You know it when you hear it. Or maybe you don’t. But go back, listen again. The music of the movies make images sing, and the maestros behind the notes never get the credit they deserve. Imagine Jaws without those two notes, Jurassic Park without its theme. Steven Spielberg owes most of his best cinematic moments to John Williams.

As do many great filmmakers to many other, lesser-known music makers. But what about those who’ve made not-so-great films that are blessed with scores that belong in something better?

Unsung notes and strings and orchestras, tonight we honor you.

Runner-Up:

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Constantine - Klaus Badelt

Check out the Top 15 below, in no particular order:

The Matrix Reloaded/The Matrix Revolutions – Don Davis

A post-modern score for a post-modern trilogy, the former of which holds of up much better than the latter. Davis was composing this music for something that was both epic and interesting, not just epically confusing/boring.

The Untouchables - Ennio Morricone

Don’t believe me? The over-acting is borderline unwatchable (“WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO???!!!), the direction painfully self-aware (although that “Odessa Steps” shout-out at the train station is superb) and the writing is, well, David Mamet at his most capitalistic. That said, Morricone’s score is the stuff of legend. You could show a baby rolling down steps and it would sound ama- oh wait, they did that.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s - Henry Mancini

“Moon River” and Audrey Hepburn save this otherwise mediocre, overly-offensive exercise in genre by the usually-much-better Blake Edwards. Quintessential proof that sometimes all you need is the most beautiful woman in the world singing the most beautiful song in the world to make a classic.

The Mission - Ennio Morricone

Okay, so “Moon River” is the second most beautiful song, because nothing gets in front of Morricone’s score for Roland Joffe‘s Palme d’Or-winning, immensely overrated, The Mission, starring Robert De Niro as a sinful man who thrusts himself under the tutelage of Jeremy Irons‘ Jesuit priest. Between the South American setting (there are a lot of waterfalls) and Morricone’s score, this overwrought tale of white man’s redemption is worth it. To describe the music would be to do it an injustice. It needs to be heard.

Pearl Harbor - Hans Zimmer

This is music easily forgotten when considering the images (and, more importantly, words) it is put to. But go back, watch again, and recall how effective those 45 minutes in which Michael Bay actually recounts the Pearl Harbor attack are. And why is it so effective? The special effects yes okay, but Zimmer’s score as well. Even the much-hated romantic scenes are accompanied by a full orchestra and subdued piano behind it. It’s the kind of stuff composers like Maurice Jarre (1962′s D-day film The Longest Day) didn’t have the balls to make for war films back in the day.

The Village - James Newton Howard

This score is as romantic as the M. Night Shyamalan‘s film should have been. It all comes together in one precious, unmatched scene.

Watch below:

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