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. 1
   Interstellar

   The 2014 space epic score driven by massive pipe organ chords and intimate ticking rhythms.
   1000pts
2. 2
   The Dark Knight

   The 2008 score co-composed with James Newton Howard, featuring the Joker's chilling two-note motif.
   587pts
3. 3
   The Lion King

   The 1994 animated epic score that won the Academy Award and features the triumphant 'Circle of Life' arrangement.
   548pts
4. 4
   The Last Samurai

   The 2003 score blending Japanese instruments with Western orchestration for an emotionally sweeping result.
   503pts
5. 5
   Inception

   The iconic 2010 score featuring the legendary 'BRAAAM' sound and the dream-bending 'Non, je ne regrette rien' slow-down.
   391pts
6. 6
   Crimson Tide

   The 1995 submarine thriller score featuring the pulsing 'Roll Tide' theme and intense action cues.
   235pts
7. 7
   Gladiator

   The 2000 Roman epic score featuring the hauntingly beautiful 'Now We Are Free' and driving battle themes.
   235pts
8. 8
   Man of Steel

   The 2013 Superman reboot score that built an entirely new musical language for the iconic hero.
   235pts
9. 9
   Dunkirk

   The 2017 war film score using Christopher Nolan's Shepard tone to create relentless building tension.
   235pts
10. 10
    The Thin Red Line

    Terrence Malick's 1998 meditative war film score that earned Zimmer a Grammy nomination.
    235pts
11. 11
    Rain Man

    Zimmer's 1989 breakthrough score that helped launch his Hollywood career.
    235pts
12. 12
    No Time to Die

    The 2021 James Bond score supporting Billie Eilish's theme with tense orchestral underpinning.
    1pts
13. 13
    Dune

    The immersive 2021 score for Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic, crafting alien sounds through unusual instruments.
    1pts