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Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: esper on Sat 22/10/2005 12:50:43

Title: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: esper on Sat 22/10/2005 12:50:43
I'm sorry... This might not be worth an entire topic, but I found true glory.

While not a big fan of the movie "Van Helsing" (although I watched it simply because I am a big fan of Abraham Van Helsing, the original from Bram Stoker's novel) the music entitled "Journey To Transylvania" is one of the best pieces I've EVER heard. If you don't know it by name, which probably none of you do, it's the piece that starts out with some Omen music (chanting) and then goes into Flamenco-style guitar. I was blown away. It kinda reminded me of another "Omen" style piece, Gratua Cuun from Star Wars: Republic Commando.

So, as not to waste an entire topic, how about some other all-time favorite themesongs, or maybe themesongs you can think of that are so good as to be unworthy of the movie or game they are played in?
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Kal-El on Sat 22/10/2005 12:53:01
There's loads of classics.

Superman
Jaws
Indiana Jones
Thundercats (cartoon)
Smallville
Monkey Island

plus loads more!

Oh, yeah, and Dallas.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: esper on Sat 22/10/2005 12:54:34
Hmmm... I would say anything by John Williams is a given, though... :P
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Kal-El on Sat 22/10/2005 12:55:57
True, but I had to mention a few of his tunes because he's a goddamn genius.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Nikolas on Sat 22/10/2005 12:58:57
Batman Returns      Danny Elfman
The Simpsons         Danny elfman
MacGuyver              I have no idea who
Microcosmos           Bruno Coulais
Lord of the rings     Howard Shore

And 1000s more...
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Kal-El on Sat 22/10/2005 13:01:51
I think '1000's more' is highly over-rated ;)
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Elliott Hird on Sat 22/10/2005 13:20:02
Full Throttle - The Gone Jackals, Legacy, Bone To Pick
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Kal-El on Sat 22/10/2005 13:21:41
Full Throttle yes. Interesting choice.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Eggie on Sat 22/10/2005 13:26:29
Heard one John Williams score you've heard 'em all.

I love Danny Elfman's theme for Beetlejuice and Jerry Goldsmith's end credits music for Poltergeist.

On Tv, I love the theme music for The League of Gentlemen, Dexters Laborotory, Six Feet Under.

I still maintain that the Monkey Island theme is the best piece of music EVER COMPOSED. But another game with a good feem choon is Croc.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Nikolas on Sat 22/10/2005 13:30:40
I have a question that botheres me a lot:

Song is a piece of music with lyrics in, right? I mean a song must have a singer, no?

I don't know the accurate term, but all the themes we've been talking about are not songs, if I understand corectly, or are they?

Anyway I did remember another one. It's old, it's classical but it's composed for a movie:

Alexander Nievsky Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Sergei Prokofiev

PS. Blame my classical training for coming up with these shit. But hosetnly if you give it a chance, he is one of the best movie composeres ever. Most of the composers for movies nodays base their orchestrations to what he did. This is impressive.

And 1000s of course is a matter of speech. I don't have a 1000 CDs in my possetions.

But still now, that I recall I can name another one:

Stigmata Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  by Billy Corgan

Amazing! Simply amazing! And it's a song!
Quote from: Eggie on Sat 22/10/2005 13:26:29
I still maintain that the Monkey Island theme is the best piece of music EVER COMPOSED.

the best piece of music EVER COMPOSED?
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Kal-El on Sat 22/10/2005 13:35:57
Quote from: Eggie on Sat 22/10/2005 13:26:29
Heard one John Williams score you've heard 'em all.

Same can be said for Danny Elfman. I really think his music is horrendous with the exception of Batman. They're all the same in my opinion.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Elliott Hird on Sat 22/10/2005 13:36:04
Songs = anything where you hear something other than garbage cans.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Pet Terry on Sat 22/10/2005 13:36:38
http://personal.inet.fi/surf/presents/20besttunes.htm

It's more than themes only and it's only about video game tunes. As for movies and programs:
- MacGyver
- Bucky O' Hare
- Darkwing Duck
- Duck Tales
- Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers
- The X-Files
- Batman (the movie, by Tim Burton)
- The Green Hornet
- Pulp Fiction
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Nikolas on Sat 22/10/2005 13:39:07
Quote from: Elliott Hird on Sat 22/10/2005 13:36:04
Songs = anything where you hear something other than garbage cans.
So a Symphony by Beethoven or Rite of Spring by Stravinsky or a sonata by Vivaldi, are songs? This sounds weird. Has anybody any opinion on this.

Danny Elfan is a whistler. He doens't know a lot of music. He whistles the theme and someon else does the orchestrations. This is a fact. Take it from me!

John Williams is not a whistler!
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Elliott Hird on Sat 22/10/2005 13:44:05
Yeah, they're songs. songs is the same as music, but it doesn't refer to the scene of it, more the "flesh"
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Nacho on Sat 22/10/2005 13:59:11
Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Jaws, Home Alone, Superman... I see a pattern?

Jesus Christ Superstar, Excalibur (Does Carmina Burana count as a themesong, or not?).

And Braveheart and Titanic, I think this two were made by the same guy as well, but not sure.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: AlbinoPanther on Sat 22/10/2005 14:04:56
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND
MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND MONKEY ISLAND




                                            AARGH!!!!
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Gord10 on Sat 22/10/2005 14:22:07
Some of my favourites I remember now: Games- Max Payne, Dead City, Ben Jordan 3; Movies- A Requiem For A Dream, Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park...
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: The Scorposer on Sat 22/10/2005 21:17:08
Quote from: Nikolas on Sat 22/10/2005 13:39:07
Danny Elfan is a whistler. He doens't know a lot of music. He whistles the theme and someon else does the orchestrations. This is a fact. Take it from me!

Ah yes, I remember his many concerts (when he was still in Oingo Boingo). When it was time for one of his guitar solo's he just started whisteling. Always got the crowd going  ::)
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: InCreator on Sat 22/10/2005 21:43:01
Sergei Shnurov - "Mobilnik (http://www.increator.pri.ee/muz/bumer_theme.mp3)"
Theme for Russian gangster movie "Bimmer"...

Most original theme I've heard. Fits well with movie too.

I also love the theme for German TV-series about highway police, "Alarm füare Cobra 11", but don't know who composed it.

edit: TXT-spelling stupidly makes "are" out of "r-letter"
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: nihilyst on Sat 22/10/2005 23:35:54
@InCreator:
The "Alarm fuer Cobra 11" theme song was composed by Reinhard Scheuregger.

The Monkey Island theme song is truly a very impressive song. I like it.

cheers
nihilyst
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: auhsor on Sun 23/10/2005 03:01:38
I always loved the Space Quest theme. Also the Grim Fandango soundtrack is great although I can't recall just one theme song.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Domino on Sun 23/10/2005 03:35:40
I am really fond of the Jurassic Park soundtrack. I even bought the CD. Honorable mentions go to Terminator, Titanic, Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves (that opening music was great).

There would be alot more, but i'm having a major brainfart at the moment.

I'm sure there would be many more.

woops: Close Encounters of the third kind. Especially at the end, when they are communicating with the alien ship. That gives me goosebumps.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: DGMacphee on Sun 23/10/2005 15:56:58
Going Home (Theme Of The Local Hero) by Mark Knopfler

Beautiful track for the ending of a very beautiful film.

Also, I heard this song before I saw the movie. I was thirteen, driving with my Dad and he had this CD (The Local Hero soundtrack -- by it at amazon.com NOW!) playing.
I said, "That's beautiful music."
He said, "Oh yeah, listen to this." He played the last track (the theme song), after which I developed a huuuuuge desire to see the film.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Czar on Sun 23/10/2005 18:44:35
Ok, seems that I am the first one to mention Grim Fandango's theme (amongst others, ofcourse). It was just great, such a great fusion with the main idea.
I can just imagine it now...
th th dh.dh, th.th.th.dh.dh.dh.dh.dh.dhdh th.dh.th  etc. etc. :)

And before i end this post California from Orange county (OC) by phantom planet came to my mind, it's a cool dreamy song.

Izar.
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: MillsJROSS on Mon 24/10/2005 07:01:15
Space Quest has a great theme.
Star Wars and while it is John Williams it is a bit different then most of his work
Red Dwarf has some great theme music
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Gladiator

Not necessarily my favorit movies but they did have a decent score.

-MillsJROSS
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: auhsor on Mon 24/10/2005 07:27:39
Oh yeah, Lesiure Suit Larry has one of the best themes around :)
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Kinoko on Mon 24/10/2005 09:11:20
As far as I'm concerned, while Star Wars and Indiana Jones, etc are all up there, nothing gives me shivers the way the HHGTTG theme does. My hairs stand up on end when I hear that tune. I was so imressed with the way they mixed it for the movie (unfortunately, I was impfressed with little else but I won't get into that).
Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: Czar on Wed 26/10/2005 22:14:57
Esper, because youre into these orch. kind of themes, have you heard the Cold case theme?
I believe it's called ES Posthumus - Nara. Before, when i was only hearing it on the ads or on the beggining of the show it was so cool, but after i downloaded it recently, i kinda overdid it.
It's just like with girls. When it's harder to get her, you want her more. Actually I believe it goes for every human being, the fact that we want what we don't/can't have.

Title: Re: Best Themesong I've Ever Heard
Post by: esper on Thu 27/10/2005 07:29:14
I haven't, but I'm looking it up right now.