Top 10 Godzilla Scores: C.C.C Issue #79

Top 10 Godzilla Scores

The original score for Godzilla: King of the Monsters by Bear McCreary has just been released, and wow, is it ever a fan’s dream come true. I couldn’t resist sampling a few tracks, and from what I’ve heard, this score is the most faithful to the early Toho musical themes ever composed.

With a 65 year history, there’s obviously been a lot of different music associated with Big G. Every long-running franchise that’s been rebooted more than once, whether it’s Batman or James Bond or King Kong, has tried new music, but there are always those certain musical queues that will never die. This is certainly true of Godzilla.

10. Destroy All Monsters (1968): Akira Ifukube

Destroy All Monsters was intended to be the last film in the Showa era, so they went all out and put as many monsters in the movie as possible, as well as made it a global story instead of just limited to Japan. It wasn’t quite as silly as previous films, but it was still aiming to entertain children. With all these implications in mind, veteran Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube did a pretty great job balancing the different sounds for all the monsters and making the music fun, without being goofy or undermining the more serious parts. You’ll see Ifukube pop up more times on this list than any other composer, and for good reason. 

9. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974): Masaru Sato

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a campy, cheesy sci-fi monster clash, and the soundtrack compliments it pretty well. I didn't really take note of the music the first time I saw it, but every time I re-watch, I always enjoy the upbeat theme. The weird King Caesar song is also something to note, reminiscent of the Mothra song, though it seems to go on even longer. While there aren't numerous tracks that are likely to get stuck in your head, it's still a great and underrated score for what is widely considered one of the best Godzilla flicks.

8. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993): Akira Ifukube

Even though it’s called Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, it’s actually not a direct sequel to a Mechagodzilla-featuring film. This is the follow-up to Godzilla vs. Mothra, but more directly follows up the previous Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, with the construction of Mechagodzilla stemming from the salvaged robot head of Mecha-King Ghidorah. As a result, the music is totally different from the Showa-era appearances of Mecha-G, but even better, thanks to the return of Akira Ifukube. The main theme is very heroic and epic, and all the action scenes are scored with the same energy that had come to be expected from an Ifukube score.

7. Shin Godzilla (2016): Shiro Sagisu

This composer worked on the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, as did the directors of Shin Godzilla, which perhaps accounts for some of the reason why the music fits so perfectly with the film and evokes such emotion. When Godzilla finally unleashes his atomic breath, the music perfectly accompanies the scene. The track “Persecution of the Masses” is as haunting as any track ever composed for a Godzilla film, and accomplishes one of the main goals of a film score: if you took it out of the movie, or replaced it with another, it just wouldn't be the same experience. Even though it's very new in the large library of Godzilla music (minus the Ifukube pieces directly reused from the 1954 original), it already made just that big of an impact.

6. The Return of Godzilla (1984): Reijiro Koroku

Akira Ifukube didn't return to score this first reboot for the series, which aimed to make Godzilla foreboding again. Whether this was a blessing or missed opportunity we'll never know for sure, but the new theme Reijiro Koroku came up with not only perfectly suited the grimmer tone of the film, but was as memorable as the original theme, yet didn't sound like a rip-off or copy. The music was slow, accentuating the pacing, and not over-bearing, nor understated, finding just the perfect balance.

5. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S (2003): Michiru Oshima 

This score grabbed my attention right away the first time I heard it, and is one of the defining features of the Millennium era for me, despite not being used all throughout the series. It was first used in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, and a lot of the tracks are similar in both films, but Tokyo S.O.S has a bit more variety thanks to the inclusion of Mothra. At times it has a very militaristic sound to it, and the combo of lots of drumming with the distinct horns makes it big in a very different way from previous Godzilla scores. When Godzilla shows up, the music is at its best, and doesn’t make you miss the older themes.

4. Godzilla: Final Wars (2004): Keith Emerson, Nobuhiko Morino, Daisuke Yano

This score certainly stands out among the many others. For starters, it was composed by three different people, and that’s not including the use of the Sum 41 song “We Are All To Blame” for the Godzilla vs. Zilla battle. The director of Final Wars was a fan of the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (as am I), and recruited Keith Emerson to compose some of the music. You can definitely hear his distinct synthesizer skills throughout, especially during the opening fanfare of the movie. The rest of the soundtrack is full of energy, perfectly enhancing the fast-pace and kinetic action scenes. The opening title music is some of the best ever recorded, and there are still some nice throwback musical queues to spare.   

3. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995): Akira Ifukube

For the conclusion of the second series, original composer Akira Ifukube was brought back, and I can’t imagine the movie being quite as great had it been lacking a soundtrack composed by him. The use of drums is especially effective, and the chaos of the music compliments the chaotic nature of Burning Godzilla, too. The new theme for Destoroyah is incredible, lending to the image of him basically being the devil in a giant monster form. And when it comes to Godzilla’s death in the end, the music is sad, poignant, and makes the scene feel that much sadder. The end credits feature the classic Godzilla March, which feels very appropriate. This was the last Godzilla film to be scored by Ifukube, but even before this final score of his, he had already become forever associated with the king of the monsters.

2. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991): Akira Ifukube

For the first two entries in the Heisei era, Toho wanted Godzilla to be different than in the past, and had two different composers for each. For the third entry, though, it went a little bit back to the cheesiness of the late-Showa era, while still maintaining a frightful portrayal of Godzilla, so bringing back Ifukube was a perfect move. You just can’t beat this version of Godzilla’s March, which is instantly recognizable as being the same as the original from 1954 with the rapid beat and big flourishes, but here, it’s even bigger, the sound is cleaner, and the tempo is slowed down a bit, yet has even more energy. The Ghidorah theme alone is astounding. It’s as exciting as it is menacing. 

1. Godzilla (1954): Akira Ifukube

It ultimately doesn’t matter about the placement of the top three scores on this list, because they are all by Akira Ifukube, and all are worthy of the top spot. But, if we’re talking about music that fits the movie better than any other, it’s difficult not to pick 1954’s Godzilla soundtrack. Not since the original King Kong had a giant monster movie featured such epic music. It ranges from exciting, with the "Godzilla March" (used many more times in other films), to somber, with such great tracks as "Bingo-Maru Sinking" and "Devastated Tokyo", to downright scary, with my personal favourite track being "Fury Of Godzilla". It’s been said that Ifukube is the John Williams of Japan (translated: one of the best composers ever), and I couldn’t agree more. He set the standard for how great Godzilla scores could be, and though others have come close, no one has been able to top his mastery.