The 13 Best Hans Zimmer Film Scores

Thunderous brass, ticking clocks, and synth-soaked dreamscapes redefined what a blockbuster could sound like. Cast your vote!

1

Interstellar

The 2014 space epic score driven by massive pipe organ chords and intimate ticking rhythms.

1000pts

2

The Dark Knight

The 2008 score co-composed with James Newton Howard, featuring the Joker's chilling two-note motif.

702pts

3

The Lion King

The 1994 animated epic score that won the Academy Award and features the triumphant 'Circle of Life' arrangement.

674pts

4

The Last Samurai

The 2003 score blending Japanese instruments with Western orchestration for an emotionally sweeping result.

642pts

5

Inception

The iconic 2010 score featuring the legendary 'BRAAAM' sound and the dream-bending 'Non, je ne regrette rien' slow-down.

562pts

6

Gladiator

The 2000 Roman epic score featuring the hauntingly beautiful 'Now We Are Free' and driving battle themes.

449pts

7

Dunkirk

The 2017 war film score using Christopher Nolan's Shepard tone to create relentless building tension.

449pts

8

Rain Man

Zimmer's 1989 breakthrough score that helped launch his Hollywood career.

449pts

9

The Thin Red Line

Terrence Malick's 1998 meditative war film score that earned Zimmer a Grammy nomination.

449pts

10

Crimson Tide

The 1995 submarine thriller score featuring the pulsing 'Roll Tide' theme and intense action cues.

449pts

11

Man of Steel

The 2013 Superman reboot score that built an entirely new musical language for the iconic hero.

449pts

12

No Time to Die

The 2021 James Bond score supporting Billie Eilish's theme with tense orchestral underpinning.

281pts

13

Dune

The immersive 2021 score for Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic, crafting alien sounds through unusual instruments.

0pts