Fantastic Film Scores and Where to Find Them
My favorites instrumental motion picture scores from 2023
In the early nineties, I got hooked on what has become my favorite genre of music: instrumental motion picture scores. When I listen to music (which isn’t often), it’s usually a film score of some kind. And each December, I like to select my favorite albums from the year and arrange them in order of personal preference. This is only my second year of publicly posting the results, but I’m finding it a fun tradition.
Most of the scores I listen to are from films and shows I haven’t seen. Last year was no exception; I have actually only watched two of the selections below (entries 7 and 8).
Below are my top ten film/TV scores of 2023. Because I had trouble arranging this year’s selections in order of importance, I decided to list them in alphabetical order instead. For your aural pleasure, I have linked to each album so you can enjoy them as well.
1. The Creator (Hans Zimmer)
Zimmer was instrumental (ahem) in piquing my interest in instrumental film scores,1 although I’ve found his output hit-and-miss over the last several years. The Creator is a solid effort by Zimmer. It is, to borrow words from my friend Jonathan Broxton, “probably my favorite new score from [Zimmer] since Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020.”
2. Eisspin, der sehr Schreckliche (Simon N. Müller)
Speaking of Jonathan Broxton, it is because of his prolific reviews that I discover many gems that I would have missed. Eisspin is one such example: a 15-minute independent German short film about a cat who strikes a bargain with an alchemist. The music is beautiful in all of its ominous melancholy.
3. Journey to Bethlehem (Adam Anders, Nikki Anders, and Peer Astrom)
Not all the songs on this album are delightful earworms, but they represent an admirable effort to turn the nativity story into a musical. I especially like the songs that involve Mary and Joseph specifically (“Can We Make This Work,” “The Ultimate Deception,” and “We Become We”).
4. Juste Ciel! (Mathieu Lamboley)
Another Jonathan Broxton recommendation, Juste Ciel! is a French comedy about a group of nuns who enter a bicycle-riding contest. With some delicious themes, this album is a standout from 2023.
5. La guerre des Lulus (Mathieu Lamboley)
Yep, this is another French film score, also by Mathieu Lamboley. It’s not as richly thematic as Juste Ciel!, but it grew on me with each listen throughout the year. Lamboley had a really good 2023.
6. Napoleon (Martin Phipps)
Evidently, I like film music composed for historical pieces directed by Ridley Scott (the last entry being the superb Harry Gregson-Williams score to The Last Duel in 2021). While this music for Napoleon doesn’t seem to quite fit the subject matter (Broxton says it sometimes even “appears to be poking fun at its own lead character”), I found it to be an engaging listening experience on its own.
7. Sound of Freedom (Javier Navarrete)
The most gut-wrenching film I saw in 2023, Sound of Freedom blends somber guitar, electronics, and haunting choral work to provide a deep and lasting impact. The end credits song by Justin Jesso also evokes a strong sense of pathos.
8. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (“Subspace Rhapsody”) (Original Songs by Tom Polce and Kay Hanley)
A long-time Trekkie, I am amazed by how much creative energy was put into this one episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (the only episode that I have watched from this show thus far). IMDb describes the plot thus: “An accident with an experimental quantum probability field causes everyone on the Enterprise to break uncontrollably into song, but the real danger is that the field is expanding & beginning to impact other ships - allies & enemies alike.” Especially entertaining are the songs “Status Report” (a delightfully self-aware piece in which the crew members express confusion about why they are singing) and “I’m the X” (a clever breakup song sung by Spock). There’s also a way-too-short segment (only 20 seconds long) in the final song in which the Klingons perform a hip-hop number. Kudos to everyone involved in making this genre-bending episode of one of the best sci-fi franchises of all time.
9. Succession: Season 4 (Nicholas Britell)
Looking at the album artwork for this score, I thought, “I will definitely enjoy this music.” I’m not exactly sure what make me think that, but I was right.
10. Wonderwell (William Ross)
Last but certainly not least, this score richly embodies the fantasy landscape in which the movie takes place. Based on what I’ve read, it doesn’t look like I’d enjoy the film itself, but the music is a great standalone work regardless.
Honorable Mentions
A few scores missed the final cut by just a smidge: Rangers of the Lost Ring (Panu Aaltio), The Marvels (Laura Karpman), and Ladybug Cat Noir (Jeremy Zag). Also of note is Ariel’s “Part of Your World (Reprise),” from The Little Mermaid, which wins the “Most Goosebump-Inducing Moment of 2023.”
The Rock (which Zimmer co-composed) remains one of my favorite albums to this day, and it got a 2CD expanded release late in 2023.
Haven't heard any of these but will definitely check some of them out! And if you're interested in some oldies here are a few of my favorite film scores. All of them can be found easily on spotify; they are mostly instrumental with a few songs with words here and there.
—George Harrison, Wonderwall Music (1968)
—Pink Floyd, Obscured by Clouds (1971)
—Ennio Morricone, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
—James newton Howard, Signs (2002)
—Mark Isham, Crash (2004)
—Tsuneo Imahori, Trigun: The First Donuts (1998)