15 Best Synth Movie Scores From The 1980s

Summary

• 1980s movie scores were a mix of contemporary synth and experimentation.
• The best scores enhanced the aesthetic and impact of the movies.
• Synth soundtracks from the 1980s were the pinnacle of that era’s movie scores.

The 1980s were truly a fantastic time for movie scores as a contemporary synth style began to take hold and film composers experimented with new styles of music-making. While the synth-based style of so many 1980s classics can often date a movie to a particular time or place, this was also part of their charm and an enjoyable aspect of rewatching old movies. Although synth soundtracks have remained popular in recent releases, there was just something so infectiously 1980s about the greatest scores produced during this era.

The best scores of all time have something in common: They perfectly encapsulated the aesthetic of the movie they accompanied and added to the overall impact of the narrative. Although much of this music can be enjoyed on its own merits, its role as part of a larger creative project influences the viewers’ perception of the tracks as the composer created the work to be used in the film. Taking all these aspects into account, these synth soundtracks represented the very best of movie scores during the 1980s.

15 Videodrome (1987)

Composed by Howard Shore

Howard Shore’s synth-heavy score perfectly captured the dark and ominous nature of David Cronenberg’s body horror classicVideodrome. As the unnerving and hallucinatory feeling of its narrative was carried forward by the eerie nature of this score, the soundtrack for Videodrome was one of the most underappreciated synth scores of the 1980s, and it long remained out of print until it was finally reissued in 2022. This was the third score Shore had done for Cronenberg after previously making the music for The Brood and Scanners.

14 Legend (1985)

Composed by Tangerine Dream

The German electronic band Tangerine Dream was responsible for one of the greatest synth scores ever made, and one of their best achievements was for Ridley Scott’s epic fantasy adventure Legend. However, some viewers were not privy to the powerful atmospheric soundscapes of this score as Legend featured two soundtracks, one by Tangerine Dream for the US release and another, more orchestral-based one by Jerry Goldsmith for the European release. Sadly, European viewers missed out on a haunting and dark score that saw Tangerine Dream pushing their soundtracking skills into new, uncharted territory.

Tangerine Dream was formed in 1967, and the members have since made a name for themselves as notable movie soundtrack composers. While Tangerine Dream produced some of the greatest synth soundtracks of the 1980s, their accomplishments didn’t end there. They helped create the music for everything from
Grand Theft Auto 5
to recent releases like the theme tune for
Stranger Things
.

13 Ghostbusters (1984)

Composed by Elmer Bernstein

Of course, most viewers will be well aware of the iconic theme song from Ghostbuster, but this has overshadowed the excellent 1980s synth work by Elmer Bernstein heard throughout the film. Although Ghostbusters also featured pop artists like the Alessi Brothers and Air Supply, Bernstein offered an appropriately otherworldly, eerie feeling to his synth-heavy contributions. With a perfect balance between Ghostbusters’ comedic and serious tones, Bernstein utilized the ondes Martenot, an electronic keyboard-like instrument, to capture the ghostly atmosphere of his score.

12 The Lost Boys (1987)

Composed by Thomas Newman

Joel Schumacher captured the stylish rebellion of subcultures in the 1980s with the vampire classic The Lost Boys, and this eerie supernatural story was propped by an original score by Thomas Newman. Through a blend of orchestra and organ arrangements as well as synth contributions, Newman brought out the darker and more sinister aspects of this unique coming-of-age horror. Newman’s score, when paired with other musical contributions from Echo & the Bunnymen, Roger Daltrey, and INSX, made The Lost Boys soundtrack a true 1980s classic.

11 Thief (1981)

Composed by Tangerine Dream

Having already proved movie score composers of serious talent, Tangerine Dream returned for their second major movie score on the neo-noir crime film Thief. The contribution of Tangerine Dream was essential to the unique feeling of this Michael Mann film, and the soundtrack even charted in the UK album charts at the time of its release. This quintessentially 1980s score was packed with fast-paced synths, high-octane energy, and experimental ambient sounds.

10 Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Composed by Harold Faltermeyer

The German composer Harold Faltermeyer produced some of the best synth scores of the 1980s and was known for his work on movies like The Running Man and Top Gun. However, his greatest achievement came with Beverly Hills Cop in 1984, which boasted his biggest hit, “Alex F,” which reached number one around the world. As a catchy and memorable track, “Alex F” signaled the entire feel of the Beverly Hills Cop score, which was full of straight-up 1980s fun.

9 Manhunter (1986)

Composed by The Reds

Bruce Cohen and guitarist Rich Shaffer produced much of the music for Michael Mann’s Manhunter under the name The Reds. Their effective contributions were paired with songs by the likes of The Prime Movers, Shriekback, and Iron Butterfly to create a soundtrack that was paired perfectly with the intense thrills of this story based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. As the first movie to feature Dr. Hannibal Lecter, it was appropriate that the music in Manhunter was so intensely eerie.

8 Risky Business (1983)

Composed by Tangerine Dream

While the music in Tom Cruise’s Risky Business will forever be associated with Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll,” as the star famously mimed it in his underwear, the majority of the music featured was actually by Tangerine Dream. The German group’s synth style paired perfectly with the blues, rock, and pop music littered throughout the film to create a cohesive whole that felt totally of the 1980s. Risky Business had a classic score that will be well-known to lovers of synth-based soundtracks.

7 Akira (1988)

Composed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi

Through a combination of Indonesian gamelan music, Japanese noh, and synth, the score of Akira was a truly unique release that has been continually sampled by subsequent hip-hop and electronica artists. As a perfect representation of how a film score can contribute to the unique feeling of a film, the collective known as Geinoh Yamashirogumi captured the intense nature of this anime cult classic. With a memorable theme and some truly insane moments, the score for Akira can be fully enjoyed as incredible experimental music outside of the context of the film.

6 The Fog (1980)

Composed by John Carpenter

The legend of horror John Carpenter has famously composed many of his own film scores and produced iconic tracks such as the theme to Halloween. Carpenter’s incredible skill in creating the perfect atmosphere his movies required was also powerfully seen in his score for The Fog. With slow-building and unnerving tension, this ambient, electronic, and synth score ranked among the best music Carpenter ever made, as he used drone sounds to effectively capture the feeling of a town overtaken by a mysterious glowing fog.

5 Scarface (1983)

Composed by Giorgio Moroder

The Academy Award-winning Italian record producer Giorgio Moroder composed the iconic synth new wave score for the legendary Al Pacino gangster movie Scarface. Despite a request from Universal to release the film with rap music, director Brian De Palma was adamant he wanted to use Moroder’s now beloved score (via The Talks.) Coincidentally, Scarface has since become a celebrated film within hip-hop, and aspects of Moroder’s score have been sampled by artists such as Mobb Deep, Lil’ Wayne, and Rick Ross.

4 Escape from New York (1981)

Composed by John Carpenter

Unlike most notable film directors, John Carpenter often scored his movies himself and, throughout the 1980s, perfected an effective synth style that worked well with the dark horror and sci-fi stories he told. Carpenter’s score for Escape from New York was the pinnacle of his 1980s compositions as it blended eerie repetitive keyboards with often over-the-top Broadway-influenced sensibilities. Escape from New York had an incredible score and deserves to be remembered among the best soundtracks of the 1980s.

3 The Terminator (1984)

Composed by Brad Fiedel

Everything about James Cameron’s dystopian sci-fi classic The Terminator just screamed the 1980s, and its incredible synth score by Brad Fiedel was no different. The perfect blend of cheesy 80s sounds and unnerving impending apocalyptic doom, the music in The Terminator played a crucial role in its now iconic status as one of the best movies of the 1980s. As a powerful representation of a mechanical man and his electronic heartbeat, the soundtrack of The Terminator was the perfect musical companion for the unstoppable killing machine depicted on screen by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

2 Chariots Of Fire (1981)

Composed by Vangelis

The British sports drama Chariots of Fire was not only a hugely successful Best Picture winner, but its score’s composer, Vangelis, also took home the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the film. With the now iconic theme tune “Titles,” Vangelis immediately set the tone for the movie as its grand epic synth-based orchestration signaled the unstoppable determination of young athletes. The music in Chariots of Fire has been endlessly parodied in subsequent media for a reason; it just captured its feeling perfectly and signaled the beginning of a new age for film scores.

1 Blade Runner (1982)

Composed by Vangelis

No other 1980s synth score better captured its movie’s look and feel than Vangelis’s work on Blade Runner. With a futuristic synth style, the score for Blade Runner was an extraordinary blend of dark melodic sounds and futuristic synthesizers that truly encapsulated the retro-future landscape of the world depicted by Ridley Scott. The score for Blade Runner felt both otherworldly and endlessly listenable and ranked among the greatest movie scores of all time, as its influence over subsequent sci-fi scores can still be felt strongly to this day.