The art of the film score is perhaps one of the most appreciated and yet underappreciated aspects of filmmaking at the same time. Sure, everyone can hum the tunes to Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, but how many people can say what it takes to create such a piece of music so perfect for the screen? Well, nerds like us are the ones who can answer that, and today, we figured it’d be nice to put the spotlight on one of the most talented film composers working today (no hyperbole): Michael Giacchino.

A lot of his early credits as a composer date back to video game work in the '90s to early-2000s. Once he got into the film industry, with help from the likes of Pixar, J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves, Giacchino’s career started to skyrocket into stardom. Well, stardom in regards to film composers, since your average movie-goer is lucky to remember one film composer's name, let alone several. In our eyes, though, it’s time to shine a light on the star of Michael Giacchino’s star by going through some of our favorite film scores of his. You may be wondering how we are able to limit ourselves for this list. Well, imagine picking your favorite children -- it’s hard, isn’t it? Thus why our list is extensive, yet it still doesn’t come close to covering the incredible range of his career. So, time to stop lollygagging and get to our first choice, which also happens to be the film score that started it all for Mr. Giacchino...

1. The Incredibles (2004)

Even just thinking of the title sequence for this one gives you goosebumps. The Incredibles has become a genuinely iconic score and for good reason. The energy, the excitement, and, most importantly, the jazz! Giacchino has a reputation for always borrowing brilliantly from elements of the source material and/or time period, and in this case, he worked in Brad Bird’s inspirations from the James Bond movies all over this score, and you can tell. Of course, there are plenty moments of heart and a heavy emphasis on nostalgia. Still, if The Incredibles music can do one thing, it’ll get you pumped up and ready for action! (Stream on Disney+)

2. Star Trek (2009)

Gone are we from the "capes or no capes" of Earth and onto where no man has gone before in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek. This film has J.J. Abrams’s fingerprints all over it, not the least of which is his smart decision to hire Giacchino as the composer. Here, you can tell how much love he has for not just the original "Star Trek" series, but also for the other sci-fi franchise that acted as a huge point of refence, and, funny enough, that’s Star Wars! A lot of people like to call this a "Star Trek" movie for Star Wars fans, and hey, if it leads to music as good as this, we ain’t complaining. (Stream on Paramount+)

3. Up (2009)

You know we had to cover this one. Up, the beloved Pixar film, is the movie that won Michael Giacchino his Oscar and, well, I think you know why. Even outside of the “Married Life” montage, Giacchino’s Up score is full of so much life and vibrance, perfectly setting the tone for this grand adventure with Carl Fredrickson and Russell. If you haven’t already heard the score over the many TikTok videos that use the theme as its backdrop, it sounds like you might be due for a rewatch of this Pixar classic. (Stream on Disney+)

4. Ratatouille (2007)

Yeah, why not, let’s stay with Pixar for a while, shifting gears from films directed by Pete Docter (the current Chief Creative Officer of the company) back to Brad Bird. Ratatouille was the first film to earn Michael Giacchino an Oscar nomination for music and oh man, did he earn it. You can just feel the soul in this music, capturing the atmosphere of Paris and the ambience of quiet moments so beautifully. Oh, and then it manages to pull off completely natural shifts to some energetic zaniness when you remember this movie is about a rat that can cook. Well, let’s not judge a book by its cover, because, as the film taught us, anyone can cook, and so did Giacchnio with this music. (Stream on Disney+)

5. The Batman (2022)

From the streets and vistas of Paris to the crime and gothic aesthetic of Gotham in The Batman. By the time this film came out, there had already been several noted themes for the Caped Crusader, coming from talents like Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer. With that in mind, audiences weren’t in need of a new Batman theme to hum, despite Giacchino’s long history of scoring for costumed characters. However, fans quickly realized this may have been unnecessary when a screen test with Robert Pattinson in the suit debuted with Giacchino’s theme a whole two years before the film came out. What followed with The Batman’s release was massive praise for his music that encapsulated the noir elements of this Batman and so much more. This score, like the other Batman movies, was sadly ignored by the Oscars, but it lives in our hearts and minds as Batman would likely pummel and break if we broke any crimes. Stay safe out there, kids! (Stream on Max)

6. Jurassic World (2015)

Welcome to Jurassic... World!? It sounds so off to not say “welcome to Jurassic Park,” though this reboot was the inevitable evolution of the popular dino-filled franchise. Even if this was not the first Jurassic sequel to not have John Williams in the composer’s chair, the T-Rex-sized shoes to fill in the music department was no joke. Hence why it was considered a miraculous achievement for Giacchino to execute said task as well as he did. Incorporating the original Williams themes so naturally, Giacchino also managed to impress by adding a new sense of whimsy and wonder to the auditory Jurassic catalogue. Does this sense of whimsy and wonder come when the dinosaurs are munching on people like they’re at a theme park buffet? Well, to each their own, but nobody can deny how strong the music is in Jurassic World. (Stream on Max and Peacock)

7. Inside Out (2015)

Same year? How about literally a week apart? Yeah, we weren’t kidding when we said Giacchino was one of the most popular composers in the industry, because there have been many times when you would have weekends of blockbuster movies all scored by Michael Giacchino. Enter this case with that little known Pixar movie called Inside Out. You might have heard of it after all the records the sequel broke this Summer. In case you haven’t, you’re missing out on one of Pixar’s best entries in an era where audiences had thought they lost their touch. Once you hear those notes on the piano to Riley skating, though, tissue sales are bound to skyrocket. Not in the mood for crying? Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of moments to get the Joy in your head dancing as Giacchino captures the fun that comes from wandering around your literal imagination. Just don’t leave those tissues on standby for too long. Need we say more? (Stream on Disney+)

8. Jojo Rabbit (2019)

This is quite the transition. From one kid playing make believe with their emotions and imaginary friends due to a stressful situation to… one kid playing make believe with their emotions and imaginary friends due to a stressful situation. Who knew that Jojo Rabbit, the film that contains an imaginary Adolf Hitler, would be so similar to a Pixar movie?! Well, Taika Waititi did cite Giacchino’s work in Up as one of the reasons he sought Giacchino out for the composer of this film. Can you blame him? We certainly wouldn’t when you listen to the loving notes of Jojo’s boastful march and Rosie’s melancholy nocturne. Like a lot of his work, hearing certain pieces instantly triggers the memory of the visuals, which just goes to show how talented Giacchino is when a lot of those visuals might not be pleasant... If you’ve seen the film, you know what scene I’m talking about. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Spoiler Warning for those who might want to just scroll past this scene and onto the next one... (Available on VOD/Digital)

9. Zootopia (2016)

Another animated entry in Giacchino’s catalogue, although this one is odd as people tend to forget he did the music for this movie. Zootopia marks one of the sole cases of Giacchino moving from Pixar to Disney Animation, which shouldn’t feel too hard. Still, these are different studios, and thankfully, Giacchino has his signature touch all over the film’s music with moments that are just as touching as they are fun. This would also be a good movie to mention Giacchino’s legendary trend of giving the best pun-fulled titles for the songs in the soundtrack. “Hopp Goes (After) the Weasel”, “The Nick of Time”, and “Ewe Fell for it” are just some of the deliciously titled tracks that you should definitely give a listen to, it’s worth your while. (Stream on Disney+)

10. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Our second-to-last entry on the list is yet another superhero in tights, and this one goes by the name of Spider-Man. Giacchino had already done some incredible work with Marvel Studios prior to this film, scoring Doctor Strange, creating the iconic fanfare, and the previous two Spidey films in the MCU -- not a lot of pressure was riding on his shoulders for this entry. Okay, that’s a lie, it’s Spider-Man: No Way Home! The movie that almost never was that then became the culmination of not just Spider-Man in this Home Trilogy, it simultaneously became a celebration of every live-action Spider-Man film onscreen. Oh, the secrets Giacchino must have needed to keep for months, knowing he was going to be using the original themes from Sam Raimi’s and Marc Webb’s films. Well, it’s safe to say that he managed to pull off yet another impossible mission (oh, Giacchino also scored two of those movies, btw) by reimagining those Spidey themes while creating some powerful music outside of that. No Way Home is already an emotional movie, and when you add on Giacchino’s themes as he portrays the bittersweet journey that Peter Parker goes through in this movie… yeah, we’re gonna say it: it’s amazing! (Available on VOD/Digital)

11. Coco (2017)

Last but absolutely not least, we would be remised if this list didn’t include Coco. A lot of the praise with regards to the music of this movie deservedly go to the duo of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who won the Oscar for “Remember Me”. All of that can make it easy to forget that, oh yeah, Michael Giacchino did the score and, oh yeah, it’s just as excellent. Something about the guitar melodies in this movie just give you goosebumps no matter how many times you watch or listen to it. Oh, and the trumpets too! Both are featured beautifully in the scene where Miguel crosses the Marigold Bridge, so let’s stop talking about it and just watch it at this point — we’ve all earned it! (Stream on Disney+ and Hulu)

We didn’t even have the time to mention Michael Giacchino’s outstanding directorial efforts with the Marvel Halloween Special "Werewolf by Night" and his already awesome theme for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and that hasn’t even come out yet. Regardless, we love you, Michael Giacchino, and if any of you out there have more scores you like, then sound them off!