Last Updated on 18 February 2026

I searched the Internet for lists of best Howard Shore film scores of all time. Criteria included the films being ranked, not just listed. The lists were generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).

I was able to find 13 lists. I took the 13 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every film. I averaged the rankings each film score got and divided that average by the number of lists it was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.

The theme songs that were on the most lists (out of 13) were:

  • The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – 12 lists
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – 11 lists
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – 11 lists
  • The Fly (1986) – 11 lists
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) -10 lists

Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:

Best Howard Shore ScoresDownload

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