70s & 80s Memorable Movie Themes

[Sir Osis of Liver]

So my wife put on one of the channels earlier this evening that plays some of the "older" movies (it scares me to think of these as being older, but so be it), and they were running one of the Police Academy movies. This got me to thinking about how awesome it was becoming self-aware in the mid-70s through the 80s, what with all the great original scores and themes that came out during this stretch. Here's my list of favorites off the top of my head that would be perfectly at home as background music during a game. What have I forgotten?

1. Raiders March (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
2. Imperial March (SWEp5)
3. Main Theme (Star Wars)
4. Jaws Theme
5. Main Theme from Back to the Future
6. Main Theme from Batman (the Michael Keaton incarnation)
7. Main Theme from Conan the Barbarian
8. End Credits from The Right Stuff
9. Anything from the Glory soundtrack
10. State Finals and End Credits from Hoosiers
11. Main Theme from Close Encounters
12. Main Theme from E.T.
13. Main Theme from Patton (early/mid 70s)

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Okay...let me amend this a bit...some of these things are so memorable that they could very easily distract from a game, but I can think of instances from several sessions where many of these would've been appropriate mood music.

[serleran]

I'd throw in anything scored by Danny Elfman, like Batman (which it seems you did; yay!) or Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

[Breakdaddy]

The A-Team
Miami Vice

[Sir Osis of Liver]

While I put Police Academy in the body of the first post, I neglected to put it on the list, so there it goes.

Also...

Axel-F from Beverly Hills Cop
Several pieces from the Ghostbusters soundtrack (besides the title song)
End Credits music from Backdraft

What else?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Faber Alma Mater from Animal House
"I'm Alright" from Caddyshack (these aren't so much game-specific, but they're still worthy of the list)

[Go0gleplex]

James Bond

[Sir Osis of Liver]

James Bond

Another good one, but I'm trying to keep it to stuff that first came out just in that time block. I think by the time Jaws was out, the Bond theme was at least 10 years old. But yeah, the Bond theme was definitely one we grew up with. Good call!

@serl: What other Elfman scores are out there? The only other one I'm familiar with off the top of my head is Back to School.

Anybody looking for the Irish jig for a tavern scene...End credits from Turk 182!

[serleran]

@serl: What other Elfman scores are out there? The only other one I'm familiar with off the top of my head is Back to School.

For just the years 1970 - 1989:

1980 Forbidden Zone
1985 Pee-wee's Big Adventure
1986 Back to School
1987 Summer School, Wisdom
1988 Beetlejuice, Midnight Run, Big Top Pee-Wee, Hot to Trot, Scrooged
1989 Batman

That does not count TV where you get themes like Tales from the Crypt or The Simpsons.

After, there are many more, not all of which are his in entirety:

1990 Nightbreed, Dick Tracy, Darkman, Edward Scissorhands
1992 Article 99, Batman Returns
1993 Sommersby, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Army of Darkness (one track)
1994 Black Beauty
1995 Dolores Claiborne, Dead Presidents, To Die For
1996 Mission: Impossible, The Frighteners, Freeway, Extreme Measures, Mars Attacks!
1997 Men in Black, Flubber, Good Will Hunting
1998 A Simple Plan
1999 Instinct, Anywhere But Here, Sleepy Hollow
2000 Proof of Life, The Family Man
2001 Planet of the Apes
2002 Spider-Man, Men in Black II, Red Dragon, Chicago (two tracks)
2003 Hulk, Big Fish
2004 Spider-Man 2
2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride
2006 Deep Sea 3D, Nacho Libre, Charlotte's Web
2007 Meet the Robinsons, The Kingdom
2008 Standard Operating Procedure, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Milk
2009 Notorious (one track), Terminator Salvation, Taking Woodstock
2010 The Wolfman, Alice in Wonderland, The Next Three Days

[AGNKim]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9vrfEoc8_g

[Joe]

Is it just me or is this new forum extremely slow?

Born in 69

Still trying to become self aware.

Each new stride only reminds me how from from the target I am aiming.

[SirClarence]

This new forum is annoyingly slow.

Here are four that I fondly remember:

The Rockford Files
The Streets of San Francisco
Kojak
Hawaii 5-0

[ArgoForg]

Star Trek, OST - Too memorable to play to, but the original theme and Klingon theme are pretty much staples.
Star Trek II/III - Maybe not as memorable "theme"-wise, but great background music, especially the fight in the Mutara Nebula.
Dances with Wolves - This might actually have been 1990; I forget.
Main Theme from Superman, the Motion Picture.

Those are the only ones coming to mind right off the top of my head at the moment. Great subject, though!

[Rikitiki]

Me, I'd have to say pretty much any movie music by Jerry Goldsmith.

Oh, and the "Conan" soundtrack, too.

[Go0gleplex]

The Six Million Dollar Man!
Battlestar Galactica (the ORIGINAL!)
Starblazers
Robotech
Hill Street Blues

[Coleston the Cavalier]

Teen age boys trying to get laid.



Wait, you meant best theme songs?
My bad.

[Go0gleplex]

Oh...another memorable one....TRON

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Teen age boys trying to get laid.



Wait, you meant best theme songs?
My bad.

Bad John! Evil! EEEEEVVVVVIIIIIILLLLLLLLL!!!!!

[Sir Osis of Liver]

For the record, I didn't even bother trying. I was too much of a troglodyte. Once I got to college, though...I was still a troglodyte.

[Falinor]

The Last Starfighter - Entire album
Rocky - Alone in the Ring
Star Wars - Princess Leia's theme

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The Last Starfighter - Entire album
Rocky - Alone in the Ring
Star Wars - Princess Leia's theme

Nice! I hadn't even thought of the Rocky movies, but they're right up there. Maynard Ferguson's version of "Gonna Fly Now" was awesome. I haven't seen The Last Starfighter in years. Have to check that one out.

Pretty much all of the SW leitmotifs are memorable. Princess Leia's was good. I'm also partial to Yoda's and The Emperor's themes.

[Joe]

Every troglodyte has a prince trying to break free.

Rocky themes were pretty awesome...but I keep having the song for Shaft running thru my head...and Oingo Boingo's Weird Science...

[shadoes]

wow no one thinks the Main theme for Jurassic park is memorable? For me that piece of music stands out more than even Williams Star Wars work.