1953-2015, born in the U.S. Won two Oscars for Titanic (Original Score and Song). Frequently borrowed from himself but also crafted rich music scores. My favorites: Aliens and Apollo 13.

1933-2011, born in the U.K. Won five Oscars for the scores of Born Free (also Best Original Song), The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances With Wolves. The…

Born in the U.S. in 1953. At his best when working with Tim Burton, but he's constantly trying new genres. My favorite is his Batman score.

Born in West Germany in 1957. Won two Oscars for The Lion King and Dune: Part One. Prolific composer who fuses orchestral pieces with electronic music. My favorites: Gladiator and…

Born in the U.S. in 1950. Knows how to stir emotions in films like Forrest Gump and create sweeping scores for adventure movies. My favorite: The Abyss.

1929-2004, born in the U.S. Won Oscar for The Omen. Goldsmith revolutionized movies with his jazzy scores, but was a master of all kinds of genres. My favorite: The Omen.

1932-2025, born in Argentina. Known for creating the immortal Mission: Impossible theme, but he has also written numerous jazzy scores. My favorite: Dirty Harry.

At its worst, it's just noise in the background. At its best, it can carry a movie and trigger a violently emotional response from the audience. Film music has been…

Born in the U.S. in 1932. Won five Oscars for the scores of Fiddler on the Roof, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler's List. The most famous composer…