10 Essential Sci-Fi Soundtracks

[HutchFan]

This is fun to consider:  https://www.discogs.com/digs/music/essential-sci-fi-soundtracks/

Good to see John Williams' Empire Strikes Back soundtrack on the list.  I got that album for Christmas in 1980 when I was 12 years old!    One could hardly ask for a better introduction to classical music, and I still have the double-LP. 

 

I'm interested in hearing about which Sci-Fi soundtracks didn't make the list but should've.

My suggestion: As a sort companion piece to Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack, I might add Hans Zimmer's & Benjamin Wallfisch's soundtrack to Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049. 

 

What say you?

 

Edited May 7, 2024 by HutchFan

[rostasi]

 

 

[soulpope]

Hard not to think of Andrew Previn/LSO and their Soundtrack to "Rollerball" ....

[HutchFan]

@rostasi, I thought it was a little surprising that Solaris didn't make the list.  Good call.

And I had NO IDEA that Gil Melle did the music for The Andromeda Strain. !!!

 

[rostasi]

4 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

@rostasi, I thought it was a little surprising that Solaris didn't make the list.  Good call.

And I had NO IDEA that Gil Melle did the music for The Andromeda Strain. !!!

 

 

[Ken Dryden]

You can't overlook this gem, the only film ever scored by Denny Zeitlin:

 

 

[soulpope]

"Twin Peaks" Soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti  ....

[soulpope]

"The Man Who Fell To Earth" Soundtrack by John Phillips and Stomu Yamashta  .... not sure about essential, but interesting at least .... background :

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/david-bowie-lost-soundtrack-the-man-who-fell-to-earth/

[HutchFan]

9 hours ago, soulpope said:

"Twin Peaks" Soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti  ....

One of my close friends is a big fan of David Lynch -- and he L-O-V-E-S that soundtrack!   

***************

 

Another Hans Zimmer soundtrack -- again in collaboration with Villeneuve -- that impressed me:

 

Edited May 8, 2024 by HutchFan

[rostasi]

This one is even better in my opinion. The Klaus Schulze track is really great.

 

[HutchFan]

6 minutes ago, rostasi said:

This one is even better in my opinion. The Klaus Schulze track is really great.

I had no idea this existed.

For others who are ignunt like me, here's a quote from https://siskiyou.sou.edu/2022/02/20/hans-zimmers-dune-sketchbook-is-a-masterpiece-of-the-century/:

"Hans Zimmer’s Dune Sketchbook is one of three soundtracks he made for Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune. There is the Dune (Orignal Motion Picture Soundtrack) which is the official film score. Then, The Dune Sketchbook soundtrack expands the songs of the movie. The Sketchbook dives deeper into the world and explores the film score’s tracks further. The third soundtrack is Zimmer’s The Art and Soul of Dune, which follows along with Tanya Lapointe’s behind-the-scenes movie companion book."

Thanks for hipping me to this, @rostasi!    I will DEFINITELY give it a listen.

 

[ejp626]

19 hours ago, HutchFan said:

@rostasi, I thought it was a little surprising that Solaris didn't make the list.  Good call.

 

I have a soft spot for the soundtrack to the Solaris remake: https://www.soundtrack.net/album/solaris-soderbergh/

Also, Ornette Coleman is all over the sound track to Naked Lunch, which certainly has SF elements...  I haven't pulled this out in some time.  I should try to track it down.

[rostasi]

28 minutes ago, ejp626 said:

I have a soft spot for the soundtrack to the Solaris remake: https://www.soundtrack.net/album/solaris-soderbergh/

The composer's son (of the original), Artemiy Artemiev, has done some interesting work since the 90s.
I'd start with "Point of Intersection." Over 50 films, documentaries ... and a whole bunch of compilations
on his own label called "Electroshock." 

Edited May 8, 2024 by rostasi

[soulpope]

@ "HutchFan" : thnx for starting this interesting/informative thread ....

[HutchFan]

22 minutes ago, soulpope said:

@ "HutchFan" : thnx for starting this interesting/informative thread ....

 

 

[soulpope]

"Tron" Soundtrack by Wendy Carlos ....

[Dub Modal]

Forbidden Planet is a good one 

 

 

[soulpope]

"The Thing" Soundtrack by Ennio Morricone ....

[Teasing the Korean]

On 5/7/2024 at 3:30 PM, HutchFan said:

I'm interested in hearing about which Sci-Fi soundtracks didn't make the list but should've.

Here are a few major ones:

• Bernard Herrmann - The Day the Earth Stood Still 
• Bernard Herrmann - Fahrenheit 451
• Gil Melle - The Andromeda Strain
• Jerry Goldsmith - Planet of the Apes
• Jerry Goldsmith - Logan's Run (The film may not be so great, but the score is brilliant.)
• Leith Stevens - Destination Moon
• Leonard Rosenman - Fantastic Voyage

If we expand our list to include TV, I would add:

• The Twilight Zone (esp. Herrmann, Goldsmith, Nathan Van Cleave)
• The Outer Limits (season one, Dominic Frontiere)

 

[soulpope]

8 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Jerry Goldsmith - Planet of the Apes

True ,,,,

[Teasing the Korean]

5 hours ago, soulpope said:

True ,,,, [Jerry Goldsmith - Planet of the Apes]

I should probably add Leonard Rosenman's score to Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

Edited May 9, 2024 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

Oh, I forgot this gem:

John Corigliano - Altered States