| Download this album Breakfast at Tiffany's
Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer, 1961 Moon River is now better known than the film it first appeared in. It's sung by Audrey Hepburn, who said, when a studio executive tried to have it cut, 'over my dead body'. Download this album Secrets and Lies
Andrew Dickson, 1996 Yes, yes, excellent directing and acting, brilliant dialogue. But take another listen. The music, plastered over almost every join, is a match for all that happens on the screen. Sinewy, achey, stringy. Perfectly moving with the scenario. Withnail and I
David Dundas, 1987 Because it was produced by George Harrison, Withnail and I remains one of few films with licence to include a Beatles track (While My Guitar Gently Weeps). The achingly elegiac score is the work of Lord David Dundas, the son of the Marquess of Zetland. Ghost World
Various, 2001 It begins with a rumbling, jangling 1960s Bollywood dance number, Jaan Pehechaan Ho, but Terry Zwigoff's film mostly noses around the world of blues, jazz and calypso from the 1920s and 1930s. Dr No
Monty Norman/John Barry, 1962 The film that introduced not just the 'dang danga dannnng dang dang dang dang' James Bond theme, but also Honey Ryder singing Underneath the Mango Tree. Goldfinger
John Barry, 1964 So perfectly judged are all John Barry's Bond scores that they could fill half this list. But this, performed by Shirley Bassey, is surely The One. Midnight Cowboy
John Barry, 1969 Long after people have forgotten this Oscar-winning period piece starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, they'll still be humming the theme tune. Chariots of Fire
Vangelis, 1981 Quite what a 1980s synthesiser score by a New-Agey Greek composer had to do with British athletes in the 1920s is anyone's guess. But golly, it worked! The Magnificent Seven
Elmer Bernstein, 1960 Whenever there's a Simpsons episode with a western theme, the music it uses is Elmer Bernstein's swooping, stirring orchestral score for The Magnificent Seven. That's how definitive it is. Download this album Gladiator
Hans Zimmer and Lisa Bourke, 2000 A bit Spanish, a bit North African, a bit weirdo, a bit Holst, this is unlike the music you'd expect in a film set in Imperial Rome. E.T.
John Williams, 1982 As with so many Williams scores, resistance to the E.T. theme music is useless. Every time you hear it, you think of E.T. in the basket as the bicycles soar skywards. And you want to cry. Jaws
John Williams, 1975 'Duh dum. Duh dum. Duh dum. Dumdumdumdumdumdum?…' Without that insidious Williams score, he's just a silly, rubber animatronic fish. Blade Runner
Vangelis, 1982 How could you possibly come up with a soundtrack to match a sci-fi masterpiece so stylish and melancholic and noir? Vangelis did. Download this album Trainspotting
Various, 1996 Unlike Irvine Welsh's sordid novel, the Danny Boyle film version made heroin look rather fun - aided by a stonkingly cool, mostly upbeat soundtrack including Iggy Pop, Leftfield and Underworld. Assault on Precinct 13
John Carpenter, 1976 Carpenter's tense thrilling urban classic about a lonely cop station holding out against villains was rendered all the more scary by the moody, hugely influential, minimalistic synthesiser soundtrack. The Dambusters
Eric Coates, 1954 Eric Coates had just composed a march in the style of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance when the call came from the producers: did he have anything suitable for their new film, The Dambusters? The Ipcress File
John Barry, 1966 Cynical, downbeat, unheroic, The Ipcress File was the thinking man's anti-Bond. So, too, was John Barry's sinuous, slyly menacing score. Reservoir Dogs
Various, 1992 On the so-bad-it's-good principle which would see him revive the career of John Travolta, Quentin chose some of the worst songs from the Seventies - notably Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel - and made them hip. Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence
David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto, 1983 Featuring an unlikely David Bowie as a Japanese POW, Nagisa Oshima's film is now best remembered for its melancholically beautiful soundtrack. Jean de Florette
Jean-Claude Petit and Guiseppe Verdi, 1987 The easy, wheezy, maudlin lyricism of its soundtrack appears to contain a sort of Gallic shrug, a low-level grumpiness, in those self-pitying head-turned-down phrases. Badlands
Carl Orff, 1973 Terrence Mallick's early masterpiece about two young lovers (facing page) on a mindless killing spree wouldn't be half so resonant without its lilting glockenspiel score. Dancer in the Dark
Björk, 2000 Björk's ingenious songs build from nothing. Assembly-line noises or freight-train chugs coalesce into Bolero-like heads of steam, her melodies soaring above it all. Download this album In the Mood for Love
Various, 2000 The directing and music all look West. And back. It's Hong Kong, 1962. Shigeru Umebayashi and Michael Galasso's humid valse triste frames the tragically frozen couple perfectly. Underground
Goran Bregovic, 1996 A lardy (but lithe) Serbian oom-pah band and their rapid-fire music struggle on through the mud and testosterone of this women-tossing, chicken-kicking film. A riot. Fanny and Alexander
Schumann, 1972 'Piano Quartet in E major' - music that, like the film, hangs precariously between a child-like reverie and materialised terror. Psycho
Bernard Herrmann, 1960 Minimal instrumentation (Hermann deployed only the string section), maximum impact: Psycho's violin stabs were crucial to the notorious shower scene's power. Easy Rider
Various, 1969 Dennis Hopper picked the music from his own collection, and it's a fine selection of late-1960s rock from The Band, The Byrds (singing Dylan), The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Steppenwolf. Amadeus
Mozart, 1985 Probably the finest film ever made about classical music. As one of the characters says: 'It seemed to me that I was hearing a voice of God.' Bridge Over the River Kwai
Alford/Arnold, 1957 Colonel Bogey was the definitive anthem of cheery British defiance during the Second World War, so became a natural to be whistled by the prisoners in David Lean's classic Topsy-Turvy
Various, 2000 People complained about this film. 'There's too much music,' they whined. That's because it's a film about Gilbert & Sullivan's music. The Graduate
Simon and Garfunkel, 1968 Director Mike Nichols wanted Simon and Garfunkel to record several tracks for his new film. The pair were busy touring and managed only one, but quite a one: Mrs Robinson. The rest of the soundtrack was padded out with previous releases. Download this album Dogville
Various, 2004 Lars von Trier strips everything back for this bookish, moralising film. Handel, Albinoni and Pergolesi pop up, as does Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus, which effortlessly cranks up the tension. A Hard Day's Night
The Beatles, 1964 Writing for The Beatles' first soundtrack was an all-Lennon-McCartney affair (facing page). The flinty, swaggering songs marked the beginning of the end of their smiley moptop phase. The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Ennio Morricone, 1966 Twangy, surf guitars, strangled-death-cry yodelling, gun shots and Alessandro Alessandroni's virtuoso whistling: Morricone's score is surely the most bizarre, haunting and memorable in movie history October
Shostakovich, 1928 To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Dmitri Shostakovich dashed off a brilliant score for Eisenstein's Soviet polemic. Koyaanisqatsi
Philip Glass, 1983 Good film music needs good bass notes. Minimalism has some of the best. Without Glass's creeping bass, Koyaanisqatsi would not be much of a film. The Jungle Book
Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, 1967 The Bare Necessities, I Wanna Be Like You, Trust in Me. The greatest, funniest and most enduring of all Disney soundtracks. Blue Velvet Angleo Badalamenti, 1986 Badalamenti's work on Blue Velvet - a world packed with little but dense undergrowth - sinks deep into your consciousness like sand onto a sea floor. Download this album Crimes and Misdemeanors
Schubert, 1989 A man has hired a hitman to kill his wife. The hitman follows her home. Schubert's trembling, gasping, wide-eyed final quartet shadows every step back in a moment of sublime horror. Manhattan
George Gershwin, 1979 Woody Allen shows us the New York cityscape to the indolent beat of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and presents it as if it was the first time anyone had ever thought of it. Well, in 1979, Allen was the first one to think of it. A Clockwork Orange
Various, 1971 We all remember Ludwig van's mooged-up ninth. But less well known is the touching moment when Alex returns from prison to find himself replaced, chaperoned by Rossini's William Tell Overture. Bodysong
Jonny Greenwood, 2003 Simon Pummell's experimental British film was scored by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, the consummate multi-instrumentalist. Stand By Me
Various, 1987 Rob Reiner's coming-of-age story has a memorable selection of tunes - the Chordettes' Lollipop, Jerry Lee Lewis's Great Balls of Fire and, of course, Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Superfly
Curtis Mayfield, 1973 You might recognise Freddie's Dead and Superfly, the two hit singles from the album, which is one of the most important concept albums of the 1970s. Gone With the Wind
Max Steiner, 1940 The composer Max Steiner, godchild of Strauss, pupil of Brahms and Mahler, could jerk a tear with every flick of his pen. The Wicker Man
Paul Giovanni, 1973 Rediscovered and lavishly re-released in 2002, this uniquely spooky collection of folk motifs sounds like it's cursing you with every sinister, hurdy-gurdy note. My Fair Lady
Frederick Loewe, 1964 Surely no musical has elicited as many polished gems as Loewe's musical. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, 1999 The title is all innuendo; the songs, made for the big-screen version of the television show, are less delicate. They pay brilliant and bawdy homage to the golden show tunes. The Wizard of Oz
Hyman Arluk and Yip Harburg, 1939 From the first step on the Yellow Brick Road to the Oscar statuette that awaited at the end of Over the Rainbow, the composer and lyricist really did do magic. Purple Rain
Prince, 1984 Prince's psychodramas and kinky compulsions remained a minority peccadillo until the release of Purple Rain, but his semi-autobiographical musical radically fused rock and dance. Download this album Dead Presidents
Various, 1999 The soundtrack was a rather more soothing and spiritual affair than the film, stuffed with glorious nuggets from the golden age of soul. Waiting to Exhale
Various, 1996 The cream of black female pop stars, from Mary J. Blige and Brandy to Aretha Franklin, each took on one of the songs that express an arc of love, loss and reconnection all by themselves. Goodfellas Various, 1990 Bobby Darin, Muddy Waters, Aretha and Eric Clapton provide a bizarre, brilliantly judged, sardonic counterpoint to the violent, trouble-stricken lives of the New York gangsters the film depicts. Taxi Driver
Bernard Herrmann, 1976 The sleazy sax and melancholy, late-night mood of the score, Herrmann's last, was an inspired accompaniment and a worthy final flourish. Paris, Texas
Ry Cooder, 1982 Working for a German director and inspired by a long-dead Texan bluesman, virtuoso rock guitarist Cooder created the definitive audio evocation of dusty, wide-open Americana. Download this album Juno
Various, 2007 The Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson stamps the film with her brand of folky indie pop. Oliver!
Lionel Bart, 1968 'Food Glorious Food', 'Oliver!', 'Oom-Pah-Pah': some of the jauntiest tunes ever writte. So pity the children who read Dickens for the first time after seeing this and find it's far from all showtunes. Apocalypse Now
Various, 1979 You could just mention Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries blasting out of the helicopters in one of cinema's most perfect marriages of sound and image. But what about The Doors, making the walls close in on the opening scene? Buena Vista Social Club
Various, 1999 Ibrahim Ferrer and Compay Segundo's sublime vocals completely conjure up the world of pre-revolutionary Havana. Shadows
Charlie Mingus, 1959 An extraordinary jazz score by Mingus, brought in by John Cassavetes. Mingus got depressed and only produced the full score two years after the film was released. Some Like it Hot
Marilyn Monroe, 1959 Any collection of soundtracks needs a bit of Monroe, so what we're talking about here is her breathy, heartbreaking performance of I Wanna Be Loved By You. The Life Aquatic
Seu Jorge 2004 Wes Anderson enlisted the Brazilian singer Seu Jorge, who's also in the film, to put a bossa nova-pop twist on early David Bowie - no, not a terrible idea. Mirror
Bach, 1975 Like all of Andrei Tarkovsky, this is a film with a heavenward gaze. Music from Bach's two Passions ease our eyes up. High Noon
Dimitri Tiomkin, 1952 'Do not forsake me, Oh my darlin?' are the soft words that open High Noon. What this quietly shattering music demonstrates is that, when the film requires it, understatement is just as valuable a resource as flash. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Various, 1968 It seems so obvious now. The grace of the station in space, slow-pirouetting to the pretty lilt of Strauss's Blue Danube. But at the time the film's scope and originality must have been staggering. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Richard O'Brien, 1975 Richard O'Brien's loony tunes work best when accompanied by Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon et al's outrageously camp visuals, but the soundtrack's still a hoot. Grease Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, 1978 When John met Olivia. Their duets, You're the One that I Want and Summer Nights, like every one of the teenage-angsty tunes, make for the ultimate high-school musical. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Various, 2000 The American South lends itself to a cracking soundtrack of 1930s bluegrass, country and gospel. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Michel Legrand, 1964 Legrand's delightful, jazzy romantic score and songs are the perfect complement to the candy-coloured gorgeousness of the film. Singin' in the Rain
Nacio Herb Brown, 1952 Umbrellas are all right but Gene Kelly twirling round a lamppost to the strains of Herb Brown's glorious music is a high point in the history of musicals. Cabaret
John Kander and Fred Ebb, 1972 Just listen to Wilkommen and Cabaret and forget the fact that the stirring theme of Tomorrow Belongs to Me makes you feel like bit of a Nazi. Lawrence of Arabia
Maurice Jarre, 1962 So stirringly epic and evocative that after just the opening chord, you're gagging for a drink of water. Fargo
Carter Burwell, 1996 Burwell's sunless soundscape, elegiac in breadth and tender in sentiment, is a perfect canopy to this harsh North Dakota world. Fantasia
Various, 1940 The Sorcerer's Apprentice, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, on instruments played by the Philadelphia Orchestra is sublime. | 
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