Howard Shore may not be one of the most likely names to pop up in the front of your mind when thinking of modern composers, but his impact within the film industry and the directors he has worked with may surprise you, and he's had a prolific career. Shore is likely to be recognized for his flowing and whimsical elements, woodwinds and horns, that complement the visual elements on the screen. While his contemporaries like Howard Zimmer or Danny Elfman have a sound distinctive in of themselves, Shore’s orchestral scores have their own unique element that you may not notice upon first listen, but once you hear something by Shore, you know it’s him when you hear another.
He has a tendency to work with the same directors (much like John Williams does with Steven Spielberg), and has a long history with Peter Jackson, David Cronenberg, and Martin Scorsese. In fact, he has scored every Cronenberg movie except one in his career.
To celebrate his legacy, as well as his latest collaboration with Cronenberg in Crimes of the Future, here are Howard Shore’s best musical scores.
7 Se7en (1995)
David Fincher’s crime-thriller is still relevant today, seemingly as likely to be a take on a true-crime podcast. It is so dark and unsettling, grounded by outstanding performances and Fincher’s distinctive style, it doesn’t feel like it’s aged a day. And a big part of that is the music. “Gluttony,” track two on the soundtrack, creaks in with long, drawn-out horns, creating a perfect disturbing tone that the visuals match as we get an idea of how upsetting this story is about to be. Without Shore’s score, Se7en still lands, but it misses a critical component to its demoralizing tale.
6 A History of Violence (2005)
When you hear the horns of the song “Tom,” you feel elements of Middle Earth, especially as it pairs with Viggo Mortensen, but you're in America. It feels heroic, and yet sad simultaneously. Much like the movie, the score unfolds and changes as the story does. It feels light and homely, with doses of Americana, but as the dark nature that Tom tries to hide, reemerges; the heavy sounds resurface to accompany the thematic reveal of one of Cronenberg's best films.
5 The Aviator (2004)
Martin Scorsese’s biographic epic of Howard Hughes could arguably be Leonardo DiCaprio’s greatest performance. The film itself has been somewhat lost in the filmographies of those who worked on it, especially in comparison to some of Scorsese’s crime films. However, the film is not only a masterful one, but Shore’s work is a mirror to the efforts of Hughes throughout the story. Echoing the orchestral scores of the 1940s during the Hughes film era, and then transitioning to grandiose sounds to accompany the aviation exploration. It’s a beautiful score that grows with the timeframe of the film and Hughes’s life. Shore won both a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice award for his work.
4 The Fly (1986)
David Cronenberg is a master of practical filmmaking, sci-fi themes, and forcing the audience into comfortable places. Shore’s accompanying score is no different. We are thrown into the excitement and horror that tells the story of Jeff Goldblum’s Seth Brundle transformation. There are moments of whimsy, but ultimately it’s the soundtrack and musical component that grips you as we witness the final stage of Brundle with horror and disgust.
3 Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (2001)
If there is any score that Howard Shore may be remembered for, it is probably Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings epic trilogy. It’s hard to believe that this trilogy is in the midst of celebrating its 20th anniversary. And the score that Shore wrote is a major part of its remarkable legacy. Individual tracks like “Concerning Hobbits” establish a sense of joy, playfulness, and innocence. Then songs like “Khazad-dûm” mix the stirring theme of the films with the choral dread that faces the Fellowship. This score won Shore his first Academy Award for musical score, along with a Grammy and Critics' Choice award.
2 The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Though Shore was barely recognized for his contributions to this Academy Award-winning classic, the score is a perfect fit. When asked about it, he said, “I tried to make the music just fit in. When you watch the movie you are not aware of the music. You get your feelings from all elements simultaneously, lighting, cinematography, costumes, acting, music.” And it does just that. The theme, like much of his other work, is a blend of feelings, dread, and the whimsical. You’re uneasy and unsure why. It’s much like Hannibal Lecter himself, something magnetic about him, compelling and terrifying simultaneously.
1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
What a better way to end this than the beautiful score to The Return of the King. This Best Picture winner concludes the epic trilogy in spectacular fashion, and the score, which also won an Academy Award, is equally impressive. The horns of Gondor, to the drums that boom on the fields of Pelennor, and the choral accompaniment to Frodo’s battle within Mount Doom, are all memorable standouts. But it’s “The Edge of Night”, sung by Billy Boyd, that runs away with the crown of the score. It’s a beautiful, dramatic, and heartbreaking scene, and it’s an absolutely stunning musical masterpiece.