There's an inumerable amount of reasons that make your favorite movie your favorite. Maybe your favorite actor is in it, maybe you like the script, maybe it just reminds you of home. But some movies are remembered for one thing only: its music. Some of these film scores are even more famous than the movies themselves.
5. "Jaws"
It's pretty common knowledge that any movie would be drastically different without its score. Nowhere in film history is this fact more prominent than in the Steven Spielberg classic "Jaws." While the film itself is quite good, what really makes the movie a classic is John Williams' accompanying score. The iconic opening scene of the woman swimming in the ocean would be nothing without the famously ominous two-note theme - a theme so popular, it has become synonymous with suspenseful situations (and shark attacks), even for people who haven't seen the film. You're singing the theme in your head right now, aren't you?
4. "The Lion King"
Honestly, you could substitute this one for pretty much any other Disney movie. It can't be denied, however, that Disney's "The Lion King" wears the popularity crown in the public's eye. As soon the sun begins to rise against the black screen and the solo vocalist starts the iconic Zulu phrase that people everywhere try to imitate (to no avail), you know you're in for something really special. And that's only the opening scene! There are still 1.5 hours of screen time filled with upbeat, catchy songs sure to get stuck in your head for days to come.
3. "Rocky"
When Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed and starred in his own film, he wasn't expecting it to be much. But, much like the titular character, this underdog of a movie was a sleeper hit in its time, boasting 10 Oscar nominations and three wins, including Best Picture, not to mention that it's my third favorite movie of all time. It's most well known for a montage in which the titular character, Rocky, trains for his big fight against Apollo Creed. The moment when he throws his hands in the air after climbing the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art just as the funky fanfare reaches its climax is truly a scene to remember.
2. "Chariots of Fire"
When making a list of famous movie themes, it's almost impossible not to mention this gem. This 1981 classic about two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Olympic games isn't known for its acting, directing or script, or the fact that it won best picture at the Oscars that year. For everyone but film nuts and sports junkies, this movie has one claim to fame: slow-motion running and the ever-popular theme song of the same name. Just like "Rocky," the theme from "Chariots of Fire" has become something of a cultural icon: It is used to express moments of great triumph, even for people who haven't seen the movie yet.
F.Y.I. the movie's really good. Go rent it if you have the chance!
1. "James Bond"
Nowadays, you can't have a good spy movie without a full jazz band and a swingin' theme. That's all thanks to Monty Norman's theme to the James Bond franchise. The theme was introduced in the movie "Dr. No," along with many other Bond staples, such as the gun barrel opening sequence. Many spy films have since tried to replicate Bond's success (I'm talking to you, "Mission Impossible"), but credit has to be given to the original.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what makes a movie your favorite. As long as that movie sticks out to you, that's all that matters!
