Classic FM

Film & TV

From John Williams’ iconic Star Wars theme to Hanz Zimmer’s swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, music is an essential part of any film or TV programme. Film and TV scores transport audiences to new worlds and are composed to delight, frighten, entertain and move.

Before sound was a part of film, there would often be an in-house pianist or organist who provided accompanying music. Sometimes whole orchestras would play along with a film.

A pianist was present to perform at the Lumiere brother's first film screening in 1895.

Moderinst film scores were introduced to films in the 1950s. For example, Leonard Bernstein composed the score for Elia Kazan’s 1954 ‘On the Waterfront’ and it was reminiscent of works by Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland.

Directors often work closely with composers and for several different films or TV programmes. Such long-term director-composer relationships include Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann; Steven Spielberg and John Williams; Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer; Tim Burton and Danny Elfman; Peter Jackson and Howard Shore; Sergio Leone and Ennio Moricone.

Best movie soundtracks

Features

French string duo Camille and Julie Berthollet play at Classic FM Live 2021

Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame

Classic FM TV Top 20

Classic FM TV Top 20: full list

Downton Abbey named nation's favourite classical TV theme after poll of Classic FM listeners

Film and TV music composers

Popular film scores

Top film music

The Lord of the Rings - The Council of Elrond artwork

Buy CD

Download 'The Lord of the Rings - The Council of Elrond' on iTunes

The Lord of the Rings - The Council of Elrond Howard Shore Conductor: Howard Shore Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Soloists: Enya Record label: REPRISE Catalogue ID: 9362 Warner

Buy CD

Download 'Gladiator - Main Theme' on iTunes

Gladiator - Main Theme Hans Zimmer

Buy CD

Download 'Schindler's List - Theme' on iTunes

Schindler's List - Theme John Williams (b.1932 : U.S.A) Conductor: Kirill Karabits Ensemble: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Soloists: Nicola Benedetti Record label: DECCA Catalogue ID: 478 3529

Buy CD

Download 'Star Wars - Main Theme' on iTunes

Star Wars - Main Theme John Williams (b.1932 : U.S.A) Conductor: John Williams Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra Record label: SONY Catalogue ID: SK 62788

Dances with Wolves - John Dunbar Theme artwork

Buy CD

Download 'Dances with Wolves - John Dunbar Theme' on iTunes

Dances with Wolves - John Dunbar Theme John Barry Conductor: Barry: Dances with Wolves

Buy CD

Download 'Out of Africa - Main Title' on iTunes

Out of Africa - Main Title John Barry (1933-2011 : England) Conductor: David Arnold Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Record label: Third Party Catalogue ID: CFMCD 46

Pirates of the Caribbean - Theme artwork

Buy CD

Download 'Pirates of the Caribbean - Theme' on iTunes

Pirates of the Caribbean - Theme Klaus Badelt (b.1967 : Germany) Conductor: Carl Davis Ensemble: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Record label: Naxos Catalogue ID: 8 572111

Buy CD

Download 'Chariots of Fire - Theme' on iTunes

Chariots of Fire - Theme Vangelis (b. 1943 : Greece) Conductor: David Parry Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Record label: LPO Live Catalogue ID: LPO 0063

Download Classic FM movie collections

On Air Now

Now Playing

Discover Music

Best movie soundtracks

Features

Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame

Classic FM TV Top 20

Film and TV music composers

Popular film scores

Top film music

Download Classic FM movie collections

More genres

Film & TV

Best movie soundtracks

The best movie soundtracks of 2016

Best Movie Soundtracks - 2000s

Best Movie Soundtracks -1990s

Best Movie Soundtracks - 1980s

Best Movie Soundtracks - 1970s

Best Movie Soundtracks - 1960s

Best Movie Soundtracks - 1930s-50s

Which scores have won best soundtrack at the Oscars? All the winning scores from the last 50 years

The 50 best film scores of all time

Features

‘It’s our responsibility to show classical music to everyone,’ say young stars Camille and Julie Berthollet

Succession soundtrack: Here’s why the HBO show’s theme tune is stuck in your head

The 10 best Hans Zimmer soundtracks

Pianist plays the ‘Psycho’ theme on a piano with actual knives – and it’s utterly terrifying

Hans Zimmer’s ‘Dune’ score: what does it sound like, and why are there three soundtracks?

The 25 greatest TV themes of all time

The music to ‘Inspector Morse’ revealed as the nation’s number one TV theme

What makes the Star Wars soundtrack so good? An analysis of John Williams’ music.

Listen to Classic FM’s TV Music Countdown in partnership with Radio Times this Summer Bank Holiday

What makes Michael Nyman’s music for The Piano so great? We unpack its simple brilliance.

A Star Wars piano medley meets 360-degree virtual reality, and the force is strong

Emma Corrin’s Princess Diana sings ‘All I Ask of You’ in poignant deleted scene from The Crown

Hidden violinists startle unsuspecting house viewers with ‘Psycho’ music in shower

Pianist plays virtuosic Harry Potter medley, and it’s utterly magical

Is Jennifer Hudson really playing piano and singing in ‘Respect’?

A definitive ranking of the most magical Harry Potter themes

10 of the best anime film and TV scores ever written

Who is Rachel Zegler? Meet the singer and actor playing Maria in the ‘West Side Story’ remake

No Time To Die soundtrack: what’s the music in the new Bond film and when is it released?

Watch this epic vocalised ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly’ theme from a royal military band

Singer creates unreal resonance with single-breath Titanic theme in echoing stairwell

The Handmaid’s Tale soundtrack: All the classical music featured in the hit Hulu show

A superfan made a montage of 76 Disney characters singing in their native languages

The real story of American heiress Florence Foster Jenkins, the ‘world’s worst opera singer’

Star Wars’ Darth Vader gatecrashes a classical concert, stays for ‘Imperial March’

What is the theme tune for My Brilliant Friend? The classical music featured in the hit HBO show revealed

This trumpeter’s ‘Star Wars’ fanfare in a deserted stairwell will give you goosebumps

My Brilliant Friend: Season 3 release date, cast and plot details revealed

Disney’s Snow White live-action remake: Release date, cast and soundtrack revealed

Orchestra interrupts Prokofiev with Star Wars ‘Imperial March’ in hilarious prank on conductor

9 actors who played a musician and displayed incredible commitment to the cause

Watch these 95 Lego Star Wars droids perform the actual ‘Star Wars’ theme

Anne Boleyn trial and execution: What was the Queen of England accused of?

Anne Boleyn’s children: From childbirth tragedy to raising the future queen of England

Look at this wonderful footage of Steven Spielberg and John Williams composing music for E.T. together

The Pursuit of Love filming locations: From Linda’s Chelsea flat to Beverly Hills

The Pursuit of Love soundtrack: Every piece of classical music in the hit period drama

Friends theme song: who sings it, what are the lyrics and how many claps are there?

Definitively the greatest film scores of the 21st century so far

Nomadland soundtrack: every Einaudi track used in the Chloé Zhao film

Here’s what the ‘West Side Story’ remake looks like side-by-side with the original

What’s the music in Shadow and Bone on Netflix, and who wrote the eerie soundtrack?

First look at Spielberg’s West Side Story as teaser trailer revealed in Oscars ceremony

Disney and Pixar’s Soul wins Oscar for Best Original Score at 93rd Academy Awards

The music of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Netflix – how blues musicians transcended racial barriers

When cellist Yo-Yo Ma appeared on ‘Arthur’ to teach a wholesome lesson about music

A phone company was tired of its old ringtones. So, Hans Zimmer composed an ‘orchestra’ of sounds.

Can Timothée Chalamet really play piano? Watch his Bach performance in Call Me By Your Name

Church organist plays utterly spine-chilling version of ‘The Exorcist’ main theme

Movie music shoots ahead in world’s biggest classical music poll after year of lockdown

Vocalist sings spine-tinglingly beautiful ‘Arabian Nights’ in an empty museum acoustic

Virtuoso pianist perfectly syncs her playing with Tom and Jerry Cat Concerto scene

A cappella choir sings note-perfect rendition of every famous movie studio theme

Behind Her Eyes on Netflix: what’s the piece of classical music I just heard?

11 actors who learned to play a musical instrument for films (and one who definitely didn’t)

First glance at upcoming Anne Boleyn period drama starring Jodie Turner-Smith

Christopher Plummer was a classical pianist, and played Rachmaninov between Sound of Music scenes

Who is the opera singer in Bridgerton? Meet Rowan Pierce, the soprano voice behind Siena Rosso

The Dig soundtrack: all the music scoring Netflix’s film on the Sutton Hoo treasure

Yes, legendary soprano Julie Andrews is the voice of narrator Lady Whistledown in ‘Bridgerton’

The music of Bridgerton on Netflix – how Taylor Swift became a Regency symphony

The Pembrokeshire Murders: what’s the title song ‘Suo-Gân’ in the credits, and who sings it?

‘Pieces of a Woman’ soundtrack: what’s the music scoring the Vanessa Kirby film?

The utterly joyous sound of a ukulele orchestra playing Morricone’s ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’

The ‘Interstellar’ theme on one of the world’s weirdest musical instruments is spine-tingling

Pixar animation ‘Soul’: who composed the jazz music and how to stream the soundtrack

‘Louis van Beethoven’: watch trailer for new film exploring Ludwig’s life

The original lyrics to ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ weren’t very merry at all