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The Greatest Original Film Scores

An Illustrated History of the Music of Movies

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By Thierry Jousse

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On Sale
Nov 3, 2026
Page Count
288 pages
Publisher
Running Press Adult
ISBN-13
9798894143620

This definitive guide to movie music, from 1930s composers to 2020s legends like John Williams and Danny Elfman, goes behind-the-scenes of more than 400 iconic global film scores, complete with a stunning collection of photos and little-known histories on composers, filmmakers, and the making of the films we love.

Movies as we know and love them are not complete without their essential film scores, be it a classic Bond theme, a suspense-building horror backdrop, or a downright epic introduction to a fantastical world. The Greatest Original Film Scores is an illustrated guide to the history of movie music, featuring insightful detail on the evolution of musical styles, candid photos from on-set and recording studios, suggested playlists from early 1930s Hollywood through contemporary blockbusters, and much more.

Delve into the backgrounds of individual composers and their greatest works, from the tone-setting Max Steiner to era-defining Quincy Jones to contemporary legends like Alexandre Desplat and Joe Hisaish. Discover the vast global catalogue of film scores from the Golden Age of French Cinema and the music accompanying the revolutionary works from Wong Kar-wai and Pedro Almodóvar. Learn how the relationships between composer and directors creative duos, like Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock, Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone, John Williams and Steven Spielberg, and Tim Burton and Danny Elfman, resulted in musical and cinematic masterpieces.

Illustrated by more than 400 photos, The Greatest Original Film Scores is the ultimate guide to the music and movies which remain with us long after the screen fades to black.

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Formats and Prices

Price

$45.00

Price

$58.00 CAD

Format

Hardcover

Format:

Hardcover $45.00 $58.00 CAD

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Thierry Jousse

About the Author

Thierry Jousse grew up near Nantes in the 1960s. In 1988, he began writing for Cahiers du Cinéma, the magazine where he would become editor‑in‑chief in 1991. He left to begin directing short films before moving on to feature filmmaking and composing. After directing his first feature film, he joined France Musique, where he produced and hosted several programs, including Easy Tempo with Laurent Valero, Cinéma Song, Ciné Tempo, and Retour de plage. Over the years, he has published several books on cinema, including monographs on John Cassavetes, David Lynch, and Wong Kar‑wai, as well as a collection of essays (Pendant les Travaux, le Cinéma reste ouvert). He is a regular contributor to ARTE’s Blow Up, creating “carte blanche” segments on music in film. Since September 2022, he has hosted a weekly film club at the Nouvel Odéon in Paris.

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