I love movie soundtracks. Film music is the most emotional music there is, especially compared to Rock, or Pop, or other popular genres. They can scare your nose off, make you cry, and smile uncontrollably all in one song. So here’s my favorites.
#1: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, by Hans Zimmer
This is overall my favorite soundtrack in the universe. It has everything you expect in a soundtrack. Furious action, gentle sections of amazement and mystery, epic statements, and quirky, unexpected parts.
The action music in the near 11 minute long “I Don’t Think Now is the Best Time” is absolutely stunning. There’s spiccato violin throughout the whole song underneath the layers of brass and cellos/basses.
My favorite track has to be “Up is Down.” It has great percussion, and a definite Celtic influence, bouncing along through the song. The main theme repeats in the French Horns, as the rest of the symphony plays along, with plenty of 16th note madness.
#2: Transformers: The Score, by Steve Jablonsky
The first Transformers Score well outshone it’s sequel’s score. It has some of the most epic music I’ve ever heard, along with some great action tracks. Steve Jablonsky perfectly melds acoustic with electronic. The orchestra and electronics fuse nicely together, creating a tone fit for a movie filled with alien robots.
The two things I love most about this music is the themes, and the percussion. The percussion is absolutely huge, and pounds through the score, accompanied by awesome themes, usually played by French Horns, or in some cases, a solo cello.
Arrival to Earth is one of my favorite songs of all time, capturing the awe and wonder of the scene. Unfortunately, the theme is only heard once in the entire score. Scorponok is a wonderful action track, showcasing the amazing percussion of the score, and a cool repeating electric bass. About halfway through, we hear the theme most often equated with Transformers, which strangely is not a highly used melody. It’s only heard about two other times, in which is is buried underneath more prominent sections.
#3: The Dark Knight, by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
Suspense is the definition of this soundtrack. It is much better than the Batman Begins soundtrack, especially with the influences of the Joker in it.
I’m one who never liked the original 1900′s Batman music. So this music highly pleases me. It has almost nothing in common with it. This score is extremely dark, gritty, and suspenseful. Hans Zimmer decided to go with something far from the ordinary for the Joker’s theme. Instead of your usual notes and chord sequences, it’s a single, shrill, almost fire-truck-alarm like note, slowly rising higher and higher. The suspense this one note creates is unbelievable, especially when combined with the electronic, dissonant rhythms that come to define this score.
