I think it may still be Tex Ritter in High Noon. The steady beat started building tension ... I also like the theme song from Zulu. Lets you know you are going to see some drama tonight.
I don't know if its the Theme song or not but "Don't you, forget about me" from The Breakfast Club was pretty good.
not sure of the subject title, but if you are talking about movies that have a song that is so indelibly linked that you can't think of the movie without thinking of the song, a few come to mind: Moon River - Breakfast at Tiffany's Mrs. Robinson - The Graduate Everybody's talking - Midnight Cowboy Over The Rainbow - Wizard of Oz Gonna Fly Now - Rocky as far as scores.. Ennio Moricone - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly John Williams - Star Wars John Williams - Raiders of the Lock Ark John Williams - Jaws Clint Mansell - Requiem For A Dream (my personal fav although it has been overused in countless films since it was originally done here)
Yo -- I guess what I'm talking about is the score. The music that opens the movie and may play a lot in the background through it.
If you're talking scores, then a couple of the absolute best are: Main title "Tara's Theme" from Gone With The Wind, by Max Steiner Main title "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago, by Maurice Jarre.
Nobody Does It Better - Carly Simon for The Spy Who Loved Me, imo the quintessential Bond song. All of John Williams' scores are terrific, Star Wars (esp. Empire Strikes Back) and Indiana Jones, but I think Superman is his best work though.
The ending theme("Now We Are Free" performed by Lisa Gerrard) for Gladiator is haunting for me. That movie remains the most historically accurate film that I have seen, despite the fact that none of th events depicted actually happened. Rather, it captured the essence of what it was to be a Roman. The song is bittersweet, recognizing that the victory portrayed by the film will not be lasting and that the empire will ultimately crumble and fall. However, it plays as the sun rises over The Eternal City, and the hopeful tone suggests that human achievement, while fleeting, is unique in its majesty. I don't think that there is a "best", but that one is my favorite.
Yann Tiersen - Amelie Whether it is the Amelie Theme: Sad or: Happier It is a magnificent soundtrack and Yann Tiersen is a fantastic musician.
For best "recent" movie theme I'll say any one of the three familiar instrumental ones that opens a "Star Wars," "Indiana Jomes" or "James Bond" movie. Your choice. I'll pick "Star Wars" as my favorite. But, I'd have to go with "Over The RaInbow" as the top movie music ever. I don't know if it's even considered that movie's theme. I do know that the black and white footage of Judy Garland singing it before the tornado almost didn't make the movie's final cut. "White Christmas" has got to be the most covered or performed movie theme.
"Col. Bogey March" from Bridge on the River Kwai Theme from "Somewhere in Time" "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago "Also Sprach Zarathrusta" from 2001: A space Odyssey
Fast Fred, the Wizard of Oz had some special and memorabl music. It sometimes rises out of my subconscious as really memorable times.
Best themes : HIgh Noon Wizard of Oz the Connery/Moore Bond films were generallty excellent Best soundtrack: 2001 A Space Odyssey The Alamo ( John Wayne)
