# The 10 Greatest Film Score Composers of All Time

> From the sweeping orchestral titans who defined Hollywood's golden age to the boundary-pushing modern voices rewiring what a score can be, this lineup spans a century of unforgettable music. Where do you stand?

*By YPB Team · Published August 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-10-greatest-film-score-composers-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Max Steiner** — score 1000/1000
   The 'father of film music,' who scored King Kong, Casablanca, and Gone with the Wind.
2. **Hans Zimmer** — score 906/1000
   The genre-redefining composer of Inception, Interstellar, Gladiator, and Dune.
3. **Ennio Morricone** — score 862/1000
   The Italian maestro whose spaghetti-western and cinema scores are among the most beloved ever written.
4. **James Horner** — score 647/1000
   The emotive composer of Titanic, Braveheart, and Avatar.
5. **Alan Silvestri** — score 647/1000
   The composer of Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and the Avengers themes.
6. **Danny Elfman** — score 503/1000
   Tim Burton's longtime collaborator behind Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and The Simpsons theme.
7. **Michael Giacchino** — score 503/1000
   The composer of Up, Ratatouille, and the rebooted Star Trek films.
8. **Hildur Guðnadóttir** — score 503/1000
   The Icelandic composer whose Joker score won an Academy Award.
9. **Howard Shore** — score 323/1000
   The composer of the sweeping, Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy scores.
10. **Alexandre Desplat** — score 323/1000
   The two-time Oscar winner behind The Shape of Water and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Tags: movies, music, composers, film scores