12 great original film scores from rock musicians who became composers
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ fantastic Challengers score is the latest to demonstrate the magic that can happen when rockers go Hollywood
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If you plan to see Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers this weekend, be prepared to be knocked on your ass by its propulsive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Their synthwave-inspired compositions add an energy not just to the action on the tennis court, but to more intimate scenes between the characters as well. Whatever the configuration of the three main characters played by Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, their fights, flirtations, and flings are underscored with the precision Reznor and Ross have honed through composing more than a dozen film scores together.
Reznor, who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and songwriter for Nine Inch Nails, is among a select group of rock stars who have tried their hand at film composing. Whether it’s the close connection between the music and film industries, the flair for drama needed to succeed in both, or the ability to express emotions without words, the pipeline from rock musician to film composer is reliably steady. It’s always neat when an artist shows a different side of their talent in an unexpected arena. With that in mind, we’ve created a list of our favorite examples of film scores by composers who got their start as rock stars.
A few caveats before we get to the list, because you may be wondering about a couple of omissions. It’s true that legendary film composer Hans Zimmer started out as a musician and record producer in the ’70s and ’80s, but he’s now spent far more time working in Hollywood than he did in the music industry, as his track record of more than 150 film scores attests. Since he doesn’t really fit the brief here, we’ve decided to leave him out. We’re also not including Danny Elfman.
Which rock musicians turned film composers did make our list? Read on to find out.
67 Comments
Mark Knopfler, for crying out loud! The Princess Bride! Local Hero!
LOL, I was just going to post “TF is Knopfler?”
FUCK, how do you miss that? ‘Going Home’!
Good call. I’m more of a Korngold, Waxman and Herrmann guy but “Local Hero” is just dreamy. I listened to it for months on end back in the day. Damn, now I’m getting all misty about Bill Forsyth…
Forsyth is one of my absolute favorites. Comfort and Joy was actually streaming somewhere a while ago (Hoopla? Kanopy?) and I was reminded of how much I loved his sensibility (and Knopfler’s “Love Over Gold”-adapted score).
Came here for this specifically.
I mean, they expect us to exclude Danny Elfman, so anything is possible.
Whoever came up with this list didn’t seem to be aware that movies came out before 27 years ago….not sure what you could possibly expect from them.
Yep.
This list needs John Paul Jones.
I’m not sure where the line is drawn between score and soundtrack, but Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell’s music for Hedwig and the Angry Inch is incredible.
Okay not a movie but I’ve gotta say Jeff Rosenstock – Craig of the Creek.
So we’re just pretending Danny Elfman’s Batman score doesn’t exist?
I think I like Midnight Run best.
I’m not gonna stand for this Clint Mansell (Pop Will Eat Itself) and every Darren Aronofsky score erasure, dammit.
Shitty “Beaver Patrol” cover*->big name in orchestral soundtracks is one hell of a career path. *love the rest of the Poppies catalogue, mind.
Another vote for Clint Mansell. Just did Love Lies Bleeding, too!
Sometimes I wonder why musicians like Knopfler stop scoring films (He also did Comfort and Joy, Last Exit To Brooklyn, and the exquisite Cal). Were they not asked any more? Did they say “thanks but no thanks”? Why didn’t Joe Jackson score anything after his ambitious Tucker: The Man And His Dream?
Films can be a wonderful source of inspiration for making music, but it’s also quite restrictive. You’re tied into the film’s narrative and you have to make music not just for yourself but for a film maker.
Some find the restrictions focus what they want to make, while others find the restrictions… restricting.
That’s true of a lot of musicians who ostensibly “lead” bands eventually. They just want to go off and do their own thing without having to answer to anybody.
Fair enough, you state up front that you’re excluding Danny Elfman, but why did you make that decision? One could argue that he set the standard.
I’m guessing, like Hans Zimmer, Elfman has “spent far more time working in Hollywood than he did in the music industry” and so “doesn’t really fit the brief here”. Seems a bit of a weird brief to me.
This is probably true of Mark Mothersbaugh as well, so it doesn’t really make sense.
Possibly Elfman is more famous for composing than Oingo Boingo?Its probably the same with Clint Mansell, who everybody loves for Lux Aeterna ,and his scores , but also gave the world this as part of Pop Will Eat Itself:
Fuck it , I forgot Giorgio Moroder! Guy starts out as a caberet singer , is one of the people who helped create disco , then moves on to movie soundtracks!Also for no reason … heres this :
Bulletproof is awesome in context of the full album and their corpus of work
Because all his themes sound like intros to a tune that never arrives?
You should listen to the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack again.
Since you’re including bands, then obviously Queen. Famously did the scores for Flash Gordon and Highlander.
And Christopher Franke was in Tangerine Dream before making scores for TV and movies.
And Tangerine Dream did the scores for a few films as a group, including Sorcerer and Thief. And while we’re in the neighborhood there’s Wang Chung contributing the music for Friedkin’s To Live and Die In L.A.
Tangerine Dream’s score for Thief is amazing. The opening scene alone is worth the price of admission.
I like the score Tangerine Dream did for The Keep.
And Ladyhawke! [Dodges thrown rotten fruit]
Pretty sure that was members of the Alan Parsons Project (mostly Andrew Powell).
Made that mistake as well. I wonder if we both confusing it with Legend
Someone below pointed out that excluding Daft Punk for Tron Legacy is insane as well.
I’m going to give them the get-out that Queen wrote two amazing tie in albums , but they werent composing a regular score for movies , so arguably its something slightly different . If there was a catagory for Artist that made an amazing album anyway themed around a new movie , then Prince (Batman) and Aimee Mann (Magnolia) would probably get nominations for that .Queen deserve a special mention though ,especially since it gave the world this track:
The Queen soundtracks are a bit of a grey area. They did contribute songs and score, with Howard Blake also contributing score for Flash Gordon. They also contributed songs and score for Highlander, with Michael Kamen also contributing score.
I don’t think Prince contributed score to Batman, only songs. More separation there with Danny Elfman contributing the score (and should be on this list too).
I may be stretching the definition of the word “great” here, but where the fuck is Toto’s rockin’ Dune score?
Hell, that’s a two-for-one, since they also missed Brian Eno.
I really want to see someone recut the new Dune with the Toto score. I don’t hate the new score but it felt like it only had one hook and it was that “Loud lady sings nonsense lie Yoko Ono” thing that go old after the tenth time it kicked in when Paul did something “mystical”
Give us one more NIN tour Trent
I can only assume he is busy writing the greatest electronic Broadway musical so he can get himself that EGOT
Not gonna lie, I absolutely want to see a Broadway musical (non-jukebox) by Trent Reznor. That would be amazing.
Neil Young – Dead Man? Or does that maybe not count because the score is just him with a guitar playing along with the movie?
That’s a weird one and I own it, but it doesn’t have an actual track from the film on the album. It’s like he opened up the door to his room at a roadside motel, sat on the bed, plugged in an amp, and just played an improv version of the score for the movie as he remembered it. Maybe the original masters were lost or something.
My understanding is that Jarmusch played the movie once for Neil Young. Then Young plugged in his amp and played through it live when it was played for him the second time (which they recorded). That’s why it’s just Young and his guitar and the guitar stops when there is dialogue (of which there is not that much). You can hear Neil turn off his amp at the very end. It’s definitely a strange way to do things, but… you know… Jarmusch gonna Jarmusch.
That scans a little better. Depp’s long death march through the northwestern coastal village does sound the same in both movie and soundtrack.
“… and just played an improv version of the score for the movie as he remembered it.”
Ah, a tribute.
What about Goblin’s scores for Suspiria? Goblin also did soundtrack for European release of Romero’s “Zombi” (i.e., Dawn of the Dead as re-cut by Dario Argento). Or, hell, Thom Yorke’s score for Suspiria?
Stewart Copeland, if only for The Equalizer theme.
As a huge Police fan, I was always amazed he actually did (amongst a LOT of other things ) the soundtrack to Spiro the Dragon on PS1.
Really?! I used to play that game, and I love the band. I’m going to have to track that soundtrack down lol.
What the hell , Air get a mention , but not Daft Punk who took a mediocre film (that admittedly looks amazing) and gave it a transcendent soundtrack???https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPpEtD_fLav-HzJj2hKNNI3GSkWl1rUqK
Came to point out the same thing. Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy score is an amazing soundtrack
It’s a great dance album is what it is. I think it fights the rhythm of the film.
I’m a huge fan of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s film scores. I can’t help but feel a little saddened by the fact that he’s no longer with us, though at least he left behind some wonderful music. Another film score of his that I love is for the film “Poppoya”. This version with his daughter Miu on vocals is so hauntingly beautiful.
I’d put Tangerine Dream at the top of any such list. While they followed in the footsteps of Wendy Carlos their work on “Sorcerer” and “Thief” were hugely important in opening the door for electronic music scoring and the latter just kicks geek ass.
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Howard Shore (Lighthouse, The Saturday Night Live Band) – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Vangelis (Aphrodite’s Child, solo musician) – Blade Runner
Cliff Martinez (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Captain Beefheart) – Drive or any number of Steven Soderbergh scores
If we’re including electronica scores as “rock”, don’t leave out Chemical Brothers and HANNA.
Adding onto the list of those forgotten:
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
JG Thirlwell (Foetus) – Scores for Archer and Venture Bros.
Mick Harvey
Otomo Yoshihide
John Parish
Brian Reitzell (he was in Red Kross)
Steve Moore (Zombi)
Dickson Hinchliffe (Tindersticks)
Michael Hoenig (Tangerine Dream)
Paul Haslinger (Tangerine Dream)
Ravenous. Damon Albarn collaborated on it with a decidedly non-rock composer, but it’s still one of the most interesting OST ever done.
Tom Petty’s original songs and score for “She’s the One” is great.
Hello from down in the rabbit hole!This is turning into a MsMojo joint, but also should mention America doing “The Last Unicorn.”Graham Goldman from 10CC did (of all things) “Animalympics” in 1980, and later, “The Virgin Suicides” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Ry Cooder’s “Paris, Texas” soundtrack is pretty awesome
Not a single Nick Cave/Warren Ellis entry? How about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford? And many others . . .