The Silver Screen Oasis

There have been many epic westerns that inspired luscious scores from their composers. I have always leaned towards the raucous, rousing type of score. For my money there is none better than Elmer Bernstein's dynamic score to 1960's The Magnificent Seven. That is my iconic western score. I hum it for days after seeing the movie. I will never forget the episode of Cheers when everyone is headed to Sam's for their traditional viewing of The Magnificent Seven and they start humming (singing?) the score one by one and it builds to a inspiring crescendo. Fabulous stuff.

Which Western scores stick in your head and memory?

All of John Ford films Western or not have great scores. But I like the scores for Fort Apache & My Darling Clementine. Elmer Bernstein was a master.

John Barry's "Dances With Wolves." Powerful main melody. Strong percussion during the buffalo hunt. Terrific opening with just the trumpet echoing the melody. Well deserved Oscar. It's the soundtrack I listen to most.

"The Magnificent Seven" is probably the most famous for those of a certain age because it was used in the Marlboro cigarette commercials.

My favorite is the score and song to The Searchers followed by those for Rio Grande, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Big Country, The Commancheros, The Magnificent Seven. Though I don't like the movies, I do think Enrico Morriconne's scores for the spaghetti westerns are beautiful.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)

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for me it's Red River, an epic score for an epic cattle drive.

have you ever noticed at Universal in particular used the same soundtrack in different films. i actually believe Audie Murphy had his own theme tune during his fight scenes. even music a huge film like Bend Of The River found its way in to part of Rock Hudson's The Lawless Breed and surprisingly in the Errol Flynn/Maureen O'Hara swashbuckler Against All Flags.

About best, or most memorable, I can't really say, without a lot more thought on the subject.
But I can point out one whose score, and theme, has really popped out for me in the last couple years, as I pass my 6th (7th maybe?) viewing of it: True Grit.
Yes, I know - it's Glen Campbell, but hey, come on, isn't it about time for ol' Glen to get "rediscovered"?
I mean, his voice really was indisputably rich & powerful, and for several decades he was considered to be one of the finest acoustic guitar players on the planet; the sad realities of his becoming multi-media passe' virtually overnight, and his long fall from artistic popularity, should have little relevence on his achievements.

klondike wrote: Yes, I know - it's Glen Campbell, but hey, come on, isn't it about time for ol' Glen to get "rediscovered"?

No.

Good choice John. I love the big brass, French horns and trombones, and the rolling strings through it.

A big picture that needed a big score.

Not the best western made (still a good one), but I like the whistling theme of The Proud Ones.

Even B

I love THE BIG COUNTRY theme, especially the scene where Charles Bickford rides out on his own to battle Burl Ives.
The music swells as Charlton Heston and the men start after him. Bickford doesn't turn round but smiles briefly.

I`d go with SHANE. That score seems to stay with me long afterwards each time I see that movie.

But also, definitely, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and Tex Ritter doin`HIGH NOON.