The Observer 50 Greatest Film Soundtracks

Film critics selected their greatest soundtracks in cinema history for the Observer in 2007. The Wizard of Oz with the brilliant ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ is a worthy 1st. Herrman’s work on Psycho contains some real genius, particularly with one of the most suspenseful scenes in cinema history, Janet Leigh’s demise in the shower.

• • 1. The Wizard of Oz
    Composer: Herbert Stothart. Songs by Harold Arlen / EY Harburg
    (1939)
  • 2. Psycho
    Bernard Herrmann
    (1959)
  • 3. Star Wars
    John Williams
    (1977)
  • 4. Pather Panchali
    Ravi Shankar
    (1955)
  • 5. A Clockwork Orange
    Wendy Carlos
    (1971)
  • 6. A Fistful Of Dollars
    Ennio Morricone
    (1964)
  • 7. The Adventures of Robin Hood
    Erich Wolfgang Korngold
    (1938)
  • 8. Alexander Nevsky
    Sergei Prokofiev
    (1938)
  • 9. Shaft
    Isaac Hayes
    (1971)
  • 10. Lift To The Scaffold
    Miles Davis
    (1958)
  • 11. Singin’ In The Rain
    Arthur Freed / Nacio Herb Brown
    (1952)
  • 12. Trainspotting
    Compiler: Danny Boyle
    (1996)
  • 13. High Noon
    Dimitri Tiomkin
    (1952)
  • 14. Blade Runner
    Vangelis
    (1982)
  • 15. 2001
    Compiler: Stanley Kubrick
    (1968)
  • 16. American Graffiti
    Compiler: George Lucas
    (1973)
  • 17. American Beauty
    Thomas Newman
    (1999)
  • 18. Fire Walk With Me
    Angelo Badalamenti
    (1992)
  • 19. Paris, Texas
    Ry Cooder
    (1984)
  • 20. On Her Majesty’s Secret Sevice
    John Barry
    (1969)
  • 21. Dougal and the Blue Cat
    Narrator: Eric Thompson
    (1972)
  • 22. Gone With The Wind
    Max Steiner
    (1939)
  • 23. The Godfather
    Nino Rota
    (1972)
  • 24. West Side Story
    Leonard Bernstein
    (1957)
  • 25. Slade In Flame
    Songs by Slade
    (1974)

• 26. The Third Man
  Anton Karas, (1949)
• 27. The Graduate
  Simon and Garfunkel (1968)
• 28. The Pink Panther
  Henry Mancini (1963)
• 29. Toy Story
  Randy Newman (1995)
• 30. Round Midnight
  Herbie Hancock (1986)
• 31. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
  The Rza (1999)
• 32. Trouble Man
  Marvin Gaye (1972)
• 33. Rosemary’s Baby
  Krzysztof Komeda (1968)
• 34. Head
  The Monkees (1968)
• 35. Alfie
  Sonny Rollins (1966)
• 36. The Italian Job
  Quincy Jones (1969)
• 37. Once Upon A TIme In America
  Ennio Morricone (1984)
• 38. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
  Jack Nitzsche (1975)
• 39. North By North West
  Bernard Herrmann (1959)
• 40. Crooklyn
  Various (1994)
• 41. Deliverance
  Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel (1972)
• 42. Don’t Look Now
  Pino Donaggio (1973)
• 43. Casablanca
  Max Steiner and Hugo W Friedhofer (1942)
• 44. On The Waterfront
  Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim (1954)
• 45. Reservoir Dogs
  Various (1992)
• 46. The Magnificent Seven
  Elmer Bernstein (1960)
• 47. Snow Falling On Cedars
  James Newton Howard (1999)
• 48. The Wicker Man
  Paul Giovanni (1973)
• 49. Dirty Harry
  Lalo Schifrin (1971)
• 50. The Devil In Miss Jones
  Alden Shuman, (1973)