My top three:

1. Danny Elfman (of course)

2. Bernard Herrmann (The Father Of Filmmusic)

3. Howard Shore

2. John Williams

Rosza.

Tiomkin.

(I'll cheat too)

Goldsmith, Williams, Herrmann.

John Williams
Jerry Goldsmith
and
David Arnold

Hans Zimmer/Mark Mancina

James Horner/Alan Silvestri

This isīnt ment as a critisizme of your opinion, but what are your reasons for naming David Arnold as one of the three best filmcomposers of all time?
I mean, he really doesīnt have that much of a trackrecord, and his scores are somewhat...mediocre.
Just corious

SFT

SFT

PS: Who says your favorite composer isīnt the best in the world ever? It depends on your opinion...and everyone has their own opinion.

2. Silvestri

3. Arnold/Zimmer/Poledouris

N.P. Stargate <****/*****>

1. John Williams

2. Miklos Rosza

3. Jerry Goldsmith

Williams music is probably the most recognized music from any modern day composer. He adds so much complexity and depth to every score he writes.

Rosza is amazing! I love all his work. He writes some of the most fanfaric work I have ever heard.

Goldsmith is a great prolific composer. He writes scores to many many movies. His scores are adrenaline pumping and always have a good theme!

David Arnold may not have a track record, or even write music that is as complex or emotional as others. I guess the reason I like his music so much is because I really like brass, and I like his use of it. ID4 has some really great powerfull brass sections. His music is pretty big, orchestrally. Again, with ID4, some of the French Horn cues really put the musicians to the test. That's all. Just my own personal opinion. And I don't think he's one of the greatest of all time, he's just one of my faves.

1. James Horner/John Williams (A tie )

2. Hans Zimmer/Mark Mancina (Another tie )

3. Hans Zimmer

--Crono/Kyp
Writer/Director/Producer

Here are my top three (for now):

Jerry Goldsmith
David Arnold
Trevor Jones

Those last two composer slots change frequently from week to week.

~Jeron

Have I ever said that my opinion ranks higher than anyon elses here? No...I respect everyone here and their right to have their own opinion. Iīm really sorry if you misunderstood me...I have allways said that "elfman is the best composer in the world" is my own opinion and if I remember correctly, Iīve never tried to "force" it on anyone here...

SFT

And since I am right and you are all wrong, there can be no dispute.

SFT, I'm going to say I have to agree with everything Matt said. Elfman's a very versitile composer - I really think he has a lot of talent, having shown excellence in both film scoring and leading Oingo Boingo. I do agree w/ the arrogancy issue, and I'm sure you don't mean to come across that way. It's just an observation, correct it if ya want to. Let's all be happy, smiley care bears here. =)

Care bears, stare!!!!
Jeron

I hate myself for doing this, but Iīm afaid Iīm going to have to disagree totally with you on this one...
Elfman is too recognizable?! That has got to be "The Joke of The Year". Look at the uge differences between scores like Wisdom, Batman, Dolores Claiborne, Sommersby and Hot to Trot. Sure he has his own trademarks ect. but so has every composer. EVEN (gosh!) Horner. You should know that.

As for the part about my being arrogant...well, Iīm sorry if I seem that way, but I canīt really put my finger on what exactly it is I have said, that has lead you to believe that my opinion should rank higher than anyone elses. Maybe God can give me some guidance?

SFT

NP: The Day The Earth Stood Still, Bernard Herrmann

...I think Iīll put on Dolores Claiborne and have a laugh or two.

I donīt agree that Elfman has never done a score witch doesīnt "sound like him" but just for the sake of argument, how does it make a composer better if he composes a score that doesīnt sound like him? I mean, you make it sound like Williams is a better composer than Elfman simply because he wrote Schindlers List. No offence, Schindlers List is a superb score ect, but it isīnt "original" other than in the sense, that it wasīnt something Williams had done before.
So, just as an example, if Elfman wrote something that sounded like nothing he had ever done before, say...something that sounded like Horner, would that make him a better composer? No. Look at Bernard Herrmann. He created some of the best scores EVER and they all sounded "Herrmannish" although they where diffent in style. He never composed one sigle score that "didīnt sound like him" and many people still consider him the best filmcomposer of all time.
You see, Herrmannīs style and compositional approach was original enough in itself, as is Elfmanīs.

SFT

I still donīt agree. It really doesīnt sound like you have heard very much of Elfmanīs music (although Iīm certian you have) saying that you will consider him great when he writes something that doesīnt sound like Batman or Edward Scissorhands. Do I really have to, ONCE GAIN, remind you that he has written other scores AFTER 1993? LISTEN to them for Gods sake man!...Oh, I forgot you ARE God I would bet every penny I have that if you didīnt see the credits you would have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA that he guy ho wrote Batman also wrote Hot to Trot or Dolores Claiborne..or Mission: Impossible and Mars Attacks!...or Sommersby and Widsom.....or The Simpsons Theme and Midnight Run....or Beetlejuice and Good Will Hunting...
I guess this is just a basic diffence in opinons. Maybe we should start a topic called "What Makes A Composer Great?"

Never the less, no point in arguing about it really....

SFT

James
NP - The Matrix (*****)

Matt, as you probably realized your theory is very...what shall I say...opinion based in a way...I mean...just because you think Schindlers List doesīnt sound like Williams it doesīnt mean other do not. I for one think itīs certainly not a "typical" Williams score, but it does sound like Williams...for me, every Williams score sounds like Williams...every Elfman score sounds like Elfman...every Newman score sounds like Newman...every Goldsmith score sounds like Goldsmith and so on.
The fact is, that every compser has their own little trademnarks and no matter HOW ORIGINAL and different one of their scores are, it will still "sound" like them.

SFT

For the record, the compilation I mentioned contains the ORIGINAL RECORDINGS, all of them taken FROM THE ORIGINAL SCORES. I personally cannot hear any of Elfman's style in Hot To Trot or Midnight Run. And more for the record, I have not seen any of these movies either... nor do I want to. I heard them all on the compilation.

I also feel that I could have guessed John Williams for Schindler's List, and within ten guesses. I would not have been able to guess Danny Elfman within ten guesses of Hot to Trot, Midnight Run, or especially the upcoming Anywhere But Here (which I really think you should go to www.filmtracks.com and listen to).

Just a thought now... perhaps i should respond to the actual topic... here's my "Top 3" list:

1. Goldsmith
2. Herrmann
3. Elfman

But this list doesn't correspond to my "favorite" composers.

James

Anyway, I donīt want to discuss this further because I would just be repeating what has allready been said.

SFT

"Ten guesses? Of course you could have gotten it in 10 guesses, there are only 10 composers working that are worth noting. Name 5 composers, ill bet Williams just happened to be on that list, prolly one of the first names to come to mind."

Matt, what seems to be the fatal mistake in your point of view is that, that statement could just as well be used the other way around. Just wanted to point that out.

SFT