History AwesomeMusic / AlanSilvestri

* The iconic themes from ''Film/{{Predator}}'', ''Film/ForrestGump'', ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' and ''Film/TheAbyss'' all suit the mood of each film very very well. The "Feather Theme" from Forrest Gump is whimsical and emotional, the ''Predator'' theme ominous then moves into stirring, the ''Back to the Future'' theme a riff on the epic super hero theme given a humourous edge, and "Bud On the Ledge" from ''The Abyss'' ethereal and soaring.

* Robert Zemeckis said in an interview that he felt the story of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' wouldn't stand up on its own, so he told composer Alan Silvestri to make the music as big and memorable as possible to make up for it. And [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture he may have been right]], because everything Alan did for the trilogy caused the films and the soundtrack to become absolutely timeless (no pun intended).
** From ''Film/BackToTheFuture'':

* ''Film/TheMummyReturns'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdFqZCj36uA Ending Credits Suite.]] Sadly, this track was not included on the offical soundtrack album (not because Universal didn't want to include it, but because the album was assembled before the climactic cues -- basically everything in the film from [[spoiler: the race to get Evy to the pyramid]] to the main credits -- were recorded). "Sandcastles" is a shorter version of it, but it lacks the triumphant reprise of Rick and Evy's theme. ("[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N564h3d7OQ Just an Oasis.]]") Thankfully, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S16QUxocOec My First Bus Ride]]" ''is'' on the album. Even ''more'' thankfully, Creator/{{Intrada}} issued the complete score on a 2-CD set in 2018.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kOadnpnDu8 Beowulf.]] The introduction of the title character is accompanied by an incredibly awesome piece of music by Alan Silvestri. Only the best for Creator/RayWinstone! "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrkguvGFnrE What We Need is a Hero!]]"

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXnAxydhZ8M Main Title]] gets a menacing theme with a sudden ScareChord at the beginning to set the stage for a chilling alien monster movie.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcsQ-cnIm5Q End Title]]. Equally as chilling as its opening theme with the same riff that started it all, the track leaves you wanting more of the monster alien.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4pd63fgof4 I'm Forrest... Forrest Gump]] shows the wide, innocent views of this little WideEyedIdealist in music.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp7N9wi8g8k Suite from Forrest Gump]] is a wise, wistful piece of work to comfort the mind and reflect on Mr. Gump's ideals.
* ''Film/TheDeltaForce'' has one of the most memorable main themes ever put to film, which is 80s badassery and BigDamnHeroes personified. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQUeQOIlcDM Enjoy]].

*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26u5goxTHbw The overture]] of the soundtrack, which is exclusive to the official album,[[note]]It's actually assembled from different takes of cues recorded for the score[[/note]] carries warmth, tension, sweetness and anticipation to begin the story of Marty [=McFly=] and Doc Brown.
*** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpbHlXPmmcE main theme]] playing over the credits. A grand, thrilling extravaganza, this theme sums up the exploits of Marty and Doc on their wild, grand adventure through the past from its triumphant chords and recurring main melodies to the backing harmonies.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoB2w3RJ1JM DeLorean Reveal]]" is a mysterious, hype-inducing number to roll out the CoolCar of the film.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbvUugnoqA '85 Twin Pines Mall]]" is a spooky tune as the Libyans go after Doc with everything in the orchestra going wild and messy before being victorious as Marty inadvertently gets the [=DeLorean=] to time travel.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgag4aXB2eE '55 Town Square]]" is appropriately uneasy, with the strings going fast and discordant, a fitting description of Marty's inner feelings of being in 1955.
*** The tense and glorious [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQKrIXeZy3M tune when 1955 Doc sees the DeLorean]] is nothing short of amazing at the end, to emphasize Doc's skepticism and joy.
*** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8xYaiWOfrs skateboard chase scene]] is a grand reprise of the film's main theme celebrating Marty's derring-do to evade Biff and his gang.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-029VdeAZKs Marty's Letter]]" is a wistful number with soothing but melancholic instrumentation to encapsulate Marty's memories of seeing his old friend perish in 1985 and final attempt to save his life.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8O4bfm95nA The part where]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QfoxsMRnwI George comes to save Lorraine]] shifts from sinster to victorious, chronicling George's trial of confidence as he goes head to head with his bully, Biff.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQUUsza6EbM Tension/The Kiss]]" begins with a spine-chilling shrill orchestra as Marty fades from existence... before swelling and erupting into a romantic ballad to celebrate George and Lorraine's kiss which saves Marty.
*** The tense [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CURct4kwao theme when Marty and Doc race against the clock to get Marty back to 1985]] is all-round jaw-dropping, heart-pounding with everything in the orchestra transitioning between the theme and being discordant.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerrKMZn914 '85 Lone Pine Mall]]" carries the same tension from "'85 Twin Pines Mall" before calming down to heartwarming as Doc reveals he finally taped Marty's letter and got prepared.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DnU4l8sxvo 4x4]]" is basically a shorter, more relaxing version of "Marty's Letter" to highlight how Marty's life is now perfect, especially when he finally sees his boo, Jennifer Parker, once again.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irSK8ZdOun0 Doc Returns]]" is as frantic as Doc himself as he gets Marty and Jennifer to return with him to the future, before bursting into a heroic final reprise of the theme as the [=DeLorean=] soars off to the future.

*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aduxxLDnCQU This piece]] combines the last two previous tunes from the first film, as the orchestra transits from peaceful to fast and desperate to continue where its predecessor left off.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxB--utuPhw The main theme]] makes its glorious comeback to set the tone of this fast-paced narrative.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9O1d_h3Fw0 These mysterious orchestrations]] give off the feeling that everything is different and yet so familiar, just like Hill Valley in 2015, all while Doc tries to continue his mission in the future.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJx_3hA-cg The successor to the skateboard chase]] from the first movie still packs in the same fast, frantic tone, only with more transitions between sounding tense and heroic as Marty goes on a hoverboard to evade Griff and his gang.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddtNKXnvNOI The part where Jennifer finds]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOzpbwA42AQ herself in the McFlys' home in 2015]] is unnerving while trying to bid her on to escape undetected, also coupled with more teeth-chattering chords as 2015 Marty has his BerserkButton pressed again.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFliLv85REc The eerie theme]] of 1985A shows how desolate Hill Valley has become, with even Marty's family dragged down. Even [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQa9gXQoE0I this theme]] shows the extent of the devastation while Doc explains how this timeline came to be.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llPDPVhi82A Sports Almanac/If They Ever Did]]" carries both spine-chilling melodies and heroic tunes as Marty gets information on the almanac before heading back to the past with Doc to get it back.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sdxQIUgigQ You'll Never Lose]]" helps to thicken the plot with uneasy tunes similar to 1985A's theme.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD_9lHT0Dqw Nobody/Tunnel Chase]]" is the culmination of nearly every single frantic motif from the previous tracks into a masterpiece for Marty's scuffle with Biff over the almanac.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIhQ29Q83vE Burn the Book]]" presents more anticipation over the success of Marty and Doc's mission to destroy the almanac with the orchestra growing from gritty to epic to scary as the lightning strikes the [=DeLorean=], causing everything to move on to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTudbZUIkAg woeful jingle implying Marty will be stranded in 1955]].
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFmTLWvr_o Western Union]]" slips in a little spark of hope with its same soothing motif from the first movie in Lone Pine Mall, to assure Marty Doc's still alive though in 1885. This all leads to the same triumphant theme of the clocktower.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm8gjIgYcNU I'm Back/End Logo]]" is a grand number heralding the continuation of Marty's adventures through time in a cliffhanger.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWKLwSuqh6Q The West]]" sets the stage for the next film with a style of orchestration encapsulating the open freedom in the wild west of 1885.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DuC5abuWgo The end credits]] boasts of the same heroic theme as well as many of the numbers before it to wrap up the film.

*** The following masterpiece featured the themes from the previous two movies along with a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ2-2tzA4rE traditional western style score.]]
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Fa2sKbnk8 Prologue]]" brings back the heroic theme of the clocktower to tie in the first film together with this one. "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCulvhZjddw Main Title]]" immediately follows after with the final score of the second film to set the tone of Marty's new adventure before simmering down as a reminder that this may very well be the final chapter in Marty and Doc's adventure through time.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcvMMewhy40 Warmed Up]]" goes soft to prepare Marty for his passage into 1885 before bursting into the film's main theme to show the capability of the [=DeLorean=] despite being old and worn and wish Marty the best as he head 70 more years into the past.
*** The western-style [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffhbPLXQwY follow up to describing Hill Valley]] in the past is one of open freedom, uneasiness and some form of familiarity to show the differences of Hill Valley in 1885 and the sights Marty is used to seeing.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fidGr0llwZo The part where Doc and Marty examine the unfinished bridge and save Clara from falling into the ravine below]] is a work of action from being skeptical to being fast and heart-pounding.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWzCrT8LMpg The part where Doc and Clara hook up]] is a soothing respite from the first bits of action of the film to set the stage for romance in 1885.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQxUQWt3Q2Q The Kiss]]" is a sweet reprise of "Love at First Sight", allowing the romance between Doc and Clara to unfold further.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocsG4ID_Ht8 Doc visiting Clara to say goodbye]] is a heartbreaking reprise of their first meeting to capture the sadness of Clara breaking up with the poor scientist.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_D-B-0AK5Q Everything]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY5sSTg5j3o leading up Marty's]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfcyphB5hnw scheduled duel with Buford]] compiles whatever Alan has learnt from making tense themes throughout the trilogy to sound shocking and ominous with little bits of humour sprinkled here and there.
*** The theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEolD4XCfag recording Marty and Buford's duel]] is all-round nerve-wracking like all western showdowns before it suddenly blares out the victorious theme of the trilogy to celebrate Marty's wits winning the day.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLN4g2S6X2A The score for the train sequence]] is nothing short of brilliant. It uses the standard BTTF leitmotifs from this film and the previous two as a baseline; it throws in a drum beat that sounds like a train chugging; it intertwines the action themes, the tense themes, the love themes, the Western themes; and it ends with pure ''power''.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaRDBUqn-M8 Everything from the point Marty arrives back in 1985]] segues from melancholic to soothing and tense and back to mark the familiarity of 1985 Lyon Estates and Hilldale, Hill Valley and underscore the end of Marty's travels through history.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJhFZOAlP4 Doc Returns]]" is a sweet, warming finale to the film and the trilogy as a whole as Doc and his family visit Marty and Jennifer in their time train before the orchestrations swell into a reprise of the first movie's ending motif as the Browns travel through time once again, ending on a joyous final reprise of the trilogy's main riff and final notes to mark the definitive end of the entire trilogy.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnHfu5V1lLM The end credits]] cram in as many of the notable themes from this film as possible to celebrate the end before erupting into the trilogy's glorious main theme one last time to send it off into the future with a bang.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VioibAWOSas Main Title]] sets the tone of the film with a melancholic tune to represent the sea and occasional lines comprising brass instruments and a snare drum to highlight our heroes' valour and sacrifice.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtOgT0vaQ08 Finale]] is a celebration of our heroes' successful operation rescue to save the people trapped in the underwater drilling platform which also goes soft at times to remind us of the aliens' anti-war message.

%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wJvLYiZv8A Main Title]].
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5NdfZ2LNZw End Credits]].
* He did a wonderful score to ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', combining smooth film-noir jazz with wacky cartoon themes. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVUCQWLU6tY end credits]] shows it off in all in its glory. And the track "Valiant & Valiant" which contains a sad rendition of "Eddie's Theme" is a definite tearjerker.
* Why was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsKsaJ78XBQ "End Credits"]] from ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'' dropped from the film to make room for Music/TheBlackEyedPeas' "Boom Boom Pow" (the track times ''perfectly'' with the Peas)? Fergie may have the humps but Silvestri has the chops.
* ''Series/{{Chips}}'': He was hired in the second season to do a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5-bD372v5s disco re-arrangement]] of the main theme by John Parker and he scored most of the episodes after that. He made a car chase down a Southern California freeway feel like '''disco nirvana'''. And thanks to FSM, there are three soundtrack albums of his stuff available (covering seasons two[[note]]which gives you two awesome screen composers for the price of one, as this disc also has Bruce Broughton's only score for the series[[/note]], three and four).

%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlKl9cp_DYA Transylvania 1887]].
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWzoIEazH3s Transylvanian Horses]].
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UShV4TURFgk Final Battle]].
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi4511p-6eY Reunited]].
%%* ''Film/TheDeltaForce'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQUeQOIlcDM theme]].
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raBzyKcKaoA What Silvestri did]] for ''WesternAnimation/ThePolarExpress'' is guaranteed to put you in the Christmas mood, no matter what time of year it is.
* If ''Film/ReadyPlayerOne2018'' had ''come out'' in the 1980s instead of just being influenced by its pop culture, it would have had ''one'' soundtrack album heavy on songs and possibly a token score cue. In this case, the cue might've been [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG-_56ZfqQk the main title]] - which [[BlatantLies isn't actually played over the main titles in the movie, despite bring called that on the score album]].

*** First up, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26u5goxTHbw the overture]] of the soundtrack, which is exclusive to the official album[[note]]It's actually assembled from different takes of cues recorded for the score[[/note]] carrying warmth, tension, sweetness and anticipation to begin the story of Marty [=McFly=] and Doc Brown.

*** First up, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26u5goxTHbw the overture]] of the soundtrack, which is exclusive to the official album carrying warmth, tension, sweetness and anticipation to begin the story of Marty [=McFly=] and Doc Brown.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VioibAWOSas Main Title]] sets the tone of the film with a melancholic tune to represent the sea and occasional lines comprising of the brass instruments and a snare drum to highlight our heroes' valour and sacrifice.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtOgT0vaQ08 Finale]] is a celebration of our heroes' successful operation rescue to save the people trapped in the underwater drilling platform which also goes soft at times to remind us of the aliens' message to all of us against warring among ourselves.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtOgT0vaQ08 Finale]] is a celebration of our heroes' successful operation rescue to save the people trapped in the underwater drilling platform which also goes soft at times to remind us of the aliens' message about warring among ourselves.

%%* ''Film/TheAbyss''
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VioibAWOSas Main Title]].
%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtOgT0vaQ08 Finale]].

*** First up, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpbHlXPmmcE main theme]] playing over the credits. A grand, thrilling extravaganza, this theme sums up the exploits of Marty and Doc on their wild, grand adventure through the past from its triumphant chords and recurring main melodies to the backing harmonies.

*** Alan Silvestri's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLN4g2S6X2A score for the train sequence]] is nothing short of brilliant. It uses the standard BTTF leitmotifs from this film and the previous two as a baseline; it throws in a drum beat that sounds like a train chugging; it intertwines the action themes, the tense themes, the love themes, the Western themes; and it ends with pure ''power''.

*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocsG4ID_Ht8 Doc visiting Clara to say goodbye]] is a heartbreaking reprise to their first meeting capturing the sadness of Clara breaking up with the poor scientist.

*** Alan Silvestri's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLN4g2S6X2A score for the train sequence]] is nothing short of brilliant. It uses the standard BTTF leitmotifs as a baseline; it throws in a drum beat that sounds like a train chugging; it intertwines the action themes, the tense themes, the love themes, the Western themes; and it ends with pure ''power''.

*** Alan Silvestri's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLN4g2S6X2A score for the train sequence]] in ''Part III'' is nothing short of brilliant. It uses the standard BTTF leitmotifs as a baseline; it throws in a drum beat that sounds like a train chugging; it intertwines the action themes, the tense themes, the love themes, the Western themes; and it ends with pure ''power''.

*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJhFZOAlP4 Doc Returns]]" is a sweet, warming finale to the film and the trilogy as a whole as Doc and his family visit Marty and Jennifer in their time train before the orchestrations swell into a reprise of the first movie's ending motif as the Browns travel through time once again, ending on a joyous final reprise of the trilogy's main riff and final notes to mark the definite end of the entire trilogy.

From his arrival in the film music world in the '70s, Alan Silvestri proved he could keep up with the likes of Music/JohnWilliams, Music/JerryGoldsmith and more.

*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJhFZOAlP4 Doc Returns]]" is a sweet, warming finale to the film and the trilogy as a whole as Doc and his family visit Marty and Jennifer in their time train before the orchestrations swell into a reprise of the first movie's ending motif as the Browns travel through time once again, ending on a joyous final reprise of the trilogy's main riff to mark the definite end of the entire trilogy.

Being one who was basically new to the film industry's music department in the '70s, Alan Silvestri proved he could keep up with the likes of Music/JohnWilliams, Music/JerryGoldsmith and more.

For his first few works in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, see [[AwesomeMusic/MCUPhase1And2 here]].

All works he did in the Avengers series can be found [[AwesomeMusic/TheAvengers2012 here]], [[AwesomeMusic/AvengersInfinityWar here]] and [[AwesomeMusic/AvengersEndgame here]].

*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbvUugnoqA '85 Twin Pines Mall]]" is a spooky tune as the Libyans go after Doc with everything in the orchestra going wild and messy before being triumphant as Marty inadvertently gets the [=DeLorean=] to time travel.

*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irSK8ZdOun0 Doc Returns]]" is as frantic as Doc himself as he gets Marty and Jennifer to return with him to the future, before bursting into a triumphant final reprise of the theme as the [=DeLorean=] soars off to the future.

*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIhQ29Q83vE Burn the Book]]" presents more anticipation over the success of Marty and Doc's mission to destroy the almanac with the orchestra growing from gritty to triumphant to scary as the lightning strikes the [=DeLorean=], causing everything to move on to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTudbZUIkAg woeful jingle implying Marty will be stranded in 1955]].
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFmTLWvr_o Western Union]]" slips in a little spark of hope with its same soothing motif from the first movie in Lone Pine Mall, to assure Marty Doc's still alive though in 1885. This all transits to the same triumphant theme of the clocktower.

*** The theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEolD4XCfag recording Marty and Buford's duel]] is all-round nerve-wracking like all western showdowns before it suddenly blares out the triumphant theme of the trilogy to celebrate Marty's wits winning the day.

*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaRDBUqn-M8 Everything from the point Marty arrives back in 1985]] transits from being melancholic to soothing and tense and back to mark the familiarity of 1985 Lyon Estates and Hilldale, Hill Valley and underscore the end of Marty's travels through history.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJhFZOAlP4 Doc Returns]]" is a sweet, warming finale to the film and the trilogy as a whole as Doc and his family visit Marty and Jennifer in their time train before the orchestrations swell into a triumphant reprise of the first movie's ending motif as the Browns travel through time once again, ending on a glorious final reprise of the trilogy's main riff to mark the definite end of the entire trilogy.