Movie Soundtracks Tier List
A soundtrack can make a mediocre scene unforgettable and a great scene better. Twelve of them, unranked, ranked on how much the music is doing rather than how often you have heard the main theme at a wedding. Nothing is pre-graded: tiles wait in Unranked until you drag or tap them into S–F. Rows rename in a click and the finished board exports as a PNG.
Interstellar
Blade Runner 2049
Star Wars
Jurassic Park
The Lion King
The Lord of the Rings
Gladiator
Pirates of the Caribbean
Inception
Guardians of the Galaxy
Tron: Legacy
Drive0 of 12 items ranked.
Board saved automatically in this browser. Original.
How this board is built: the 12 tiles are an editorial starting set, not an official roster and not a published ranking — every entry waits in Unranked until you place it. Item tiles are original pictograms or two-letter emblems drawn for this site rather than character artwork, film stills or club logos, so nothing here is licensed material reused from a rights holder. Tiers you set are your own judgement.
What's included in this Movie Soundtracks board
The board arrives with all 12 entries present as tiles and none of them assigned to a tier. That is deliberate: a template that opens with a finished ranking only invites you to agree or disagree with whoever made it, whereas an empty ladder makes you commit to an ordering of your own. Drag a tile onto a row, or on a phone tap the tile and then the tier you want. You can add rows for extra categories, rename the standard ones, and remove any entry you do not recognise — a list you can defend is more useful than a long one you cannot.
How to rank this Movie Soundtracks board
Rank scene function first: does the score carry a moment that would not work silently? That is the hardest job and the one most soundtracks fail. Then weigh standalone listening. A score that survives outside the film is doing something different from one that only works in context, and both are legitimate — but they are different criteria. Third, judge the main theme. A theme that can be hummed after one viewing is a craft achievement, not a cheap one. Finish by separating song-based soundtracks from orchestral scores. A compilation of needle drops is curated, not composed, and ranking them together without saying so confuses the comparison.
Using the board without over-thinking it
Most people finish a board like this in a couple of minutes and then reorder the middle rows for another ten. That middle is where the honest disagreement lives, so do not rush it: place the obvious top three and the obvious bottom three first, then work inward. If two entries still feel identical, that is a real observation — say so in a row note or a text tile rather than inventing a difference. When the ordering settles, export the PNG so the arrangement is saved somewhere permanent, and copy the share link if you want someone else to argue with it.
Ranking criteria used here
- how the score carries a scene
- whether it works without the film
- the main theme
Before you share it
Put your criterion in the board title, so a reader knows whether they are looking at a favourites list or an analytical one. If the subject changes with patches, seasons or releases, add the date. And remember the share link carries tier names, colours and the tile order — uploaded photos stay on your device, so export a PNG when those matter.
All 12 items in this template
Back to the boardInterstellarBlade Runner 2049Star WarsJurassic ParkThe Lion KingThe Lord of the RingsGladiatorPirates of the CaribbeanInceptionGuardians of the GalaxyTron: LegacyDriveMovie Soundtracks tier list FAQ
Are jukebox soundtracks allowed?
Yes, in their own row. A curated needle-drop soundtrack is a different skill from composition, and both can be excellent.
Should I rank by nostalgia?
You can, as long as you say so. Themes from childhood score higher for almost everyone, and pretending otherwise makes the list look objective when it is not.
