Without sound, the movie magic we all know and love would hardly be magical at all. The classics that we call our favorites probably wouldn’t pack nearly as much of a punch without all of the sound that accompanies them. Although all films in the early stages of the art form were silent, they still had music to fill the space and set the mood. Some films are famous for their soundtracks, riddled with lyrical, catchy gems belted by some of the most famed voices of their time. The films we’re focusing on here, though, are famous for their scores: those often-instrumental collections of music created specifically to match the vision of a particular movie. Here are our five of our faves!

1. Interstellar (2014) 

With scores like this one, it’s no wonder Hans Zimmer has 12 Academy Awards. For Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic, Zimmer crafted a behemoth of a score fit to stretch all of the film’s nearly 3-hour runtime. The score feels like the great beyond, a collection of tracks that convey the vastness of the universe with the intensity of being completely at its will. The music travels through the film like some kind of higher life form, with a delicate kind of elevated volume that makes it unforgettable. No wonder it's one of the most-played movie scores of all time on Spotify. (Stream on Paramount+)

2. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

The score to Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice is one of those timeless beauties we rarely receive from Hollywood. An entirely collaborative effort, the film’s score was composed by Dario Marianelli but performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano) and the English Chamber Orchestra. Classic and exquisite, this film’s score sounds almost like the characters in Jane Austen’s early 19th-century world of high class and low morals. This makes sense, because several songs in the film’s score are actually performed by the characters themselves. An array of classical music for the ages, it's a wonder that music as beautiful as this was made anywhere near modern day. (Stream on Starz)

3. Jurassic Park (1993)

Of all the famous scores John Williams ever composed (and there are A LOT), Jurassic Park just hits different. The main theme of the film could be picked out of a lineup by movie-lovers of almost any age, an organic chorus of natural and scientific wonder. Among the counterparts of its era, Jurassic Park’s near-perfect score resonates even today as the quintessential action film score, with just the right amount of high-stakes intensity and whimsical beauty. Nothing could be more fit for a film that tackles the frighteningly persistent circle of life. (Stream on Max)

4. Babylon (2022)

Sex! Drugs! Stardom! Damien Chazelle’s criminally underrated Babylon is an Old Hollywood epic that’s expansive in every sense, from its behemoth of an ensemble cast and its many swirling plotlines to its brilliant score. What’s so good about Justin Hurwitz’s score is that it’s true to the film it’s paired with, and true to the time period it represents. A thunderstorm of percussive rumbling and well-timed horns, it serves as the one thing that brings together the all-over-the-place-ness of the film, a beautiful concoction true to the Roaring ‘20s that roars to its own tune. (Stream on MGM+)

5. Kajillionaire (2020)

This under-the-radar film is one you may not have heard of: a heartfelt indie whose premise is almost as strange as its soundtrack is excellent. Miranda July’s newest film tells the story of an odd girl in an odd family who ventures off on her own, discovering the world and all of its unfamiliarity. Emile Mosseri’s score, though, is the true star of the show. It’s a sound that’s hard to articulate, because the feeling it captures is hard to understand. It’s a lilting, gentle chorus full of aimless curiosity with everything it touches, almost like the composed version of a live audience that oohs and ahhs at every turn. It contains equal parts sadness and revelation and lust, a true feat of covering the spectrum of human experience and feeling. And, a fun fact, Miranda July is such a director that she insisted on being in the room with Mosseri while he composed. So, perhaps we have them both to thank! (Stream on Peacock)