Top 20 Best Hans Zimmer Movie Scores

Top 20 Best Hans Zimmer Scores

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the greatest movie soundtracks partially or entirely composed by musical genius Hans Zimmer.

#20: “Pearl Harbor” (2001)

Michael Bay polarized audiences with his melodramatic dramatization of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The score, on the other hand, captures the scope and passion that the filmmaker aspired to. Hans Zimmer was initially drawn to the project when test footage was set to his serene score for “The Thin Red Line”. While his extensive work was ultimately more standard for a war blockbuster, the romantic storyline inspired a classical grace. That brought a unique emotional weight to the patriotic fanfare and the action’s intense rhythm. “Tennessee” particularly stands out as an anthem of its genre. While “Pearl Harbor” received mostly technical accolades, Zimmer’s score was bombarded with acclaim as the film’s real dramatic triumph.

#19: “Hidden Figures” (2016)

“Hidden Figures” celebrates the social and scientific triumph of the Black, female mathematicians who were integral in the moon landing. Hans Zimmer sells everything that represents in collaboration with Benjamin Wallfisch[a] and pop star Pharrell Williams. Conveying these events by mixing emotional symphonics with futuristic electronics was truly innovative. Never mind the infectious elements of soul and jazz that are added to the equation. The final result is something astronomical. And the thrillingly eclectic tone it sets distinguishes the crowd-pleasing picture. Wallfisch, Williams and Zimmer were nominated for a number of awards, and rightly so.

#18: “The Da Vinci Code” (2006)

The sacred and the profane meet in the religious mystery thriller “The Da Vinci Code”. And Zimmer officiates that union with a reverent interpretation of the text. The scope and soul of the epic are felt in rich textures of celestial music tradition over more modern soundscapes. But when the action kicks in, the classical musicianship keeps up the pace. Zimmer’s soundtrack was as big a hit as the film, and a bigger hit with critics. His breathtaking themes were expanded in “The Da Vinci Code”’s two sequels, with compositions so sophisticated that renowned violinist Joshua Bell was featured in “Angels & Demons”. Full of fire and brimstone, Zimmer’s work on Ron Howard’s trilogy is practically a religious experience.

#17: “Rush” (2013)

Hans Zimmer goes to full-throttle for Ron Howard’s racing biopic. He had previously scored motorsports in “Days of Thunder”, with overtures of his synthpop and rock roots. “Rush” more heavily utilizes hard rock that plays into the 1970s setting. Music industry legend Peter Asher was credited for his involvement in defining this style. When the race is on, however, Zimmer’s fast-paced orchestra takes the lead. The soundtrack makes the audience feel, not only the intensity of the raceway, but the danger. Howard's “Rush” is a wild ride that owes a lot of its adrenaline and drama to Zimmer’s expertly engineered sound.

#16: “12 Years a Slave” (2013)

The biopic of Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841, gives a solemn portrait of an altogether evil industry. Zimmer respects that with a deliberately understated soundtrack, where every piece counts. His sense of Americana and minimalism lends a sort of southern gothic tone to the suspenseful epic. Experimental touches also coordinate the characters’ emotional and psychological drama. Certainly, the horror portrayed in “12 Years a Slave” speaks for itself. Zimmer himself was reluctant to take on such a daunting project. In the end, of course, his Golden Globe-nominated score makes the masterpiece an even more visceral and urgent experience.

#15: “Man of Steel” (2013)

After his iconic work on “The Dark Knight Trilogy”, Hans Zimmer laid the lofty musical foundation for the DC Extended Universe. The score for “Man of Steel” is nonetheless in a league of its own. It bears the empowering might that the Superman brand demands, with greater emphasis on Kal-El’s spacey aura. Even more creative were the darker, more introspective tones unique to Zack Snyder’s vision of the superhero. Batman was a natural addition to these themes in the movie’s sequel “Dawn of Justice”. This crossover found Zimmer and Tom Holkenborg really developing the unmistakable leitmotifs that persisted across a whole franchise. It all stood on the shoulders of “Man of Steel”’s heroic and harrowing opera.

#14: “Kung Fu Panda” (2008)

John Powell has come a long way since Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions. When master and pupil reunited for DreamWorks’ martial arts adventure “Kung Fu Panda”, it was the stuff of legend. Their unique forms of whimsy and action-packed met in a playfully pop-oriented energy. Zimmer studied in China to ensure that he authentically represented the culture’s musical tradition and sensibilities. The rich fusion enhanced every funny, poignant and awesome moment in the animated classic. And it continued into the thrilling sequels, with Powell bowing out after “Kung Fu Panda 2”. Still, Zimmer keeps his and his protégé’s cosmopolitan magic going in the beloved franchise.

#13: “Sherlock Holmes” (2009)

Guy Ritchie’s dynamism and grit were a bold twist on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Zimmer’s musical interpretation may itself be unlike anything you’ve heard before, but it feels distinctly “Sherlock Holmes”. His score captures the stunning Victorian setting and eerie sense of mystery. Its extensive use of percussion and a broken piano, however, taps into the mad genius of Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes. From the unmistakable opening piece “Discombobulate”, the punk-classical symphony dazzles all the way into the sequel “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”. It even helped define the modern tone for the definitive detective lore. Still, there’s no matching the bold brilliance of Zimmer’s themes.

#12: “Dunkirk” (2017)

Christopher Nolan depicts the Miracle of Dunkirk as much like a race against time as an important piece of history. The success of this pulse-pounding thriller relies heavily on a score that Zimmer worked on for 11 months. The result of collaboration between several movie music geniuses, the symphonic pieces certainly fit the distinct drama of a World War II epic. But the sophisticated use of rhythm, Shepard tone, and increases in tempo creatively pulls you into the heat of combat. Samples of Nolan’s own pocket watch set the urgency for the historic military evacuation. As vivid as Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is in dramatizing the battle, Zimmer altogether does justice to the British people’s great moment of tragedy and triumph.

#11: “The Thin Red Line” (1998)

Experimental filmmaker Terrence Malick sought to create a poetic World War II epic with “The Thin Red Line”. Assisted by John Powell, Zimmer composed most of the score - over four hours of visceral minimalism, filled with both an ethereal sense of nature and the terrors of war. The extended battles are scored with brutal, bleak suspense, while the metaphysical aftermath feels just as heavy. The piece “Journey to the Line”, in particular, is so popular and recycled in other properties that Zimmer himself dubbed it the “forbidden cue”. But as a whole, his haunting and layered soundtrack is simply an artistic triumph.

#10: “Blade Runner 2049” (2017)

There may be no replicating Vangelis[b]’s iconic score for the sci-fi noir “Blade Runner”. Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer collaborated with great respect for that classic on a sequel 35 years in the making. That meant extensive use of the Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer that created the original’s hypnotically futuristic theme. At the same time, the immense orchestration enriched that theme with a balance between classicism and modernity. It's a breathtaking soundscape on a colossal scale, with tension escalating through percussion and distortion. The stakes and emotions both feel higher for “Blade Runner 2049”. Like the film as a whole, the score is an epic sci-fi masterpiece.

#9: “The Prince of Egypt” (1998)

Hans Zimmer’s work on “The Lion King” revolutionized the musical sensibilities of animated family films. DreamWorks Animation aimed for that same dramatic force for their adaptation of the Book of Exodus. The score makes history and theology come alive with cinematic sweep, seamlessly infused with Egyptian and religious musical elements. This made the movie’s surprisingly mature emotional scope feel more authentic. With Stephen Schwartz writing the songs, Zimmer worked closely with pop stars and rising composers in Remote Control Productions to make the musical numbers even grander. “The Prince of Egypt” kicked off Zimmer and his most distinguished students’ renowned working relationship with DreamWorks Animation. After all these years, though, its soundtrack might be the peak of that collaboration.

#8: “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (2007)

The heyday of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies evolved some of the most distinct and exciting themes Zimmer ever composed. For the third installment, Zimmer rebooted the series’ score, abandoning the synthesized pieces to record over five hours of orchestral material. The final cut is a spectacular symphony of romance, surrealism, horror and other sensations, layered over each other and the film’s elaborate narrative. As the music cranks up with the swashbuckling action, the classic motifs return more richly textured than ever. “At World’s End” would ultimately divide fans as a maximalist blockbuster. But they could agree on the score’s refinement as possibly the franchise's fullest epic.

#7: “The Last Samurai” (2003)

Japanese customs and Western influences do battle in the classic epic “The Last Samurai”. Zimmer encompasses that versatile drama with his Western sweep and Hollywood intensity. But at the center of this score is a meticulous use of Eastern classical. Traditional Japanese instruments and musicality play off Zimmer’s own customs to convey beautiful reconciliation or gripping conflict between two worlds. This defines the heart of “The Last Samurai” as action-packed and empathetic. The film’s soundtrack was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Satellite Award. And to this day, many fans consider it one of Zimmer’s most creative and resonant achievements.

#6: “The Dark Knight” (2008)

James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer were indispensable in forging Christopher Nolan’s grandiose grit for the Caped Crusader. “Batman Begins” still had a traditional comic book flair. With “The Dark Knight”, the composers delivered the depth of noir with the breadth of the ultimate blockbuster. The Joker in particular made an impression with a creeping minimalist theme that defined his unhinged menace. And between the percussive flourishes accompanying Batman’s action, more solemn pieces captured the torment of Bruce Wayne and others. This opera changed the way genre films are dramatically scored. Though Zimmer expanded this as a solo act in “The Dark Knight Rises”, his work with Howard is among the most captivating in superhero cinema.

#5: “Dune” (2021)

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” practically reinvented the space opera genre. Only Hans Zimmer could capture that immense and ethereal tone, but his sound is something completely new. The monumental project combined futuristic electronics with musical motifs from several traditions. In fact, Zimmer even invented new instruments. This transported listeners to a distant world, and into the complex psychology of the characters and the intensity of their adventure. “Dune”’s score alone was such a blockbuster event that three albums were released along with the film. And when Zimmer won his first Oscar in 27 years, he was already composing more groundbreaking material for the sci-fi sensation’s sequel.

#4: “The Lion King” (1994)

Hans Zimmer’s popular breakout as a visionary came with, of all things, an animated family film. Granted, “The Lion King” is ambitious animation, adapting Shakespeare with beasts of the East African Savanna. Zimmer realized that aesthetic by combining huge Western melody with traditional instruments and chants of the region. The score explodes with emotion and percussive energy to distinguish one of Disney’s highest dramas. It still has a playful side to complement songs composed by pop legend Elton John. “The Lion King” won Zimmer his first Oscar for Best Original Score. He would expand the revelatory work with the movie’s hit Broadway adaptation and 2019 remake. Still, the initial soundtrack stands out as a revolution in animated musicals and the composer’s career.

#3: “Inception” (2010)

“Inception” is the full measure of Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending collision of genres. And that comes across in Zimmer’s score. Composed in tandem with the production, the score’s conglomeration of styles and auditory experiments sharpen the surreal dream heist. From uptempo polyrhythms to crashing electronic chords, every piece is both bold and memorable. Variations on Édith Piaf[c]’s “Non, je ne regrette rien” also prominently influenced the theme’s underlying drama. This made the minimalist piece “Time” crucial to one of the most iconic movie endings of the 2010s. “Inception”’s score as a whole became one of the most popular of the decade after earning many accolades. It's an incomparable psychological experience.

#2: “Interstellar” (2014)

Christopher Nolan’s genre epics have consistently pushed Hans Zimmer’s electronic experimentation. When his music helped inspire Nolan to make “Interstellar”, the pair achieved a new frontier in emotional splendor. As a team of astronauts brave time-dilating distances to colonize another planet, the enormous ambiance pulls audiences into the peril. The unlikely lead instrument in the extensive recording sessions was a 1926 Harrison & Harrison organ. Its celestial sound blended with futuristic electronics to make the tone even more cosmic, while anchoring the stakes facing the characters. Such imagination made “Interstellar” an unmistakable journey. It also produced one of Zimmer’s loftiest and most rewarding feats of genius.

#1: “Gladiator” (2000)

Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking marriage of classic epics and modern spectacle provided a platform for Hans Zimmer’s mastery of both. “Gladiator”’s symphony of action and emotion are felt in every piece of explosive, exotic music. Zimmer collaborated with neoclassical vocalist Lisa Gerrard[d] to enrich his large-scale orchestration with ethereal Ancient European elements. This captured a period and a vengeful warrior’s grief unlike any Hollywood epic before. While “Gladiator”’s tremendous success inspired a revival in this genre, its highly decorated soundtrack changed an industry of music. It helped set the tone for 21st century blockbuster scores that can be both pop culture hits and classical achievements. The masterpiece also formally announced Zimmer as a leader in a new generation of cinematic music.


What are your favorite scores by Hans Zimmer? Tune up in the comments.