• Classic FM presenter Jonathan Ross revealed the nation’s Number One film score on Classic FM before 7pm this evening
  • John Williams’ Schindler’s List, Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator and John Barry’s Out of Africa all make the top five
  • John Powell’s How to Train Your Dragon breaks into the top 10 for the first time, as Max Richter debuts with Hamnet and Mary Queen of Scots

Howard Shore’s iconic score to The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been voted as the nation’s favourite film score, topping the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame poll for the fourth year running.

Today (Monday 31 August), Classic FM devoted an entire day of programming to counting down the nation’s 100 favourite film scores, taking listeners through cinema’s most influential, unforgettable and epic pieces of music.

Ranging from sci-fi classics like John Williams’ Star Wars to Ennio Morricone’s iconic score for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with its coyote calls, whistling and gunfire, more than 7,000 votes were cast by Classic FM listeners in this year’s poll.

Twenty-five years since the release of the first film in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, The Lord of the Rings has enjoyed worldwide success and recognition, becoming one of the highest-grossing film series of all time. With a new film in the franchise due for release next year, listeners have shared their excitement for the next chapter in the story by placing Howard Shore’s incredible score at Number One in the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame chart – and in the same year the composer Howard Shore celebrates his 80th birthday!

“I’m very honoured to learn that The Lord of the Rings score has been voted favourite by the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame audience for a fourth year. I’m grateful to the many musicians, soloists, and singers who performed this music, which has continued to resonate with listeners for all of this time. I remain very proud of the work and its success, and I’m so happy I was given the opportunity to express J.R.R. Tolkien’s world through music.”
Howard Shore reacting to the news

In an exciting year for cinema, first-time entries in the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame include new releases like Daniel Pemberton’s Project Hail Mary in 82nd place and Ludwig Göransson’s acclaimed score to The Odyssey, coming in at 95. Max Richter also makes his debut in the chart this year, with 2018’s Mary Queen of Scots placing at number 92 and his Oscar-nominated score for Hamnet in 28th place – the highest-ranked new entry in the 2026 chart.

In this year’s poll, nostalgia amongst Classic FM listeners was notable, with their movie music tastes defined by the blockbuster-rich decades of the 1990s and 2000s. The scores of these films make up 45% of the top 100, including John Williams’ Saving Private Ryan, Michael Kamen’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Michael Nyman’s The Piano, and James Horner’s Titanic.

Other headlines from the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame include:

  • John Williams places in second with his evocative score to Schindler’s List.
  • John Barry’s Out of Africa comes in third place, an all-time high in the chart for the composer’s 1985 score.
  • Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator and John Williams’ Jurassic Park rank in the top five for 2026.
  • John Powell’s How to Train Your Dragon breaks into the top 10 for the first time, moving up nine places from 19th in last year’s chart.
  • Also making the top 10 this year is Classic FM’s Composer-in-Residence Debbie Wiseman (Wilde), alongside John Barry with his second entry in the top 10 (Dances with Wolves), and Ennio Morricone (The Mission).
  • John Williams and Hans Zimmer are the nation’s joint-favourite film music composers with 11 entries each, including Star Wars, Interstellar, and Jaws.
  • The highest climber is Rachel Portman’s Chocolat, coming in at 47th place, up 40 places from 87th place last year.

“Howard Shore’s music for The Lord of the Rings has become the gold standard for film scores – its epic, emotional, and instantly transporting, placing you right inside the story of Middle-earth. It captures the scale, drama and heart of Tolkien’s world so completely that it’s no wonder Classic FM listeners have once again voted it their number one movie score of all time.

Fittingly, 25 years after the first film’s release, Howard Shore’s work still sounds as fresh and as captivating as ever as he approaches his 80th birthday!”

Jonathan Ross, presenter of the twice-weekly film-music programme Classic FM at the Movies

Classic FM is available across the UK on Global Player, 100-102 FM, DAB digital radio and TV, and ClassicFM.com.