How do you rank Howard Shore's Middle Earth soundtracks?

[F Horn of Valere]

Anyone have a strong preference?

 

I have not (yet) really taken a look at Hobbit II, but excluding that one, I rank the overall soundtracks as follows:

1. LotR 1
2. Hobbit 1
3. LotR 3
4. LotR 2

As for as individual tracks: (#1 and #2 often switch places. #1-#4 are even more interchangeable if I am currently listening to one of them.)

1. Kazhad Dhum (Fellowship, Track 13. The main fellowship theme, but fast)
2. Song of the Lonely Mountain (Hobbit I end credits Track 12-- a different arrangement of Misty Mountains, track 6)
   2B -- a subset of 2 would be Misty Mountains. The only problem is it is so darn quiet, I have to turn it up to hear it. My favorite part of this (and #8) is that Tolkien himself wrote the lyrics.
3. The White Tree (Return of the King, Track 4. The scene where the signal fires are lit)
4. Minas Tirith (Return of the King, Track 3. Mainly when you get to the actual Minas Tirith theme.)
5. The Ring Goes South (Fellowship, Track 11, mainly halfway through during the scene when the fellowship goes through a green mountain pass. The music adds to genius camera work in the first scene without bad green screen (hello, Council of Elrond ending) that features the entire fellowship. I love how the music builds up in anticipation.)
6. Riders of Rohan (Two Towers, Track 3, mainly when you get to the actual Rohan theme.)
7. Into the West (Return of the King credits Track 19-- coolest Horn part in a vocal song, ever.)
8. Blunt the Knives (Hobbit I, Track 4 - when the dwarves clean up.)
9. Concerning Hobbits (Fellowship, Track 2. The bouncy flute solo when you first see Frodo. This theme later often transitions into the fellowship theme.
10. May it Be (Fellowship, Track 18, credits)

I like a lot of other musical moments, but this top 10 stands out clearly ahead of the other tracks.

[Nyanna al'Meara]

Ooo oo oo fun! Good thing I'm at home atm, I need to listen to all three again (we dont have the Hobbit yet....I think) and shall be back!!!! :D

[BridMorgan]

I haven't listened to them in forever.  I used to listen to them while I studied for exams in college.  I would have to listen to them again, which isn't a bad idea.  I do not have the hobbit though.

[Jeannaisais]

I agree with ranking LotR 1 as the top one, since the others just seemed to recycle most of what was in there.

 

Great soundtracks though!

[F Horn of Valere]

Well, you definitely are missing out if you don't have the Hobbit soundtrack! Though if you want to save money on just the best ones, rather than the continued "same ole" filler tracks, you could probably buy half of the individual tracks. The only annoying part is that that the dwarf theme (melody in Misty Mountains and Song of the Lonely Mountain) is never instrumentally in its own track, but rather a point when another track morphs into it.

[Direwolf Jon]

I don't like when they do that with songs, it kind of diminishes the greatness of the song by itself and it seems like it is forced together as part of another song.

[Nyanna al'Meara]

YAAAAHHH!!!! My littlest bro has the Hobbit soundtrack, 'pparently he got it for his bday!!! *dashes off to listen*

[The Bard Babe]

Well, you definitely are missing out if you don't have the Hobbit soundtrack! Though if you want to save money on just the best ones, rather than the continued "same ole" filler tracks, you could probably buy half of the individual tracks. The only annoying part is that that the dwarf theme (melody in Misty Mountains and Song of the Lonely Mountain) is never instrumentally in its own track, but rather a point when another track morphs into it.

 

 

I quite enjoy when it does that from a storytelling point of view, but I completely get the annoyingness of wanting to just find and listen to that theme in the Hobbit XD

 

It's in Axe and Sword, isn't it? Or An Adventure Begins...Around there somewhere, anyway... And then you get to OVER HILL!!! Man that piece is absolutely the best!!!! It has that tiny bit of Misty Mountains at the start and then it has all those other little themes, and then it gets massive and the Misty Mountains theme comes in and it's massive and amazing!!!

 

Over Hill would have to be my favourite in that film, closely followed by the actual Misty Mountains theme and then Radagast the Brown. I love the first few tracks though, that they start off so familiar and then get stranger as the new elements are added in. It's ingenious. I love it.

 

Mmm, I listened to the Hobbit 1 soundtrack before I saw the film, so the way that theme was threaded through the soundtrack was soooo amazing to listen to. I looooved Radagast's theme, the sound was so different and quirky and perfect for the character, I love it. I love that the Hobbit uses the In Dreams theme for Bilbo moments, it's so lovely.

 

As I said, that's one of the things I love most about the soundtracks, that the different characters have their little lietmotify things, which turn up everywhere. I think the best job of that was in the first LotR theme, particularly with the Gondor theme? That horn solo, Horn, you'll know the one I mean XD

 

And the Council of Elrond is where that's potentially at its most awesome for me...myyyyy God I love that piece.

 

The Breaking of the Fellowship is so utterly heartbreaking, getting all those little themes and pulling them apart...that's potentially my favourite.

 

Also, my favourite variation on the Concerning Hobbits theme is in, gah, what's it called...The Black Rider? The Hobbit theme is so fast and energetic and then it gets more rushed and dangerous, and becomes the black rider theme, it's amaaaaaazing.

 

As for the sung songs...oooh, that's hard...

 

I used to absolutely love Into the West, but nowadays, I think I'd have to go Gollum's Song/Pippin's Song tied at the top, I can't decide between them, particularly after the info in the appendices regarding Billy Boyd's performance of his song on set.

 

Then Misty Mountains.

 

Then May It Be, Into the West and Song of the Lonely Mountain, in no particular order.

 

As for the whole soundtracks (also haven't got Hobbit 2 yet)

 

1. LotR 1

2. LotR 3

3. Hobbit 1

4. LotR 2

 

...I think...   XD

 

As for individual songs...The Breaking of the Fellowship, The Council of Elrond, Return of the King, Gollum's Song, The Fellowship Reunited, Forth Eolingas, Riiiiders of Rohan, Fields of Pelennor, Treebeard, Houses of Healing..., The Ride of the Rohirrim...GREEN DRAGON!!!

 

Anything with that boy soprano.

 

In that order. I think. Ish. *nodnod*

 

*leaves the LotR/Hobbit music thread alone*

[F Horn of Valere]

BB, sounds like we have a lot of taste. I agree-- the tracks where the theme peeks through--- those are just perfect for the movie. I just find them annoying when trying specifically to just find the theme on my own!

 

What did you think about the Song of the Lonely Mountain in the credits? I honestly didn't like it as much until I'd listened to it a few times.

[The Bard Babe]

Much the same, I enjoyed it the first time but sort of forgot about it immediately afterwards, but after a few listens I started enjoying it a lot more. It's a grower, that one.

 

Wowww, I really wanna watch LotR and just rave about the themes as it goes to someone who's interested. XD

[The Bard Babe]

Checking out your list, I whole-heartedly agree with The White Tree and Kazhad Dhum. Those are both amazing pieces. They're both really epic tracks, I mean, the whole soundtrack is pretty epic, but they're pretty large scale.

[BridMorgan]

BB, sounds like we have a lot of taste

Well Horn, that would be due to your Gustatory cells, that are clustered around you taste buds Most of your taste buds are found on your tongue papilla. Fun fact, cats can't taste sweet.

[Nyanna al'Meara]

I HAVE PROPER INTERNETS AGAIN

 

 

And I had a whole big thing written up on Word but can't find it anymore..... ah, it was way too blathery anyway. Let's hope this will be more on topic XD
 

I really enjoy how in the Hobbit, they've re-used so many LotR tunes to make up the base of a lot of the scores - apart from the new Hobbit/Dwarf themes, ofcourse, but anyway, played them slower. It makes everything sounds so familiar and feels like a ...welcome back to Middle Earth kinda thing. *has feels* XD
Example, An Ancient Enemy, The Hidden Valley, Over Hill (ESPECIALLY that one, it has so many Lotr tunes in it!!! and the Misty Mountains theme, and  aaaaaaaaahh medleeyyyyy of gorgeousness!!) etc. *shivvvvver*

 

Oh, and all the short stringy bits that suit Bilbo's inquisitive nature so well XD looove how when he does his funny faces and sneaks round with his big feetses and there's these short busts of fast pace strings to go with. Suits his Burglar status so much! And in The Adventure Begins..... baahahhahahaa. Agreed, Radagast The Brown is epic (best thing about that is though, the flashback it gives me to when we went to see the Hobbit and my littlest brother was convulsing in his seat crying for air from laughing so much at Radagast's driving antics).
Back on topic-ish.

 

I like the second half of the Hobbit Songs best though - my bro has two CDs which they're divided up on - the 2nd has Hidden Valley and onwards, olus 4 extended extra tracks, you guys know them? A Very Respectable Hobbit, Erebor, The Dwarf Lords, The Edge Of The Wild? Ha, FIDDLES!!!!! Gaaah, so much awesomeness in how they put in fiddley and irish-y tunes. And can I say,  AT ONE POINT THERE WERE BAGPIPES. Suits the Dwarves sooo much.... not sure why, maybe cos there's a bunch of Irish and Scottish actors amongst them ;p
Ooo, and one that stuck out too is the ...hmm, not sure how to describe it - the fanfare thing starting at 00:16 in Under Hill? XD I love it

And I like how they put in the "hey hey yah yah" kinda chant in the back of the credits song and the sound of plates breaking :p

My favourites from dis movie are prolly Dreaming of Bag End, and the aforementioned extended tracks. Probably. Maybe. Not picking any out
 

Dammit, I should never have started participating in this cos I can't just.......... I hate ranking things, don't want to do anything injustice XD (...get a grip Nya, they're incorporeal things)
 

...*clears throat*
 *sighs*

 

 

 

1. RotK & TTT
2. Hobbit 1
3. FotR

 

I tried, but I  can't choose between LotR 2 and 3 because, Rohan themes. They tie. No but really, all of my favourites are spread across both albums, as are the songs with vocals which are all amazing.
 

The Hobbit is second for aforementioned reasons ^. Its soundtrack is all shiny new and it has its own amazing flavour, really love hearing it.

 

I feel I'm doing injustice to wonderful tunes like Concerning Hobbits, and the Fellowship's theme, and Lothlorien (*swoon*), but this is overall albums right.... and LotR 1, as beautiful as it is, just doesn't quite do it for me as the others XD

 

Right I'll stop now. I can't choose for individual tracks from the trilogy, maybe I can but.... I won't. *nerdily loves on*