With a career that has spanned more than four decades, Hans Zimmer has become one of the most iconic and prolific composers of all time. Thanks to his work in several well-known pictures, such as popular fantasy franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and historical epics such as Gladiator, the German musician now has an impressive twelve Academy Award nominations (and two wins) under his belt.

However, with so many incredible scores that Zimmer put out, it can be difficult to pick which one stands out among the rest. To celebrate the remarkable composer's work, we look back at his most memorable anthems that evoke strong emotions in global audiences. As seen in movies like The Da Vinci Code and Interstellar, these are the best Hans Zimmer movie scores.

10 'The Da Vinci Code' (2006)

Director: Ron Howard

The first in the Robert Langdon film series, The Da Vinci Code is a Ron Howard mystery thriller starring Tom Hanks in the lead role and based on Dan Brown's iconic bestselling 2003 novel of the same name. The plot illustrates the aftermath of a murder inside the Louvre and the clues left in Da Vinci's paintings, which leads to the uncovering of a religious mystery protected by a secret society.

Despite its poor reviews, The Da Vinci Code was a commercial success and the second-highest-grossing movie of 2006. While Horwad's feature may not be at the top of its category, it is nonetheless an enjoyable watch that will appeal to mystery enthusiasts. Part of what makes the Langdon film so appealing and immersive has to do with Zimmer's incredible Golden Globe-nominated score, on top of the great lead performance from the talented Hanks.

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9 'The Prince of Egypt' (1998)

Director: Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, Steve Hickner

An oftentimes overlooked feature, the musical drama The Prince of Egypt takes audiences back to Ancient Egypt and illustrates the intriguing story of Prince Moses, voiced by Val Kilmer, who was once an innocent baby hidden in a wicker basket. Throughout the movie, Moses embarks on a self-discovery journey, eventually embracing his identity as a Hebrew and his destiny to become the deliverer of his people.

With an astounding Hans Zimmer score to match its incredible visuals, The Prince of Egypt is certainly worthwhile. While it may not be the best animation film out there (though some believe it to be the best DreamWorks feature), it is quite a decent effort and an enjoyable viewing experience, especially for fans of the genre. Recorded entirely in London, Zimmer's impeccable score successfully helped bring this enchanting tale to life.

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8 The 'Sherlock Holmes' Franchise

Director: Guy Ritchie

Robert Downey Jr. may be best known for his role as Marvel's Tony Stark. However, his efforts as the iconic Sherlock Holmes are also notable (though, say, Benedict Cumberbatch's take on the character is surely a fan favorite). In the Sherlock Holmes film franchise, Downey steps foot on screen as the iconic detective, often engaging in battles of witts with his partner Watson (Jude Law).

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movie series is far from being the best adaptation of Conan Doyle's works. Still, it is deserving of audiences' attention thanks to Downey's efforts, which were good enough to earn him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Zimmer's incredible work in the Sherlock Holmes saga was not short of praise, too: the composer was Academy Award-nominated for Best Original Score for the first film.

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7 'The Dark Knight' (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Among Christopher Nolan's most noteworthy films is the incredible superhero flick The Dark Knight, for which the late Heath Ledger earned an Academy Award. The second film in the "Nolanverse," The Dark Knight introduces audiences to the menace known as Joker, who causes chaos for the city and people of Gotham who rely on Christian Bale's Batman (Christian Bale) to fight injustice.

Zimmer is well-known for his partnerships with Nolan and this epic collaboration is no exception. The composer managed to deliver yet another awe-inspiring score thanks to his undeniable talents, which ultimately resulted in elevating this already flawless film to even higher grounds. With a thoroughly entertaining narrative, action-packed scenes, and memorable characters to match, The Dark Knight is easily among the best films of its genre.

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6 'Inception' (2010)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Up next is Nolan's Inception, which remains a puzzling watch to some even today. While not as complicated as some make it to be, Inception's narrative is far from simplistic and that is exactly what makes it stand out. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, this mind-bending science fiction flick follows Dominick Cobb on a quest to infiltrate the subconscious mind of his target and extract information through shared dreaming.

Zimmer's track "Time", beautifully featured in Nolan's film, is one of the most influential movie scores ever made, which is why it rightfully earned two very deserved Oscar noms: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures and Original Score. Through Zimmer's talents, this unconventional heist film's extraordinary worldbuilding and edge-of-your-seat, but touching premise is elevated to even higher grounds.

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5 'Dune' (2021)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

With a very successful new installment now in theaters, Dune has proven to be among the most promising movie franchises ever made. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the lead role and based on the 1965 book of the same name by Frank Herbert, Denis Villeneuve's action-adventure drama follows the noble family Atreides, who becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset.

It is evident that the Dune's visuals and acting performances are otherworldly, but Zimmer's masterful score certainly helps complement it and stand out even more, bringing audiences to the heart of the movie and fully involving viewers in its unforgettable story. In addition to being faithful to its source material and an overall undeniably well-crafted feature, Dune is the perfect pick for those into absorbing cinematic universes.

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4 'Gladiator' (2000)

Director: Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott's Gladiator stands tall among other historical epics, and for good reason. With top-notch direction and an unforgettable main character, the Russell Crowe-led flick — which endures one of his most remarkable movie roles — centers around a former Roman General who sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor (Joaquin Phoenix) who exiled his family and eventually sent him into slavery.

Tackling themes of duty, loyalty, and family, this high-grossing Ridley Scott must-see endures a true delight — part of that has to do with its astounding music. While it is a slightly different score than the ones other composers usually attributed to the "sword-and-sandals" genre back in the 1950s and 1960s, Zimmer's efforts in Gladiator are certainly memorable and deserve a spot among his best. The album was nominated for the Best Score Oscar and took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

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3 The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Franchise

Directors: Espen Sandberg, Gore Verbinski, Joachim Rønning, Rob Marshall

It's impossible to talk about Hans Zimmer and not immediately think about Pirate of the Caribbean's "I Am a Pirate," as it has become one of the quintessential tracks by the renowned composer. While several different events take place throughout the saga, the first installment, The Curse of the Black Pearl, follows the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) on a quest to recover his long-lost ship. In the meantime, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) teams up to save his love (Keira Knightley) from Jack's former pirate allies.

Many things make Pirates of the Caribbean a great franchise — well, the first three films essentially — and Zimmer's remarkable efforts are at the top of the list; it is extremely difficult to picture the franchise achieving the same critical and commercial success without its trademark scores. While it has seen better days, Pirates of the Caribbean remains a beloved movie series that conquered the hearts of many.

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2 'The Lion King' (1994)

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff

After all these years, the legacy of the internationally beloved Disney flick The Lion King remains unchanged. Centering around the young lion Simba (Matthew Broderick), the rightful prince of the African Savanna, the Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff tearjerker feature provides audiences with poignant messages about grief and loss after Simba's father (James Earl Jones) dies in an accident staged by his uncle, Scar (Jeremy Irons). Simba is forced to take charge as the rightful heir to the throne.

Moving and extraordinarily affecting, leaving a huge imprint on both animated cinema and pop culture, The Lion King is now considered one of the best animated movies ever made. As such, it only makes sense that Hans Zimmer's fantastic work in the Disney film is given the due recognition, especially considering how the composer traveled to Africa to use African choirs and drums in the recording of the score and the way it ultimately helped shape the story.

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1 'Interstellar' (2014)

Director: Christopher Nolan

At the top of this list is, of course, Nolan's Interstellar. Set in the near future, the sci-fi epic features a tour de force by Matthew McConaughey as an ex-NASA pilot who is tasked with a seemingly impossible mission to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans after the Earth becomes uninhabitable.

It would be impossible not to rank Interstellar this high with tracks like the beautiful, helpless, and somehow equal amounts hopeful "Cornfield Chase." The Christopher Nolan flick is an incredible achievement on its own, but Hans Zimmer's powerful tracks undeniably manage to make it an even more enjoyable and heart-wrenching watch, poignantly tackling time and space and meditating about how love is the only thing that transcends them.

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