... in the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame
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As well as composing the nation’s very favourite film theme, the legendary movie composer was the most voted-for composer, and had the most pieces of music featured in the chart.
We have revealed the nation’s favourite film music in .
And ’ music for Schindler’s List has been voted No. 1, after thousands of Classic FM listeners and readers cast their votes.
Schindler’s List hit the silver screen nearly 27 years ago, and this year it knocks ’s score for off the top spot in the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame.
John Williams told Classic FM, “I’d like to express my gratitude to the listeners of Classic FM for selecting my music from Schindler’s List for this high honour. It was a privilege to be involved in the making of this film, and it’s very gratifying to know that so many people around the world continue to embrace it after nearly 30 years.”
As well as taking the No. 1 film score, John Williams has again been voted the nation’s favourite composer of film music, with five entries in the top twenty alone, including Schindler’s List, , , and .
John Williams told Classic FM, “I’d like to express my gratitude to the listeners of Classic FM for selecting my music from Schindler’s List for this high honour. It was a privilege to be involved in the making of this film, and it’s very gratifying to know that so many people around the world continue to embrace it after nearly 30 years.”
The Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame 2020 also revealed a surge in popularity for film music composed by , who at the age of 91, with three entries in the top 20. Morricone’s five entries show the breadth of his work outside of the Westerns he is best known for, with The Mission, Cinema Paradiso and Once Upon A Time in America appearing alongside The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon A Time in the West.
Other popular film composers include and with eight entries each in the top 100. Barry wrote the scores for Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves, which reach numbers four and five in the chart respectively, his highest placing in the chart. Hans Zimmer took third position with the score for the legendary film Gladiator, which was released 20 years ago this year.
Oscar winning , who won an Academy Award for the best original score for Joker, becoming only the fourth woman to win in the category, reached number 79 in the chart, and , Classic FM’s composer in residence placed at 65 with the biographical film Wilde.
, presenter of and Film Editor at Radio Times, said: “It's been a while since we polled the discerning listeners of Classic FM and readers of Radio Times about their favourite film themes and what we learn about their choices is that the greatest hits remain immovably and unimprovably great!
“Nobody would deny the near permanence of John Barry or the late Ennio Morricone or the trailblazing Vangelis in any Top 10. Lord of the Rings, a true masterwork of narrative scope and innate personality will always give the other fabulous scores something to aim for.”
Collins continued: “I am personally sad not to see my own choice Interstellar in the Top 10 but Hans Zimmer at No. 3 with Gladiator makes another mighty showing. Are we not entertained?
“As for John Williams... we have found your favourite film theme and it's as moving and mournful as any winner. Williams doubted he could pull it off. He was wrong. My advice, as ever, is to explore the lower scores. There’s a lot of invention and innovation down there. I’m humming ‘S.T.A.Y.’ from Interstellar just to reset the musical universe.”
