As inconsistent across productions as their inextricably associated visuals, the Star Trek movie soundtracks are naturally evocative for fans of the films, but many are also worthwhile on their own merits. I mean, probably. It's not like anyone knows.
Here are my The Top 13 Star Track Sound Treks.
13. Jerry Goldsmith, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Synthesiser and drums add some variety, but it's mainly an uninspired drudge. I don't blame him. Still reprising his old Kirk-era cues feels more like laziness than coherence. There even seems to be some Wrath of Khan in there, but that might be coincidence.
Fave: Repairs
12. Leonard Roseman and the Yellowjackets, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
This light and jaunty soundrack feels appropriate enough for a film that's pretty much my ultimate comfort watch, but there's not much to it. The main theme still feels Star Trekky, just by default of having watched the film a lot, but the festive bells always seemed an odd choice.
Fave: Main Title
9–11. Michael Giacchino, Star Trek / Star Trek Into Darkness / Star Trek Beyond (2009–16)
Differentiating James Horner's scores was hard enough, and I'm not so invested in getting to grips with the nuances of these generic newer ones without the helpful associations or affection. Sometimes he throws in an exotic instrument to remind me it's still on.
Fave: An Endangered Species
8. Dennis McCarthy, Star Trek Generations (1994)
The galloping adventure theme is fun, but outside of that, the bland philosophy of the period's TV soundtracks prevails. This is the only Trek movie score that sounds like you're watching telly, and not even the cool '80s synth era.
Fave: Star Trek Generations Overture
With pretty pastoral pleasantness and exciting space horns. I wondered why this had never been a favourite, then I soon forgot it was still playing again.
Fave: Ba'ku Village
A Meyer/Horner reunion probably would have been preferable, but this is still a decent effort, even if a brand new Enterprise theme can only hope for tertiary associations by this point. The main theme is fittingly ominous, if a bit Batman, but little else stands out.
Fave: Spacedock / Clear All Moorings
A pleasant enough score, but not enough to justify the weak film on its own. He really should have skipped over the reused title theme, considering it was playing weekly on the small screen by this point. The Klingon theme reuse feels lazy too, and the mysterious ambience is less compelling than V'ger.
Fave: A Busy Man
Schizophrenically scoring a horror movie and utopian genesis, there's more reuse and some generic blandness in there, but it's alternately pleasant and dramatic enough to stay interesting, and the main theme is just about the nicest piece of music there is.
Fave: Main Title
These are the themes most likely to remain in my head and score my daily life with inappropriate gusto for at least a year after watching. I hadn't listened to the expanded version before and won't again, I'm not here for background ambience.
Fave: Battle in the Mutara Nebula
I tend to dismiss this one as mostly rehash, but taken on its own merits, it's probably the better of the two. The general tone is sombre rather than spooky, notable outliers being the unhinged Klingon theme and triumphant starship heist. We have cleared space doors.
Fave: Stealing the Enterprise
The first film's best treated as an elaborate music video for Jerry Goldsmith's starstruck symphony. Hearing the Enterprise theme in half of the songs makes for a repetitive listening experience before we get lost in the storm cloud, but it all conjures striking visuals that are probably better in your memory anyway.
Fave: Klingon Battle
