Star Wars: Main Title

Billboard Top Movie Hits of the ‘70s

London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Williams

John Williams, who’s nominated again this year for Best Original Score, won the Oscar in 1977 —and three Grammys--for this blockbuster

The Ruling/Graduation

Patch Adams (OS)

Orchestra conducted by Pete Anthony

Marc Shaiman, nominated this year with Trey Parker, was nominated in 1998 for this movie’s Best Original Score, Musical or Comedy

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

Armageddon (OS)

Aerosmith

Written by Diane Warren, nominated for Best Song in 1999. Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer won for "when You Believe" from Prince of Egypt, which also won Best Score for a Musical or Comedy that year.

Political Science

Sail Away

Randy Newman

This song from 1969 is the polar opposite of the cheerful tunes Newman has been turning out for Toy Story and Toy Story 2, but best illustrates his sensibility. He’s part of the musical Newman family which includes cousin Thomas (nominated for Best Score this year for American Beauty) and uncle Alfred, who wrote a bunch of Oscar nominated and winning scores.
Newman has been nominated for 13 music Oscars and has yet to win one.

The Beginning of the Partnership

Shakespeare in Love (OS)

Orchestra conducted by Nick Ingman

Stephen Warbeck, composer. The film also won Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwenyth Paltrow), and Best Supporting Actress (Dame Judi Dench)

Plenty of Fish & Chips in Heaven

Angela’s Ashes (OS)

Orchestra conducted by John Williams; narration by Andrew Bennett

John Williams is the most nominated living person, with 38 previous nominations. He’s won for Schindler’s List, E.T., Star Wars, Jaws, etc., and has composed all but one of Steven Spielberg’s feature films

Homer Returns to the Orphanage

The Cider House Rules (OS)

Orchestra conducted by David Snell

Rachel Portman, composer. Also wrote music for Beloved (’98), Marvin’s Room (’96), and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (’95)

Etudes; Death of Kaspar

The Red Violin (OS)

Joshua Bell, solo violin; Philarmonia Orchestra, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen

Composer John Corigliano. Previously nominated, in 1980, for the score to Altered States, the William Hurt isolation tank movie

Mischief

The Talented Mr. Ripley (OS)

Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz

Composer Gabriel Yared, who also wrote music for this year’s The Next Best Thing, City of Angels (’98), Vincent & Theo (’90), and Michael Keaton’s Clean and Sober (’88).

Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch

Titanic and Other Film Scores of James Horner

Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by John Debney

Horner won best dramatic score and best song (the ubiquitous "My Heart Will Go On") for this film in 1998. He was nominated in 1996 for both Apollo 13 and Braveheart.

I’ll Be Back

The English Patient (OS)

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Harry Rabinowitz

Composer Gabriel Yared, up for Best Original Score this year, won in 1997 for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score

Il Postino–Theme/The Bicycle

Cinema Century 2000

City of Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Nic Raine

Composer Luis Enriquez Bacalov won in 1996 for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score. Il Postino (The Postman) is not to be confused with the subsequent Kevin Costner turkey of the same name

Under the Sea

The Little Mermaid (OS)

Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian, the Crab)

Howard Ashman (lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) won for best song in 1990 and Menken won best score as well. Menken is tied with Edith Head for third most Oscars won (8)–including both song and score for the Disney films: Beauty & The Beast (’91), Aladdin (’92) and Pocahontas (’95).