Hans Zimmeris the sound of modern Hollywood. The highly prolific composer participates in multiple films and TV shows every single year and, throughout his acclaimed career, has worked on some of the most iconic scores in film history. However, as is the case with any artist as productive as him, there are a few of his scores that tend to get buried beneath his more noteworthy work.
It’s a shame because Zimmer’s most underrated scores are every bit as memorable, creative, and masterfully crafted as his best-known works. From horror films like the American remake ofThe Ringto more lighthearted music for animated family films likeMegamind, the German composer has made plenty of scores that deserve to be talked about a lot more often and much more highly.These are Hans Zimmer’s most underrated scores, brilliant compositions that prove why he is such a master of his craft.
10’The Ring' (2002)
Standout Track: “End Credits Suite”
The original 1998 Japanese horror mysteryRinguis a timeless classic, and the 2002 American version,The Ring,happens to be one of the few remakes that live up to their predecessor. In it, a journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape that seems to cause the death of anyone who sees it one week after the fact.
Viewers shouldn’t let its PG-13 rating fool them:The Ringis perhaps the most terrifying PG-13 filmever made. Hans Zimmer’s score for the movie is tremendously eerie and deeply haunting, no doubt playing a crucial part in how scary the overall film is.It’s a score that thrives on its atmospheric simplicity, appealing to viewers' most basic instinctswith understated instrumentation and a moody tone. Zimmer is a master of achieving wonders with very straightforward music, and this is one of the best testaments to that skill.
9’Green Card' (1990)
Standout Track: “Restless Elephants”
The French-Australian-American co-productionGreen Cardis one of thoseunderrated rom-coms that have sadly been forgottenover the years. Nevertheless, this film, about a man entering a marriage of convenience to stay in the U.S., sports a terrific pair of lead performances byGérard DepardieuandAndie MacDowell, as well as one of Hans Zimmer’s best ’90s scores.
The composer is no stranger to scoring comedies, with his work on films likeDriving Miss DaisyandThe Holidaybeing pretty well-known;Green Card, however, is easily one of his best works in the genre.The synth-heavy melodies enforce the film’s tone and themes beautifully, giving it a unique personality with sounds much different than one would expect to hear in a rom-com from this era. Not many people come out of a rom-com thinking of the score, but Zimmer’s work inGreen Cardmight just be the most memorable aspect of this sweet movie.
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8’Rush' (2013)
Standout Track: “Lost But Won”
Racing films can be some of the most exhilarating in the sports movie genre. ThoughRon Howardmostly tends to be a pretty divisive director, his 2011 sports dramaRushis one ofthe best racing moviesof the 21st century. It’s the true story of the rivalry that Formula One rivalsJames HuntandNiki Lauda(played impeccably byChris HemsworthandDaniel Brühl, respectively) shared during the 1970s.
Zimmer helps Howard build a thrilling atmosphere of excitement and high-octane speed. The score has lots of rock soundswith a rousing electric guitar taking center stage in accompaniment of a restless synth. The composer constantly finds new and creative instrumentations to expand his artistic voice, and the variety found inRush’s score proves it. Like the film itself,Rush’s score is thrilling, hectic, and at times overwhelming, flawlessly fitting the narrative.
7’Mission: Impossible II' (2000)
Standout Track: “Injection”
The scoring of theMission: Impossiblemovies has changed hands on numerous occasions over the years. FromDanny Elfman’s iconic work onBrian De Palma’s original toLorne Balfe’s outstanding music for the latest two installments, the franchise never fails to have killer tracks. Even though it tends to be considered the weakest movie in the series, with some going so far as to call ita so-bad-it’s-good kind of film,Mission: Impossible IIis no exception in the “amazing music” department.
The film’s score is imbued with Spanish influences, filling the romance at the core of the narrative with passion and flair. For the action scenes,Zimmer opts for much more purely suspenseful sounds than those found in Elfman’s more spy-sounding workon the first film. The powerful vocals of Australian musicianLisa Gerrard, who Zimmer worked with onGladiatorthat same year, are the cherry on top of a score that’s brimming with personality.
Mission: Impossible 2
6’Megamind' (2010)
It used to be one ofDreamWorks Animation’s most underrated efforts, but with its recent surge in newfound popularity, it seems thatMegamindhas finally found its niche. It’s the story of an evil genius who, after defeating his superhero nemesis, finds that he has accidentally left himself without purpose. Thus, he sets out to find a new goal, which may or may not result in catastrophe.
The film’s score, composed by Zimmer and Lorne Balfe,has an air of charm, innocence, and sensitivity that’s contrasted with the heavy rock-focused soundtrack. It makesMegamind’s more introspective scenes all the more touching, its emotional sequences all the more effective, and its explosive action scenes all the more exciting. Zimmer’s score is vital toMegamind’s narrative, complementing it in a way few other compositions usually do in their respective movies.
5’The Lone Ranger' (2013)
Standout Track: “Finale (William Tell Overture)”
It may not be one ofthe best Westerns of the past few years, butGore Verbinski’sThe Lone Ranger, based on the classic TV series of the ’40s and ’50s, sure does have one of the best Western scores in recent memory. It’s told from the perspective of Native American warrior Tonto, who recounts the untold tales of what transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a vigilante legend.
From the ominous strings of “Never Take Off the Mask” to Zimmer’s expansive rendition of the “William Tell Overture,“the composer creates some of the most powerful leitmotifs in his modern body of work. The typical Western sounds one can hear in pretty much every score in the genre are definitely there but twisted and expanded upon in a variety of riveting ways. Sadly,The Lone Rangeris a truly terrible movie, with two awful leads and a clumsy screenplay; Zimmer’s score is the only bright spot in this otherwise unpleasant experience.
The Lone Ranger
4’Black Rain' (1989)
Standout Track: “Charlie’s Badge”
One ofRidley Scott’s most underrated films,Black Rainis about two NYC cops who arrest a Yakuza member and must escort him when he’s extradited to Japan. What’s so special about the film, aside from Scott’s typical ’80s spark, is that it was Hans Zimmer’s first venture into the action genre. It’s a genre whose sound he came to singlehandedly re-define, so that alone is reason to consider this a groundbreaking piece of work.
The heavily digital sound ofBlack Rainworks its magic on a foundation of traditional Japanese music, with an undeniably ’80s-y sound that should be an absolute delight for those who likethe decade’s action films. Though Zimmer’s work on the score wasnotoriously plagued by issues, he evidently didn’t let those problems drag him down. The general themes inBlack Rainwould inform Zimmer’s future work in the action genre, making it a seminal work of art in his composing career.
Black Rain
3’Days of Thunder' (1990)
Standout Track: “Days of Thunder (Main Title)”
Directed byTop Gun’sTony Scott,Days of Thunderis a racing drama about a young hotshot stock car driver who gets a chance to compete at the top level.With the same air of careless excitementas Scott’s best-known work,Days of Thundermay not be an extraordinary sports movie masterpiece, but Tom Cruise’s charisma and the fun racing scenes are enough to make it a charming ’90s classic.
Full of adrenaline pumped by booming drums,Zimmer’s score forDays of Thunderis one of the most ’90s-sounding pieces of musicthat Hollywood cinema saw during this decade. That’s in no way a bad thing: the digital rhythms and rock sounds make thisone of the two-time Oscar winner’s most fun scores to listen to as a standalone composition. As any great score should, Zimmer’s work onDays of Thundermakes the narrative a hundred times more exciting, which is quite impossible to overstate.
Days of Thunder
2’Rango' (2011)
Standout Track: “Rango Suite”
Despite winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar,Rangois still one ofthe most underappreciated animated moviesnowadays. It’s an enchanting adventure Western about an ordinary chameleon named Rango, who accidentally ends up in a lawless Wild West outpost in desperate need of a new sheriff. What follows is a tale of corruption, bravery, and the endless search for identity.
Mixing Norteño influences, traditional Western sounds, and his typical action-adventure style,Zimmer’s score forRangooverflows with panache and personality. It’s singular and instantly memorable, quirky yet full of energy and strength. Exciting in the action sequences and meditative in the story’s more philosophical scenes of introspection, Zimmer’s music strikes a perfect balance between subtlety and explosive fun, much like the film itself.
1’Thelma & Louise' (1991)
Standout Track: “Thunderbird”
The quintessentialfilm about female rageand liberation,Thelma & Louisestars a magneticSusan SarandonandGeena Davis. This unique road trip story follows two best friends who set out on an adventure, which soon escalates after they commit a series of crimes. As they get chased by the police, the two friends must make tough choices. It’s among Ridley Scott’s best works and one of the most iconic movies of the ’90s.
The vibrant harmonica and gorgeous guitar riffs of the score giveThelma & Louiseits Western tone and charming personality. This inspired approach particularly shines in songs like “Going to Mexico” and “Thunderbird,” the latter of which is easily one of Zimmer’s best tracks. The composer proves his versatility in this really distinctive-sounding work, which is just as much fun to hear by itself as it is along with the film.
