If you love film music and soundtracks as much as I do, you may have asked this question: which film composers are most famous and most popular in the film music history?

10 Most Famous Film Music Composers

Here are the 10 most popular film composers in history, along with a few examples of their work:

1. John Williams – Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones
2. Hans Zimmer – The Lion King, Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean
3. Ennio Morricone – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Mission
4. James Horner – Titanic, Braveheart, Aliens
5. Jerry Goldsmith – Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Omen, Chinatown
6. Danny Elfman – Batman, Beetlejuice, The Simpsons
7. Howard Shore – The Lord of the Rings, The Silence of the Lambs, Gangs of New York
8. Bernard Herrmann – Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest
9. Harry Gregson-Williams – Metal Gear Solid, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Martian
10. John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon, The Bourne Identity, Shrek

These film composers have had a significant impact on the world of film music and are known for their memorable and iconic scores. Many of their works have become classics and are still widely recognized and celebrated today.

A few more examples of famous film composers are:

• David Arnold – Independence Day, Stargate, Casino Royale
• Trevor Jones – The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Excalibur
• Nino Rota – The Godfather, 8½, La Dolce Vita

Perhaps you have other favorite film composers? It’s not a contest after all, art and music is always subjective. But fame perhaps is more measurable?