When you think of an action movie, the first thing you probably think of isn’t the score. You may think about the actors, the plot, or the set pieces, but behind every great action film is an equally great score. These scores help you understand what kind of movie you’re watching, and take you through the biggest moments of some of the best action movies ever made.
A great action score should be attractive in its own right, but it should also strengthen the film around it. All the scores on this list do exactly that, and they have at least one iconic theme that you might recognize too.
7. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
First Terminator The movie set the template for what these films could look like, but it wasn’t until the hit sequels t2 that we were treated ideally Terminator Song music. Featuring the signature, drum-forward theme from the first film, t2The soundtrack gives the entire film a grander feel than it would otherwise.
You get the sense that this is the most important movie ever made, and Brad Fidel’s music is a big part of that. James Cameron knows how to make his movies huge, and t2 The score does just that.
6. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Iconic topic for Impossible Goal It dates back to the original TV series, but Lorne Balfe’s score for this 2018 action masterpiece finds new ways to amp up the tension that fuels these films.
ControversyThe score combines that basic theme with a set of other pieces that perfectly underpin the film’s many extended action sequences. In the film’s quieter moments, Balfe gives us a chance to take a breather, but she knows the right moments to get the audience fired up once again.
5. Top Gun
The 1980s were an extremely strange time for film scores, often filled with synths and largely eliminating the orchestral themes that had defined scores for decades.
In top GunHowever, in this case, Harold Faltermeyer’s synth- and guitar-heavy score proves to be a perfect fit for one of the defining films of the decade. top Gun It may not have the most coherent plot you’ve ever seen, but its score is a core part of the vibe it manages to capture and communicate perfectly to the audience.
4. Superman
No one writes scores like John Williams, which is why he’s the only composer with two entries on this list. His Superman The theme set a high bar for what a superhero score could sound like. It’s filled with soaring trumpets that provide a perfect, perfect ode to the original superhero.
Williams’ score works to make Superman feel like an American icon. It’s hard to imagine a score that more fully captures the hope and upliftment that is meant to inspire the character, so much so that it is the theme most associated with the character even nearly 50 years later.
3. beginning
whether you appreciate the way startOne of Christopher Nolan’s best films, action score changed or not, it’s hard to deny that the score itself is incredible. The “BWAM”-heavy score plays a big part in what makes this film work, as it provides the much-needed intensity and gravitas from the second the film starts.
Hans Zimmer is known for pushing the boundaries of film scores, and he never pushed them as hard as he did. start, Unfortunately, those who have attempted to copy Zimmer’s approach have often failed miserably.
2. Batman
Danny Elfman’s score for the original batman This is another great example of a score that perfectly matches the character it aims to describe. Far more sinister, complex subject than Williams Superman Score, Elfman batman The score is the perfect combination of a superhero theme and a score for an excursion into Tim Burton’s imagination.
Within the same theme, Elfman manages to take us from the feeling of sitting alone in the Batcave to driving the Batmobile around Gotham. batman It endures as a classic, and its score is one of the main reasons for its enduring appeal.
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Steven Spielberg’s regular collaboration with John Williams has yielded some of the best scores ever written, and their collaborations undoubtedly top the list. Raiders of the Lost Ark. This upbeat, vital theme feels like a call to adventure in itself, and the main theme of indie isn’t the only flex in the film.
In fact, it’s complemented by an entire score dedicated entirely to setting the mood for one of Spielberg’s finest films. From Indy’s love theme to scoring some intense action sequences, Williams has established himself as one of the best in the business thanks to some of the best action scores ever composed.