A symphony of chills! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the movies whose soundtracks send shivers down our spines!
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00:00And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?
00:06Come, sing me a song.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the movies whose soundtracks send shivers down our spines.
00:14How'd you do this?
00:19I'll show you.
00:22Number 10, V for Vendetta.
00:24Tell me, do you like music, Mr. Finch?
00:30Yes.
00:42While this dystopian political thriller uses some notable existing music,
00:47most prominently the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky,
00:51it also has some exceptional original tracks.
00:54Composed by Dario Marianelli, the soundtrack perfectly accompanies the growing revolution in this fascist version of the UK.
01:01At which point, all V needs to do is keep his word.
01:08And then...
01:14The moody darkness that pervades much of the early parts of the film
01:18gradually gives way to the bombastic horns as the people rise up against injustice.
01:23The soundtrack arguably reaches its transcendent peak during the moments like Evie's rebirth
01:28or the climactic revolution scenes, which never fail to give us the tingles.
01:33We know of no reason why this soundtrack should ever be forgot.
01:53Number 9, The Dark Knight.
01:56Look at you. What do you believe in, huh?
01:59What do you believe in?
02:01I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...
02:07...stranger.
02:09Everything about this superhero thriller film is iconic, and that includes its soundtrack.
02:14Joyfully composed by Hans Zimmer and written by Dario Marianelli,
02:19and that includes its soundtrack.
02:21Joyfully composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard,
02:24it is perhaps best characterized by the thundering drums and horns of its action sequences.
02:29Another standout track is the Joker's theme, appropriately titled Why So Serious?
02:35Dead? That's 500.
02:38How about alive?
02:43You wanna know how I got these scars?
02:46It heavily uses strings and alternates between two notes,
02:49even utilizing razor blades to achieve the eerie, unnerving sound the piece is known for.
02:54But whether its music is warm, resonant, or sets our teeth on edge,
02:59the Dark Knight soundtrack gives us serious chills.
03:02He's a silent guardian.
03:05A watchful protector.
03:09A Dark Knight.
03:12Number 8, Star Trek Generations.
03:15Composer Dennis McCarthy worked on four different Star Trek shows,
03:19but he also brought his talents to the big screen.
03:22As something of a crossover event between different eras of Trek,
03:25the soundtrack blends styles together wonderfully.
03:35Cap of El Grey.
03:37That would be perfect.
03:39Tracks blend the choral music favored in TOS
03:42with the orchestral style favored in Next Generation.
03:45Meanwhile, Kirk's theme in the film is brassy and features snare drums.
04:06The music is especially effective in the action sequences,
04:10where it punctuates everything from fisticuffs to space battles.
04:13This soundtrack is every bit as epic as this crossover deserves
04:17and boldly goes to some incredible heights.
04:35Number 7, The Prince of Egypt.
04:38Well, forgive us these smiles on our faces.
04:44You'll know what power is when we are done.
04:49Given that it's a musical, The Prince of Egypt naturally has a great soundtrack.
04:54The historical epic's music was crafted by Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer.
05:09Tracks range from inspired gospel to hauntingly beautiful atmospheric pieces
05:14to fast-paced energetic tunes.
05:17Both the songs with words and the background score lend the film a weight and majesty
05:22that's rarely been equaled by other animated projects.
05:25Many live-action ones have trouble keeping up too, for that matter.
05:29Even if the music doesn't get you to believe,
05:32it will still stir plenty of souls and send shivers down your spine.
05:37With this staff, you shall do my wonders.
05:49Number 6, Gladiator.
05:51Hans Zimmer strikes again.
05:53This time, the composer collaborated with Lisa Gerrard for this historical action epic.
05:58Maximus' journey of revenge would probably only be about half as spectacular
06:03without this phenomenal score.
06:19The standout is naturally the battle music, which never fails to get us pumped up.
06:24However, plenty of other numbers get all our littlest hairs standing on end.
06:34I would put to the whole world.
06:38Give you with all you love me.
06:42Commodus' theme is eerie and unnerving.
06:45Meanwhile, the sweeping strings and grandiose drums lend every shot of ancient Rome
06:50a sense of scope and history.
06:52The crown jewel, though, is perhaps the finale, which is sung by Gerrard
06:56and evokes chills and tears in equal measure.
07:04Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom.
07:16Your home.
07:18Number 5, Dune and Dune Part 2.
07:21Bless the maker and his water.
07:23Bless the coming and going of him.
07:26May his passage cleanse the world and keep the world for his people.
07:34Dune.
07:40Hans Zimmer really has the market cornered on epic movie soundtracks.
07:44However, not only do the Dune films not sound like Zimmer's other work,
07:48they don't sound like anything else, period.
07:52Dune.
08:02At once primal and completely alien, their soundtracks are a spectacle of sound.
08:07The immersive numbers use everything from electric guitar to soaring strings
08:12to choral voices to achieve a wholly unique feeling.
08:16We've certainly rarely heard something like the Sardaukar's throat singing.
08:20Sardaukar's throat singing.
08:30As a whole, the Dune music has a transportive effect that hits like a dose of the spice.
08:36Number 4, Jurassic Park.
08:38Come on, you didn't think we'd forgotten John Williams, did you?
08:41The seasoned composer has many fantastic films to his name,
08:45many in collaboration with Steven Spielberg.
08:47But we'd argue that his most stirring is Jurassic Park.
09:02The many scenes of dinosaurs running amok during the disaster at the park send our spines a shivering.
09:08Where the soundtrack truly excels, though, is in conveying the moments of amazement and wonder.
09:18They're moving in herds.
09:22They do move in herds.
09:26Journey to the island and theme from Jurassic Park notably possesses incredible splendor,
09:32giving us chills all over.
09:34This is pure auditory magic.
09:47Number 3, Inception.
09:54Cobb, do you hear that?
09:56I first noticed that about 20 minutes ago.
09:58I thought it was the wind up here.
10:00Yeah, I hear it. It's music.
10:02It's a Christopher Nolan movie.
10:04Do we need to tell you who scored it?
10:06It's Hans Zimmer.
10:07It's Hans Zimmer again.
10:08Inception is well known for the blaring brass fanfare that pervades many of its most intense moments.
10:18It's certainly perfect for the larger-than-life feeling of being inside a dream.
10:33However, the heavily electronic score is more than just loud noises that give us a thrill.
10:38Its themes, particularly the famous track Time, are filled with regret, tragedy, and longing.
10:47Much like Inception itself, this soundtrack is a long dream that we are always reluctant to wake up from.
11:11Number 2, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
11:14I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.
11:27To call composer Howard Shore's soundtrack for these epic fantasy films masterpieces would somehow be an understatement.
11:35The Lord of the Rings movies have some of the most acclaimed and celebrated scores in cinema, and for good reason.
11:41The sheer range involved is incredibly impressive.
12:03There's the light-hearted Shire music giving way to the epic fanfare of The Fellowship and dark foreboding tracks like The Bridge of Khazad-dûm.
12:11Scenes like The Last March of the Ents or The Rite of the Rohirrim have our bodies covered in chills thanks to Shore's unparalleled score.
12:19The sweeping orchestral music paired with plaintive vocals, often sung in elvish, creates a timeless ethereal sound that simply can't be beat.
12:41Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:46Man of Steel. Like Kal-El, this soundtrack achieves incredible heights.
13:06The Matrix franchise. In a word, whoa!
13:24E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Wonder distilled.
13:40The Shawshank Redemption. Melancholic, hopeful, and as perfect as the rest of the film.
13:59Spider-Man. Gets our spidey senses tingling every time.
14:29The Lion King. There is no denying that The Lion King soundtrack slaps.
14:48The songs are utterly unforgettable and certainly goosebump-inducing. There's the sinister grandiosity of Be Prepared, there's the perfect romance of Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and if something doesn't stir deep inside you when you hear Circle of Life, check your pulse.
15:02The score is also fantastic and it's composed by, you guessed it, Hans Zimmer.
15:17African and orchestral elements lead to The Lion King soundtrack having more to hear than can ever be heard. We never tire of trying to experience it all.
15:44Is there a spine-tingling movie soundtrack you're feeling chilly towards us for forgetting? Don't give us the cold shoulder. Rain down your favorites in the comments.
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