2015 Movie Scores: Top 10 & Annual Review

RickBlaine

I'm a regular visitor to a (retro) website called Filmtracks, for film score enthusiasts. For the last 7 years, it has been a tradition for users to post their top 10 scores of the year in Dec/Jan. These are then tallied and an over-all "community consensus" top 10 is derived (just like this forum's Film Awards).

The voting scope follows the typical American awards season, so movies like Whiplash would be considered a 2014 score.

If you are interested, the top ten 2015 scores as voted by that community are:

Film Score (Total Votes Points)
1 Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens 761 (255 = the largest winning margin ever)
2 Jupiter Ascending 506
3 Wolf Totem 390
4 Cinderella 222
5 Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 186
6 Pan 151
7 Tomorrowland 150
8 Crimson Peak 133
9 Jurassic World 125
10 Paper Planes 114

Mad Max: Fury Road, our runner up here, came in at place 41, although there is a tendency to favour orchestral scores at Filmtracks.

Finally, rather than post simple lists, a number of posters write fairly lengthy reviews of the year's scores. Again - it is a nice tradition for some, and I'm one of them. So, if you are interested, have time, and want to read a ridiculously long review of 2015's scores, here is my contribution. I haven't posted this here before, but it occurred to me that some of you might be interested. If any of these scores pique your interest, I think all of the tracks I mention can be found on either Spotify or Youtube.

---

My Top Ten

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – John Williams
(spoilers)
When I heard Giacchino’s Jupiter Ascending near the beginning of the year, I knew that the battle for my number one spot would be between that and the upcoming Star Wars score. Needless to say, at 83, John Williams still shows the younger generations how it is done! The Force Awakens is simply an extraordinary score for many reasons. Firstly, it is unmistakably a Williams score through and through; the product of over half a century of scoring experience. It is a score written by a maestro with complete and thorough command of the orchestra, and a true master of his craft at conveying emotion, ideas and events musically.
The much heralded Rey’s Theme is the heart and soul of the score and it is a true gem. I’d even be so bold as to say I prefer it over pretty much all of the great themes from the prequels, with the possible exception of Duel of the Fates. I love its intelligent multi-faceted construction, especially when the opening optimistic rhythmic phrase is counterpointed with the primary melody. It is also a remarkably precise theme – feminine but not overtly romantic, noble yet modest, heroic but with a hint of uncertainty and mystery. It is also developed nicely throughout the score, from its introduction in ‘The Scavenger’, to the troubled renditions in ‘Maz’s Councel’ and ‘The Abduction’ , to the heroically defiant statements in ‘The Ways of the Force’ and finally the euphoria in ‘Farewell and the Trip’.
The second new theme to receive a concert arrangement is the wonderfully old-school March of the Resistance, which recalls the scores for old 50s and 60s war adventure movies (especially by Ron Goodwin). It also contains a nice fugue, which is a real rarity in a massive blockbuster. Finn’s theme is appropriately frantic and energetic, and forms the basis for the great action cue ‘Follow Me and The Falcon’. Completing the new thematic material are two tragic and malicious themes for Kylo Ren, and an infectiously heroic motif for Poe and his skill as a pilot. Existing themes are well utilized including some standout performances of The Force Theme.
The album itself is a great listening experience especially the final third which gives us the drama of ‘Torn Apart’ and ‘The Ways of The Force’, an exciting new rendition of the main theme in the fantastically named ‘Scherzo for X-Wings’, and the thematic and orchestral powerhouse of ‘Farewell and The Trip’.
The album closes with a stunningly beautiful new theme for The Jedi Steps, before beginning one of the best End Credit suites ever composed which includes a positively soaring performance of Rey’s Theme. I love its version of the rhythmic phrase on horns – a great musical representation of the character’s arc when compared to her introductory scene when we heard it on woodwinds. The final moments interplays her theme with The Force Theme further signifying her newly found powers, before closing the album delicately with the main theme on celesta. At this late stage in his career, I take each new Williams score on its own, but I truly hope he returns for the remaining two movies in the trilogy so he can build open this monumental musical achievement.

2. Jupiter Ascending – Michael Giacchino
What a year for Michael Giacchino, and it began with one of the best scores of his notable career! There are many parallels between Jupiter Ascending and 2012’s John Carter of Mars. Both are big budget space adventures which were rightfully trashed by critics and audiences alike. Yet both movies saw Giacchino writing scores of quality far above that which their movies deserved. His music for Jupiter Ascending is big, bold, melodramatic and operatic. The word ‘epic’ is very overused in this internet age, but this is truly epic scoring.
The thematic material is well written especially the sinister theme for the Abrasax family, and the bittersweet love theme. However my favourite aspect of the score is the incredibly eclectic soundscape Giacchino has crafted. There is an abundance of diverse voices, from solo boy soprano to full choir, and they are fully incorporated into the fabric of the score during both action and dramatic scenes. This harmony between voice and orchestra represents a step up in his writing and is often akin to Shore’s sound for The Lord of the Rings. Every section of the orchestra is also used well, with propulsive percussion, powerful brass and notable moments for woodwinds especially ‘The House of Abrasax” and ‘I Hate My Life’. The action music is immensely colossal but always retains a clear rhythmic or thematic structure with many standout moments, my favourite being the insane brass at 3:35 of ‘The Shadow Chase’. ‘The Titus Clipper’ is a clear nod to John Barry’s sensibilities but that is OK in my book because I’m all in favour of more Barry-esque music in mainstream cinema.
A score of this magnitude could be in danger of losing its sense of purpose, but Giacchino never allows this to happen and his music is closely attuned to the events and emotions on screen. If it weren’t for a certain adventure in a galaxy far far away, Jupiter Ascending would certainly be at the top of this list, but I think Michael Giacchino would be more than happy to be second to Williams.

3. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – Joe Kraemer
A few years ago, I sat down in the cinema to watch Jack Reacher and was immediately impressed by the opening music even though I had no idea who the composer was. Little did I know that that composer would end up writing one of the best action scores of this millennium.
I’ve always been a fan of the Mission Impossible scores, from Elfman’s quirkiness to Giacchino’s impressive contributions. The common musical direction was to refrain from using Schifrin's famous theme until a few select moments when Ethan Hunt did some feat of extravagant action (‘Zoom B’ in the Elfman’s original score is a good example of this). For the fifth installment however, Kraemer decided to weave the theme into the very fabric of the score. We hear subtle quotes or fragments of the theme dotted throughout, sometimes interplaying with his own new thematic material. One of the many many examples of this is 1:19 in ‘A Fight at the Opera’. It is a fabulous incorporation of old and new, and makes this score massively enjoyable.
The musical identity for the villain Solomon Lane is a deliciously sinister, slithery and operatic piece, and it is a true pleasure hearing a powerful long-lined villain’s theme such as this. I am a big fan of existing music intelligently repurposed in scores – Kraemer’s reuse of Nessun Dorma as Ilsa’s theme is a gamble that definitely worked and makes perfect narrative sense. As icing on the cake, there is a welcome return of Schifrin’s The Plot and its Arabic flavored rendition in ‘The Syndicate’ is a highlight of the whole series. The action cues are fun and kinetic with the themes blasting out of the powerful brass. Speaking of action, ‘The A400’ deserves a particular mention as one hell of a way to open an action soundtrack album, although tracks such as ‘Morocco Pursuit’ and ‘A Foggy Night In London’ are of equal high quality.
Finally, the massively (dare I say Bondian) outburst of the MI theme in ‘Meet The IFM’ is wonderfully satisfying. All of this adds up to good old-fashioned orchestral fun and one of this year’s best album experiences. With McQuarrie returning to the series for Mission Impossible 6, the strong possibility of a second MI score from Kraemer is very exciting. I would love to see him scoring a Bond movie or an upcoming Star Wars Anthology movie because he has proven his ability to adapt existing themes yet still keep the music fresh, interesting and original. It would truly be an impossible mission not to love this music!

4. Wolf Totem – James Horner
There are a small number of musical devices that I don’t like, and the wailing female soloist is at the very top of my list. So, the very opening of this album was met with some alarm from me. Thankfully, this quickly gives way to the score’s main idea – a stunning, majestic and elegant theme. We are treated to many differing and varied performances of it throughout the score, including passages for solo ethnic instruments and traditional renditions for full orchestra. Horner really showcased his compositional skill with this theme – it is very malleable, with changes in instrumentation or tempo altering its emotional dynamic to outstanding effect.
The final track, ‘Return To The Wild’, is a powerful demonstration of this, with the theme building throughout the first half of the cue and then culminating in a glorious full-bodied crescendo. This is followed at the 7:30 mark by yet another sublime performance, this time resolutely on strings high on their register. ‘Wolves Attack The Horses’ is a great track with typical Horner tension built through nervous brass, agitated strings and percussion hits. This gives way to a rhythm which is very familiar to his Futile Escape or Ripley’s Rescue from Aliens. Another cool action motif for strings is heard at 2:11 of ‘Wolves Stalking Gazelles’.
Finally, 1:46 of ‘Hunting the Wolves’ features a spirited ostinato soon joined with the main theme on enthusiastic horns that is a fleeting moment but an absolute showstopper. The emotive power of this score is on par with Legends of The Fall and is one of Horner’s absolute best.

5. Jurassic World – Michael Giacchino
Giacchino score number two! My enjoyment of this score, and its placement on this top ten list, is entirely dependent on his glorious main theme. This theme just resonates with me and I get exactly what he was going for. It is warm and inviting, full of optimism and hope. It is beautifully showcased in one of my favourite cues of the year (and Giacchino’s career) ‘As the Jurassic World Turns’, which ends with a nice cameo from an old friend. The theme’s playful use in ‘Cleary His First Rodeo’ is also great. The motif for the Indominus Rex is appropriately threatening, and the family theme is rather lovely.
The action music is occasionally effective, especially the heroic statements of Owen’s theme set against a flurry of varied percussion, but never reaches the dizzying heights of Jupiter Ascending. It is ironic that one of my most favourite action moments is at 1.40 of ‘Raptor Your Heart Out’ but is actually a quote of the raptor motif from Giacchino’s own The Lost World video game score from 1997. This nicely musically represents how his career has come full circle. ‘Costa Rican Standoff’ is a fairly uninteresting action track and ‘Our Rex Is Bigger Than Yours’ begins excellently with a strong quote of his main theme accompanied by choir, but unfortunately continues with pretty boring random choral shouts until an unexpected quote of Williams’ The Lost World theme.
Things are redeemed in the finals tracks however, with tender and passionate performances of the main theme. ‘Nine To Survival Job’ also features a really lovely piano ostinato before being joined by the main theme on strings. I do like the other themes (especially in the final suite track), but you can obviously tell that the main theme is the key to this score for me. Without it, Jurassic World probably wouldn’t appear at all in my top 10. However, I love it so much it managed to promote its score into my top 5.

6. Crimson Peak – Fernando Velazquez
Yet another score featuring an exceptional main theme, this time for the character of Edith. Her theme is everything you’d expect from a Gothic romance – yearning, melancholic and evocative yet deeply romantic in its construction. The track ’Edith’s Theme’ exquisitely introduces this theme, starting with solo cello before being passed to the string section. The up-tempo enthusiastic rendition for clarinet at the start of ‘Buffalo’ is a highlight, as is its lush performance in ‘Allerdale Hall’. That latter cue is very atmospheric , especially the moment that accompanies the establishing shot of the Allerdale Hall gates.
Later tracks such as ‘The Machine/The Box’ and the brutal ‘Lucille & Showdown’ present the theme in a more pained and tortured guise. The orchestral yearning melancholia returns in ‘Finale’ before ending the album with a glorious recap of the score’s material in ‘Credits’. It is a fantastic score that perfectly complements Del Toro’s vision.

7. Ant-Man – Christophe Beck
I must admit I haven’t been following Christophe Becks’ career with a great deal of interest, and I would have never predicted that he would write some of the best action cues in a series which also features action heavy weights such as Alan Silvestri and Brian Tyler. Ant-Man is a very fun score for a fun movie. His main theme is an entertaining and memorable combination of a staccato 8 note rhythm and a more flowing melody that suggests the movie’s heist quality rather than a more overtly muscular superhero theme such as those by Tyler. As with Kraemer’s Mission Impossible, both the staccato rhythm and melody of the main theme are used extensively in the underscore.
It is to Beck’s credit that he constantly finds new ways of using these two components of the theme, and this technique makes his action music especially engaging. For example, that 8 note rhythm can be heard on pizzicato strings or massive brass hits. Standout cues include ‘First Mission’ with a great musical cameo, ‘Into The Hornet’s Nest’ with the main theme accompanied by a flurry of woodwinds, strings and percussion, and ludicrously exciting ‘Scott Surfs on Ants’.

8. The Man From Uncle – Daniel Pemberton
This is the only score in my top 10 not to primarily feature a traditional orchestra, but in doing so, Pemberton has crafted a very unique soundscape heavily utilising the cimbalom, the bass flute, guitars and a vast array of percussion. All these disparate elements work excellently together, for example, the positively thrilling crescendo he builds with percussion and bass flute at around the three minute mark in ‘Out of The Garage’. There is often a strong Ennio Morricone vibe, especially the use of cimbalom, electric guitar and timpani in ‘His Name is Napoleon Solo’.
For me, the bass flute is the hero of the score with a truly virtuosic performance by David Heath. We are treated to a whole variety of interesting and unusual flute techniques that sees the instrument propelling the action in a role more commonly fulfilled by the timpani, snares or brass. This is best exemplified in the incredible ‘Escape from Berlin’ action track, one of the best and innovative action cues of the year and indeed of the genre.
Another standout moment is ‘Take You Down’ featuring driving pulsing electric guitars and a bed of percussion accentuated with a Morricone-esque vocal shout. It is all tremendous work, wonderfully capturing the era, genre and world of the movie; and this sort of innovation in movie scores must be rewarded.

9. Tomorrowland – Michael Giacchino
Giacchino score number three! There is so much to like about this score, mostly the fact that it is positively bursting with an old-school sense of enthusiasm and adventure. Tracks such as ‘Pin-Ultimate Experience’ and ‘What An Eiffel’ are joyous and heartwarming showcases for the score’s main thematic content.
The action music has excellent dynamic interplay between the different orchestra sections especially ‘All House Assault’, and ‘The Battle of Bridgeway’ which is also built around a fun bouncy action phrase on strings. ‘Electric Dreams’ is another highlight slowing building in pathos to a massively orchestral and choral rendition of the theme for Frank and Athena.
Finally, Giacchino is one of the few composers working today who regularly writes End Credits suites in the manner of Williams or Goldsmith, presenting the listener with a bright whirlwind tour of his themes. It probably suffered from its movie’s poor reception and overshadowed by his more notable scores this year, but nevertheless Tomorrow is a very enjoyable score.

10. Peter and Wendy - Maurizio Malagnini
This is an unexpected treat and a real gem of a score. Led by a collection of strong emotive themes, I love how Malagnini constantly passes these themes between the different orchestra sections, such as Peter’s Theme in ‘Flight To Neverland’. The first half of the album contains enough magic, playfulness and wonder that you would expect from such a story (‘Great Ormond Street Hospital’, ‘Looking For Shadow’), while the latter half features great action writing often with Hook’s Theme played menacingly on low brass.
Those late action cues have an almost Golden Age swashbuckling quality with excellent orchestral and choral colours, and intelligent interplay between the thematic material. The second half of ‘Leaving The Hospital’ is a glorious and rapturous finale to this wonderfully traditional score.

Honourable Mentions
Every year there are a handful of scores that really do deserve a place in my top 10, but sadly there is no space. This year is no exception and the notable runners up in no particular order are:

The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone
If this was a top 10 of cues, ‘L’ultima diligenza di Red Rock’ would certainly feature prominently on it. It is one of those fantastic Morricone ‘danger’ tracks, with a great ominous threatening melody on bassoon continually building in intensity. The sense of uneasiness continues into the Overture and perfectly complements the bleak wintery landscape. It a fantastic score which just missed out my top 10.

Inside Out – Michael Giacchino
Giacchino score number four! Giacchino finished his exceptional year with a score for one of the most critically acclaimed animated movies of all time. The 16 minute suite formed by the final two cues (including another great Giacchino end credits track, the aptly named ‘The Joy of Credits’) contains the real heart of the score with tender, delicate and joyous renditions of Riley’s Theme and the Family theme, often accompanied by a warm underscore of pulsing or crescendoing strings. Also notable is the cool action ostinato in ‘We Can Still Stop Her’ and ‘Chasing Down Sadness’. It is a lovely score.

Cinderella – Patrick Doyle
A lush and romantic fairy tale score, and ‘The Pumpkin Pursuit’ of one of the most frantic and frenzied action cues of the year.

Pan - John Powell
This is unmistakeably a John Powell score with strong themes and engaging action. As a replacement score, Powell did a very admirable job but it just was slightly behind the best efforts of the year because the album does drag occasionally.

Paper Planes – Nigel Westlake
An excellently written and orchestrated soundtrack with plenty of spirit and energy. I love the writing for woodwinds and especially the recorder. A great uplifting score.

Sicario - Jóhann Jóhannsson
A dark, oppressive, menacing score, but fits its movie perfectly. The cellos in ‘The Convoy’ sound disturbingly threatening. A rare occasion where I strongly disagree with Christian Clemmensen’s review.

Other Scores

In The Heart of the Sea – Roque Banos
The early tracks possess a nice sense of adventure but the soundtrack fails to hold my attention throughout its running time. It is a shame because Banos’ Evil Dead is one of my favourite scores from its year.

My All American - John Paesano
A clear pastiche of Jerry Goldsmith’s Rudy, and although this score never reaches the heights of that classic, it is nevertheless very enjoyable

He Named My Malala – Thomas Newman
A perfectly lovely score which is just saturated in typical Thomas Newman mannerisms (for better or worse). Of his ethnically flavoured scores, I prefer The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Victor Frankenstein – Craig Armstrong
I struggle to find this score’s merits that others have heard, especially those who included it in their top 10. Yes, it is powerful and gothic but it never rises above adequate and workmanlike for me.

Creed - Ludwig Göransson
This is an unexpected treat. His new theme is versatile and engaging and perfectly fits the Rocky world. The occasional references to the famous Rocky theme are handled well, and the whole score feels akin to Bill Conti’s original. Nicely done.

Far From The Madding Crowd – Craig Armstrong
The opening track would definitely feature on my list of top 10 cues of the year, but also my top 10 violin cues. It is stupendously elegant, lyrical and romantic. Unfortunately, this melody pretty much disappears for the rest of the score, and while the remaining underscore is perfectly pleasant to listen to, it doesn’t capture my attention as much as that opening cue. Thankfully we are treated to a sumptuous and lush reprise of it for the entire string section in the End Credits.

Goosebumps - Goosebumps
After listening to about the third note of John Williams’ Lincoln a few years ago, I knew exactly that it would be a Williams score through and through. The same can be said about Elfman’s Goosebumps. Literally two seconds into the album, we are plunged right into Elfman’s crazy, wacky and most importantly fun sensibilities complete with choir, theramin, and shifting tones and tempos. And it is great! It is perhaps lacking in any originality to break into my top 10 list, but Elfman having this much fun with the orchestra is just so entertaining.

Krampus – Douglas Pipes
This is another devilishly innovative and fun score, like a cross between Goldsmith and Elfman for a Christmas horror movie. The repurposing of familiar Christmas musical tropes into a horror setting is a true joy. Who knew sleigh bells could sound so menacing! Incorporating the ‘Carol of the Bell’ melody into the action music is also inspired. As I mentioned in my Mission Impossible review, I love when existing music is properly repurposed in scores, and Douglas Pipes certainly archives this. I really like the chanting choir too. A great Christmas horror score and ‘Elfen’ and the end credits are standout cues.

Spectre – Thomas Newman
I’m very sensitive about Bond scores, because I’m a big fan of the series and their scores were the gateway for me becoming a score fan back in the late 90s. Spectre has its moments, especially the rather cool and suave opening track with Latin flavoured percussion accompanying the Bond theme; the rather exciting ‘Backfire’ action cue with good brass writing, and the massive albeit brief statement of the Bond theme in ‘Westminster Bridge’. However, nothing else in this score provides anything to further endear me to Thomas Newman being part of this series. With Mendez presumably departing, I hope for David Arnold to return, or for another composer who is better skilled at this genre (such as the aforementioned Kraemer).

The 33 – James Horner
A nice score. It never reaches the emotional heights of Wolf Totum but it does exhibit Horner’s excellent skill at attuning his music to the emotional drama conveyed onscreen.

Mad Max / San Andreas / The Avengers: Age of Ultron
These three action scores pretty much did nothing for me. They worked OK in their respective movies but I have no real desire to return to their soundtrack albums. I know San Andreas has been lauded on this forum, but after many many listens, I struggle to hear anything above an average 3 star score. For The Avengers, I prefer Silvestri's original.

Everything Will Be Fine / Suffragette / The Danish Girl – Alexandre Desplat
Desplat continued his busy work schedule into 2015 after being the clear composer of the year in 2014. His 2015 work is not as flashy as that previous year. Although I will rarely listen to these albums in their entirety again, there is still enough strong material to include in a Desplat compilation, such as the steady resolve of the Suffragette theme or the quiet sadness of Everything Will Be Fine. The Danish Girl is similar to the material he wrote for The Imitation Game, although I prefer that earlier score. All eyes are on him this year for his score for the first Star Wars Anthology movie. I’m very interested in that.

Bridge of Spies – Thomas Newman
Aside from the initial shock of John Williams not scoring a Spielberg movie, I find there is nothing particularly extraordinary about this score. It is a Thomas Newman score and unlike some of his other scores, there is little that engages me.

Everest – Dario Marianelli
This is a perfectly fine score, and nice for a background listen, but nothing about it entices me to return to the score. The opening four notes remind me of The X Files (but I’m probably unique in that regard).

Muhammed: Messenger of God – A.R. Rahman
It is big, monumental and eclectic, but for me it is missing a certain ingredient that makes it stand out.

Composer of the Year
My composer of the year is obviously Michael Giacchino. By any measurement, the quality and quantity of his output this year was an extraordinary achievement for anyone in his field. Notable mentions are John Williams and Ennio Morricone, who at 83 and 87 respectively, are still composing some of the best scores of the year.

I can’t finish this section without mentioning James Horner and his tragic untimely death in a plane crash earlier last year. It is probably the single most shocking event to happen in the scoring industry, and despite leaving an impressive body of work, I get the sense that he still had decades of classic scores in him. I huge loss and a devastating blow to the film score community.

My Best Rediscovery of 2015
As I have your attention, I’ll take this opportunity to once again plug John Barry’s outstanding score for 1983’s High Road To China. All of Barry's mannerisms are present in this score including propulsive brass and timpani driven action, a gorgeous lilting love theme and an enthusiastic sense of adventure; all set against his epic sweeping orchestration.

Josey Wales

I think that not having Jóhann Jóhannsson's soundtrack from Sicario is a big oversight.

I just can't take that seriously with Morricone's score not at the top of the list never mind the top ten. Putting Jurasic World in there ahead of his music is like putting Ronald McDonald in the Michelin Star list ahead of Gordon Ramsay

Chain Smoker

Carter Burwell's score for Carol is the only one I can recall standing out for me over the year. It's pretty damn gorgeous, considering how prominently it's used in the film, it'd have to be.