Yeah, I know. This post really should’ve gone up last year to coincide with the 35th anniversary of ALL of these films. But what can I say? We like to keep you guessing.

We did a similar post last year ranking all the scores of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we had so much fun with it (and y’all seemed to like it) that we decided to give it another go.

Why 1984, though? For those of us who are a certain age, 1984 was like a miracle year at the theater. Especially if you were a fan of genre films. It was the year of Ghostbusters and Gremlins, of The Terminator and The NeverEnding Story, of Dune and Red Dawn, and of The Karate Kid and Sixteen Candles. It was also a year of sequels: Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Conan, and Friday the 13th all got fresh installments.

It was the year PG-13 was introduced (in response to Gremlins and Temple of Doom).

It saw the film debuts of, get ready for it, Jennifer Connelly, Johnny Depp, Colin Firth, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, Jennifer Grey, Corey Haim, Val Kilmer, Andie MacDowell, Kyle MacLachlan, Mary McDonnell, Frances McDormand, Lou Diamond Phillips, Tim Robbins, Tim Roth, Charlie Sheen, Elisabeth Shue, Ice-T, Marisa Tomei, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ken Watanabe, Damon Wayans, and Michelle Yeoh, among many others.

It was also a time when the great film composers of the 80s were in their prime. Jerry Goldsmith had four scores that year. John Barry had three, and James Horner and John Williams each had two. And for Williams, those two were in addition to his fanfare and theme for the 1984 Summer Olympics, which is STILL used.

So how did we compile this list? Easy. We listened to as many of the scores and soundtracks from 1984 as we could. Some of them aren’t exactly easy to track down, but between Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, and our own collection, we managed to listen to a few dozen scores.

Fear not, gentle readers. We weeded out the best for you to seek out and pour into your ear holes.

What’s NOT included here? This is a ranking of the best original film scores. Soundtracks with pop songs were not considered. 1984 had a lot of those, and many – including Beverly Hills Cop (1984’s highest grossing film), Stop Making Sense, The Karate Kid, and The Woman in Red – include some great songs. But let’s be real. Purple Rain clearly has the best song soundtrack and would be a no contest #1. (That soundtrack won both the Academy Award and the Grammy.)

Likewise, we didn’t consider soundtracks with original songs, such as The Muppets Take Manhattan and This is Spinal Tap. Orchestral scores only.

We also omitted Amadeus from contention. Why? Because it’s stinkin’ Mozart, that’s why! Not a fair fight.

So without further ado, here we go…

Honorable Mentions

The Cotton Club (composed by John Barry)

The Last Starfighter (composed by Craig Safan)

The Natural (composed by Randy Newman)

Romancing the Stone (composed by Alan Silvestri)

Supergirl (composed by Jerry Goldsmith)

Until September (composed by John Barry)

20. The Bounty

composed by Vangelis & Dominik Hauser

available on YouTube

The Bounty is an oft-forgotten film starring Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson in an adaptation of Mutiny on the Bounty. The score (at least one version of it) is a cool cross-section of Vangelis’ electronic synths, Scottish highlands fiddle, and lush orchestrations.

19. Sheena

composed by Richard Hartley

available on YouTube

The score is surprisingly epic with a lot of clear influences from John Williams. There are hints of Indiana Jones and Star Wars throughout, but it remains entirely unique.

18. Splash

composed by Lee Holdridge

available on YouTube

It might not be very memorable on its own, but this romantic and sweeping score will make you want to watch the movie again. And then revisit all of Tom Hanks’s stellar 80s films, especially The ‘Burbs, Big, and The Money Pit.

17. Police Academy

composed by Robert Folk

available on YouTube

It’s easy to forget the enormous popularity of Police Academy, which spawned six sequels, a TV series, an animated show, and a theme park stunt show. The original is still the best, and the score has a theme that is instantly recognizable. Even if you haven’t seen the movie in 3o years, you’ll be humming it immediately. The rest of the score is mostly riffs on that theme, but it also has fun jazz pieces thrown in.

16. Gremlins

composed by Jerry Goldsmith

available on Amazon Music and Spotify

You may not remember this score or the main theme off hand, but if you’ve seen the movie, you know the theme. One listen to this score, and it’ll probably stick with you the rest of the day. Sorry for that.

15. Lassiter

composed by Ken Thorne

available on Amazon Music

I’ll admit that I was totally unfamiliar with this movie (starring Tom Selleck and Jane Seymour), but the score is a wholly enjoyable jazz soundtrack. It makes me want to dance, and it makes me want to seek out the film.

14. The Killing Fields

composed by Mike Oldfield

available on Amazon Music and Spotify

Oldfield might be most well known for “Tubular Bells,” the theme for The Exorcist, but his score for The Killing Fields was nominated for a Golden Globe (and the film was nominated for Best Picture). It incorporates all the emotion you’d expect from a film about the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in 1970s Cambodia.

13. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

composed by John Scott

available on YouTube

I know. I’m just as surprised as you to find this one here. Lush and orchestral, it will make you long for the full, thematic scores of the 80s. I’ll also admit that I wasn’t familiar with John Scott before listening to this. He actually composed more than 100 films and TV shows! Most of his film work was in the 60s and 70s, and he was the founder and artistic director of the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra.

12. Birdy

composed by Peter Gabriel

available on Amazon Music and Spotify

Peter Gabriel’s first film score, and one of only three films he scored during his career (the others were The Last Temptation of Christ and Rabbit-Proof Fence), the music here is subtle, subdued, and magical – and all instrumental. Quite unlike Gabriel’s album So, which he wrote around the same time.

11. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

composed by Joe Hisaishi

available on YouTube

The beginning of a legend. This was Hisaishi’s first film score, and it was his first collaboration with the master – Hayao Miyazaki – a partnership that would last more than three decades and the entirety of Miyazaki’s directorial output with Studio Ghibli.

10. Paris, Texas

composed by Ry Cooder

available nowhere, seemingly, in its entirety (portions are on YouTube)

This Wim Wenders film (starring Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell) may have slipped off your radar. And that’s unfortunate. But the music is unmistakable. If you’re familiar with Ry Cooder, this soundtrack is classic Ry Cooder. It’s dominated by a haunting acoustic guitar and has a strong Mexican influence. Take four minutes and listen to this.

9. Once Upon a Time in America

composed by Ennio Morricone

available on Amazon Music and Spotify

Nominated for a Golden Globe, this is classic Morricone holding up Sergio Leone’s final film. Like the film, the music is moving, emotional, and heartwrenching. The score also features Gheorge Zamfir on panpipe, so if that’s your thing…

8. The Razor’s Edge

composed by Jack Nitzsche

available nowhere, it seems (but here’s a suite on YouTube)

A Bill Murray movie I’d never heard of? A drama, no less? The music is sweeping and emotional and totally beautiful. Between this and Nitzsche’s other 1984 film (see below), I’m a solid fan. Interestingly, after principal photography wrapped, Murray immediately went to make Ghostbusters.

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street

composed by Charles Bernstein

available on Amazon Music and Spotify

The beginning of a legendary franchise, and the beginning of a horror icon. The theme may not be as succinct and hummable as the Halloween theme, but it’s still a spectacular, creepy score. (Check out this focus on Bernstein’s score.)

6. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

composed by James Horner

available on YouTube

Horner also composed 1982’s The Wrath of Khan, so the two really feel like a pair. Sure, it’s lacking a recognizable Star Trek theme (the classic theme is only hinted at), but the entire thing is lush and orchestral and amazing. It’s not totally devoid of familiar themes, though, since it incorporates Jerry Goldsmith’s Klingon theme from The Motion Picture.

5. The NeverEnding Story

composed by Klaus Doldinger & Giorgio Moroder

available on Amazon Music

Yes, it had a moment last year thanks to Stranger Things. And yes, most people immediately think of the theme song by British pop singer Limahl. But the score is dark, creepy, melodic and brooding. It’s dominated by synth beats and guitar, and though the movie itself hasn’t aged incredibly well (unless, like us, you have strong nostalgia for it), listening to the score makes you want to be 8 years old again.

4. Ghostbusters

composed by Elmer Bernstein

available on Amazon Music

The theme song (sung by Ray Parker Jr.) was nominated for an Academy Award, and the film itself was 1984’s second highest grossing film. And it became a phenomenon that still has legions of fans. Even if we leave the theme song on the table, the score still enchants with the instrumental theme, “Dana’s Theme,” and the quirky “Zuul.” But the entire thing is just a delight, from beginning to end.

3. A Passage to India

composed by Maurice Jarre

available on YouTube

An epic film from David Lean (The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago) requires an epic score. And boy oh boy, Maurice Jarre delivered with a score that feels more at home with his sweeping scores from the 60s and 70s than it does with the rest of this list. Jarre’s score won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe. And I’m simply shocked it’s not more widely available today.

2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

composed by John Williams

available on Amazon Music and Spotify

John Williams. Indiana Jones. An Academy Award nomination. It might be the black sheep of the original trilogy, but the score is freaking phenomenal. From the 1930s jazzy “Anything Goes” opening to Chinese-inspired pieces in the first half to the haunting chants in “The Temple of Doom” – and of course the familiar Indy theme – this soundtrack required Williams to flex his musical muscles more than any other installment in the franchise.

Drumroll please! The best film score from 1984 is…

1. Starman

composed by Jack Nitzsche

available on YouTube

Surprise! We’ll bet you didn’t see this coming. This is a totally unsung masterpiece of a score (it was nominated for a Golden Globe) from what is perhaps John Carpenter’s most underappreciated film. The theme might get a tad repetitive if you listen to the entire score, but my goodness what a theme! And it works perfectly in the film. I might regularly listen to a number of these scores, but Starman is my go-to for when I want to feel inspired and uplifted.