10 Best Original Score Oscar Wins That Are Indisputable

Movie music that has stood the test of time.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Academy Award for Best Original Score is the highest honor in film music, and some winners are absolutely indisputable. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Titanic, The Lion King, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, Jaws, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Doctor Zhivago, Ben-Hur, and Sunset Boulevard all feature scores that have become timeless works of art.

Why it matters

The Best Original Score Oscar recognizes the composers who have elevated films to another level through their music. These indisputable winners have created scores that have become just as iconic as the movies themselves, cementing their place in cinematic history.

The details

The article highlights 10 Best Original Score Oscar winners that are considered indisputable, including Howard Shore's work on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, James Horner's score for Titanic, Hans Zimmer's music for The Lion King, John Williams' compositions for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, and Jaws, Burt Bacharach's score for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Maurice Jarre's Doctor Zhivago, Miklós Rózsa's Ben-Hur, and Franz Waxman's Sunset Boulevard.

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring won the Best Original Score Oscar in 2001.
  • Titanic won the Best Original Dramatic Score Oscar in 1997.
  • The Lion King won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1994.
  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1983.
  • Star Wars won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1978.
  • Jaws won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1975.
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1969.
  • Doctor Zhivago won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1965.
  • Ben-Hur won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1959.
  • Sunset Boulevard won the Best Original Score Oscar in 1950.

The players

Howard Shore

The composer who created the musical soundscape for The Lord of the Rings franchise, winning Oscars for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King.

James Horner

The late composer who crafted the exhilarating and sweet score for the epic romance tragedy Titanic.

Hans Zimmer

The composer whose score for The Lion King accentuated the grandeur of the Disney classic.

John Williams

The legendary composer who created the iconic scores for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, and Jaws.

Burt Bacharach

The composer whose poppy, contemporary score for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid helped accentuate the film's anachronistic tone.

Maurice Jarre

The composer whose score for Doctor Zhivago borrowed from Russian composers like Tchaikovsky to create a rich, epic soundscape.

Miklós Rózsa

The composer whose bombastic score for Ben-Hur was as grand as the film's visuals.

Franz Waxman

The composer whose score for Sunset Boulevard captured the suspense and darkness of the noir classic.

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The takeaway

These indisputable Best Original Score Oscar winners have created timeless, iconic film music that has elevated the movies they accompany and cemented their place in cinematic history. Their scores have become just as memorable as the films themselves, proving the power of music to enhance the cinematic experience.