What’s the last movie you saw? “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”? “Arrival”? Whatever it was, did you notice the music? Not the soundtrack of pop songs, but the musical score. Did you notice it while you were watching? Probably not. That’s OK. That’s why I’m writing this.

Unless you’re me, you probably don’t check who composed the music for a movie before going. You probably don’t listen to the score a week in advance or continue to listen to it and nothing else for months after, and you definitely don’t geek out over movie score discourse. (If you do, let’s discuss). But you do watch movies, and during those movies, your ears pick up the music, whether you remember hearing it or not.

Film scores are the “background” music that plays during action sequences or emotional moments, as well as the more memorable theme music. Every Hollywood movie has a score these days, specifically composed for the film. The hired composer comes in during postproduction, views the film and writes the music to go along with it.

Movie scores have existed since the beginning of film history, circa 1895. Films were originally silent, with no recorded dialogue or sound effects. Instead, piano or other instruments were played live in the theater during the film. At first, the music was improvised, but as film gained a greater audience, the score began to be composed beforehand, and the sheet music was sent to the theaters. Then, with the advent of sound in the late 1920s, film music solidified to become a standard component of film, composed and recorded for individual films. Later, digital sound technology expanded the film music industry even more, creating a divide between orchestral and synthetic scores that remains contentious.

Try imagining a scene from your favorite movie without the music. Or watch that video of “Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope” that imagines what the throne room scene would be like without John Williams’ soaring score. It’s just footsteps echoing through the hall and occasional coughing. Scenes lacking dialogue are often awkward without music, which works for some movies but often not in the blockbuster formula.

Music is there for a reason. It’s there to fill the uncomfortable silences and cover editing transitions, sure. But it’s more than that. As Michael Giacchino (my favorite composer) says, scores manufacture emotion. They cultivate the emotional response the filmmaker wants a scene to elicit and then amplify it. The music sets the mood for a scene. A slow, sweet melody for romance. Aggressive, building strings and brass for action. Majestic horns for triumph. Haunting woodwinds and strings for tragedy. The music intensifies what we’re already feeling from the dialogue and visuals.

The score can also set the tone for the movie as a whole. When creating a score, the composer often arranges themes for characters or for the film itself. These themes come back from time to time to create an association between events, characters and emotions. The tracks like these are usually what viewers remember best since repetition is a crucial part of memory (Eg. the Star Wars title theme).

Additionally, every composer has their own unique sound. The instruments, structures and melodies they consciously or unconsciously favor combine to give each composer a signature vibe. Of the older generation of composers, John Williams is the master of themes. He arranges striking themes for specific characters and movies and repeats them frequently. Hans Zimmer (“The Dark Knight Trilogy,” “Inception,” “Interstellar”) has become the leader of the synthetic score movement, and his scores are often heavy, dark and identical. Alan Silvestri (“Avengers,” “Polar Express”), another classic composer, writes wholesome scores with a generically pure sound.

In all honesty, the sound of these composers that have dominated the late 20th century has become tired. Their scores blend together to become indistinguishable, with the exception of Williams’ themes. This is not what most film score critics say. They, and much of the public, seem nostalgic for the good old days of the ‘70s and ‘80s, which is fueling our current age of reboots. Film score critics often trash the scores by newer composers that deviate from the accepted form of the Hollywood blockbuster. If I could put Ramin Djawadi’s “Iron Man” (2008) soundtrack on the accompanying playlist I would; however, it was so hated by critics (despite having a rock fusion style that fits “Iron Man” perfectly) that Marvel has tried to scrub it from existence. Critics trash innovative scores, while simultaneously complaining about the lack of new sounds in the industry. Involved consumers are doing the same. There’s been a recent string of video essays on YouTube that bemoan the “forgettable” Marvel scores, while ignoring outliers and many of the structural factors at play. (They can FIGHT ME, but that’s another article entirely.)

Despite critical pushback, the “new” generation of composers is bringing exciting new sounds to the industry. Michael Giacchino has a signature sound of hope and wonder that works well in his Pixar and “Star Trek” work. His scores have been largely well-received and he has composed the score for the upcoming film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Giacchino is the first non-Williams to score a “Star Wars” film. Ramin Djawadi has a dark, edgy aesthetic that fits in the gritty world of “Game of Thrones” for which he has composed all the music. Brian Tyler is almost a fusion of the two, with his enormous booming orchestras for several Marvel films. There are hundreds of more talented composers under age 70 out there each with a different sound. It’s time for the historical kings of scores to step aside and open up opportunities for the next generation, and for women and people of color, who so far have been unable to get a foothold in this industry dominated by older white males.

In the end, the film score is there, whether we like it or not. A fantastic movie can have a mediocre score and a bad movie can have an amazing score. The score and film affect each other, but one doesn’t necessarily make or break the other. Even the most unmemorable scores can elicit emotions during the film, which is ultimately the most important part in the context of cinema. And the great scores? They bring tears. They bring confidence. They bring hope. They go on my playlists and are listened to until I can hum them back to you, note by note.

Follow StudLife on Spotify (@studlifewu) to listen to the companion playlist of movie scores that I created for this article.

Recommendations

“Thor: The Dark World” by Brian Tyler (2013)

Say what you will about the movie, but this score is epic. It’s a powerful orchestral score, with defined themes that return throughout the album. I wake up to the title track every morning to infuse myself with power.

Pacific Rim by Ramin Djawadi (2013)

Giant robots fight giant monsters. Try listening to the title track while walking on campus. Instant confidence. You’ll never be forced off the sidewalk again.

“Star Trek” by Michael Giacchino (2009)

Last semester I listened to “Enterprising Young Men” on repeat and cried about the wonders of science fiction and space travel. So, it’s good.

“Lord of the Rings Trilogy” by Howard Shore (2001-2003)

No film score list would be complete without this score. The “LOTR” score is a cohesive piece of art that is just as effective in world building as Tolkien himself.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Dario Marianelli (2005)

The piano, violin and cello feature prominently in this score, which fits the 19th century romance. It’s as subtle and moving as the film itself.