and their characters on screen.
There are hundreds upon thousands of film music scores out there, too many to fit into one article. But hopefully, upon reading this article, you can appreciate the beauty of film music and its important, often slept on, role in adding the final touch to the films we all love.
