Lists like this are almost impossible to assemble (and not just because they could easily transform into a list that's nothing but John Williams scores). There have been so many wonderful film scores since the medium began that picking just 10 -- heck, picking just 100 -- is a horrible challenge. Let's acknowledge up front these scores are masterful but that they're hardly the only ones worth writing about; rather, they're 10 great examples of just how important is music is to film, and of how an unforgettable score can turn a movie into a pop-cultural landmark. You're probably familiar with the lot of them, which is the whole point. These are the scores that have made indelible marks on all of us.
  1. The Godfather: Trivia: composer Nino Rota actually used some of the motifs from this score in earlier works, including 1958's Fortunella and 1960's La Dolce Vita. But it was the soundtrack to 1972's The Godfather that made them truly popular, even if the fact of their prior use made the gangster epic's score ineligible for an Oscar. The lush, romantic theme had a distinctly old-world feel to it that meshed perfectly with producer Robert Evans' desire to make a film with such an authentic feel that he could "smell the spaghetti." The score wafts in and out at key moments, perhaps no more perfectly than when it appears in the closing moments as Michael Corleone ascends to the role of godfather.
  2. The Last of the Mohicans: Composer Trevor Jones initially worked up an electronic score for Michael Mann's historical epic of adventure and romance, but the music was given an orchestral rewrite toward the end of production. As a result, Randy Edelman came in and scored a few scenes while Jones was overhauling the project, and the two received co-credit for the final result. The acclaimed, gorgeous score is fueled by sweeping strings that complement the fantastic scenery. One of the most recognizable scores of the 1990s.
  3. Star Wars: You can hear the fanfare in your head right now. It's impossible not to. Writer-director George Lucas had originally planned to set the film to a variety of classical pieces, but composer John Williams brought in an original sound that set the film apart from everything else while still paying tribute to earlier scores. (The opening theme leans heavily on the score for Kings Row, a 1942 film with music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.) Williams' work throughout the original trilogy was blockbuster stuff, and the rousing trumpets, swelling strings, and all-around excitement make it one of the most memorable scores of the 20th century.
  4. Psycho: Bernard Herrmann scored some of Alfred Hitchcock's biggest films, including Vertigo and North by Northwest, but even against those classics, his work on Psycho stands out. Who out there doesn't know about the stinging strings used in the shower scene? That reference is so popular that more people have probably made jokes about it than have seen the actual movie. Herrmann's score uses nothing but strings to convey menace and suspense over the course of the film, and it's among the many breathtaking scores he contributed to Hitchcock's thrillers.
  5. Raiders of the Lost Ark: This is the second time John Williams shows up on this list, and it's no accident, either: he's that good. His music here is appropriately brassy and big, with softer moments for Marion and Indy's relationship, but the standout piece is the theme, "The Raiders March." The tune became so popular, and so instantly recognizable, that Williams used it in the rest of the films in the series. (Though not even Williams' score could save the train wreck that was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.) The score was nominated for an Oscar but lost to another big contender from 1981 that's next on our list.
  6. Chariots of Fire: Most of the scores on this list rely on a timeless, orchestral feel, but the soundtrack to 1981's Chariots of Fire used electronic sounds and synths to create an of-the-moment feel. Composed by Vangelis, who also scored Blade Runner, the score for Chariots of Fire gorgeously captures the film's spirit of determination and freedom, especially in the iconic theme used in some of the running sequences. This is the music that captured the Oscar over John Williams' Raiders of the Lost Ark, and you can see why it was such a tough choice.
  7. Back to the Future: Alan Silvestri's score feels a little like John Williams Lite, but in a good way. The music is smart and hooky, relying on a few key themes that are remixed and repeated throughout until they feel like theme songs for the hero. The score hits all the right buttons: it's exciting without being bombastic, and it's poppy without being forgettable. Plus it ran throughout the sequels, making it some of the most popular and memorable music from the 1980s.
  8. Chinatown: Chinatown is a noir filtered through the disillusionment of the 1970s, and its score from Jerry Goldsmith is at once lush and haunting. The main title is a love theme revolving around a lonely horn and sad strings meandering back and forth, summing up the film's attitude of doomed love and twisted destiny. The music makes the movie feel straight out of the 1940s.
  9. Halloween: The Halloween score is as much an achievement in economy as in composing. Working with a limited budget, writer-director John Carpenter composed the creepy, repetitive theme himself and even played it in part of the film's soundtrack. The main theme is a spooky track in 5/4 time that clips along relentlessly with just a few simple piano notes, but it conveys just the right tone of dread as the viewer is thrust into a modern horror classic that gave rise to the slasher genre.
  10. Batman: Tim Burton's big-screen Batman was a pop culture explosion that wouldn't be rivaled until Christopher Nolan released his own Batman flicks 20 years down the road. The 1989 feature was actually a musical double-threat, releasing a soundtrack with songs by Prince and a score album from composer Danny Elfman. The Prince contributions are, let's say, less than stellar. But Elfman's score was phenomenal, a pulsing, iconic work that fit the grim tone of the Dark Knight perfectly. The theme was later used in Batman: The Animated Series, as well.