COLUMN: The Ultimate Playlist of Movie Music Lullabies

My appetizer of background editorial sustenance entitled "Improving on the 'Mozart Effect' with Movie Music" has hopefully teased the main course. Let's get to the meat and potatoes. Spanning and stretching below is the vast selection of TWO HUNDRED film score tracks and pieces that I find to be as good as any baby lullaby CD on the rack at Buy Buy Baby or downloadable from Amazon or iTunes.

THE CRITERIA AND GOALS

Let me give you some qualifiers toward my criteria in making this massive playlist. First, the goal here is stimulating and soothing bedtime music for infants and toddlers, not get-up-and-play rousing anthems for action and activity. There will be plenty of time when my kids grow up to blare the title music from Star Wars or Superman at max volume in the car or living room to set off the neighbors. I'm looking to dial it down. You'll hear a lot of piano and strings and less drums and brass. Some will call these tracks overly romantic or melancholy, but they work. Trust me.

Second, I wanted interesting and occasionally familiar pieces of film music that you, the parent, could enjoy and get into. I even hope some become favorites that you could hum along with, increasing that bedtime bonding that I've been lucky enough to experience every night for the past year and a half. If you remember from my editorial, I find the repetitive, xylophone-heavy stock baby music annoying and grating. I am targeting things that are complex, interesting, and unique that still achieve both restful sleep and the "Mozart Effect" granola parent Kool-Aid.

Third, I'm not trying to build a definitive audio dissertation on the best film scores in cinema history. No playlist can fit all of that and not all of them work for bedtime. This is a work in progress and I'm still growing this list as I go. Even though many great movies and composers populate my list, I opened this up to all genres and challenged myself to gather variety in far-reaching places. While I think all of this is choice, I will still mark several tracks below with an asterisk that are particularly some of the best of lullaby music.

Finally, I wanted to make something that I could share to other parents, film fans, grandparents, uncles, aunts, babysitters, or other caretakers that want a little something better than "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" over and over. This should be a stress-relieving process for you and the baby. I want this as something you can take with you after you read.

After the list, head to the bottom of this post to see how you can play, download, or use these songs yourself!

THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST OF MOVIE MUSIC LULLABIES

THE GREAT JOHN WILLIAMS-- Any movie score playlist starts with the best film composer in history. While his soaring marches make him a household name, the man has done a tremendous amount of slower, stiller, and subtler work in both big films and small ones. The list begins here.

1. "Princess Leia's Theme" by John Williams from Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (link)

2. "Yoda's Theme" by John Williams from Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back (link)

3. "Luke and Leia" by John Williams from Star Wars: Episode VI- The Return of the Jedi (link)

4. "Leia's News/The Light of the Force" by John Williams from Star Wars: Episode VI- The Return of the Jedi (link)

5. "The Reunion" by John Williams from A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (link)

6. "A Window to the Past" by John Williams from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (link)

7. "The Chairman's Waltz" by John Williams with Itzhak Perlman and Yo-To Ma from Memoirs of a Geisha (link)

8. "Schindler's List Theme" by John Williams with Itzhak Perlman from Schindler's List (link)

9. "The Flying Sequence" by John Williams from Superman: The Movie (link)

10. "Love Theme" by John Williams from Superman: The Movie (link)

11. "Remembering Emilie, And Finale" by John Williams from War Horse (link)

12. "The Reunion" by John Williams from War Horse (link)

13. "The Book Thief" by John Williams from The Book Thief (link)

14. "End Credits" by John Williams from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (link)

SECOND PLACE WITH JAMES HORNER-- While his work has fallen off in recent years with the fading coattails of Titanic and claims the guy makes the same score with the same cues every time, I personally consider the many works of James Horner to be the second best on this playlist to Williams for the purpose of lullaby music. Try a few. They are exceptional. I could put just the soundtrack to Legends of the Fall on shuffle and be done right there.

15. "A Gift of a Thistle" by James Horner from Braveheart (link)

16. "The Secret Wedding" by James Horner from Braveheart (link)

17. "For the Love of a Princess" by James Horner from Braveheart (link)

18. "Hymm" by James Horner from Courage Under Fire (link)

19. "The Elegy" by James Horner from Courage Under Fire (link)

20. "The Wedding" by James Horner from Deep Impact (link)

21. "The Dance" by James Horner from Four Feathers (link)

22. "The Ludlows" by James Horner from Legends of the Fall (link)

23. "Alfred Moves to Helena" by James Horner from Legends of the Fall (link)

24. "The Wedding" by James Horner from Legends of the Fall (link)

25. "Whispering Winds" by James Horner from The Land Before Time (link)

26. "Diego's Goodbye" by James Horner from The Mask of Zorro (link)

THE FILMS AND WORKS OF CLINT EASTWOOD-- The multi-talented and legendary actor and director, in my opinion, has an excellent ear for poignant film music with the right balance between scene-setting somber and underlying beauty. Earlier in his career, Eastwood frequently collaborated with composter Lennie Niehaus, but has since wrote much of his own or had his son Kyle Eastwood get involved. All of these are excellent choices when you need things quiet.

27. "Doe Eyes" by Lennie Niehaus from The Bridges of Madison County (link)

28. "Claudia's Theme" by Lennie Niehaus from Unforgiven (link)

29. "Blue Morgan (End Credits)" by Clint and Kyle Eastwood from Million Dollar Baby (link)

30. "Stanley Tells the Girls" by Clint Eastwood from Grace is Gone (link)

31. "Grace" by Clint Eastwood from Grace is Gone (link)

32. "Heidi's Eulogy" by Clint Eastwood from Grace is Gone (link)

33. "Beginning Credits" by Clint Eastwood from Hereafter (link)

34. "Marie and George" by Clint Eastwood from Hereafter (link)

35. "End Credits" by Clint Eastwood from Hereafter (link)

THE NON-HOUSEHOLD NAME OF GABRIEL YARED-- You likely don't know this composer's name, and you maybe don't recognize his music. However, Gabriel Yared's low-key work fuels the romance in films like City of Angels, Message in a Bottle, and The English Patient. You may knock the films (the "Seinfeld" joke of the The English Patient is classic), but don't knock the music for the purposes of bedtime.

36. "The Unfeeling Kiss" by Gabriel Yared from City of Angels (link)

37. "City of Angels" by Gabriel Yared from City of Angels (link)

38. "Ada Plays" by Gabriel Yared from Cold Mountain (link)

39. "Ada and Inman" by Gabriel Yared from Cold Mountain (link)

40. "Love Theme" by Gabriel Yared from Cold Mountain (link)

41. "New Dreams" by Gabriel Yared from Message in a Bottle (link)

42. "Theresa" by Gabriel Yared from Message in a Bottle (link)

43. "Tell Me About Catherine" by Gabriel Yared from Message in a Bottle (link)

44. "Sail With Me Tonight" by Gabriel Yared from Message in a Bottle (link)

45. "As Far as Florence" by Gabriel Yared from The English Patient (link)

46. "I'll Be Back" by Gabriel Yared from The English Patient (link)

47. "Italia" by Gabriel Yared from The Talented Mr. Ripley (link)

THE VERY HOUSEHOLD NAME OF HANS ZIMMER-- To balance the minor obscurity of Gabriel Yared, I'll move the big name of Hans Zimmer. Yared may have an Oscar on his mantle, but Zimmer has the hits. Zimmer is normally known for his pounding action pieces in comic book films like The Dark Knight trilogy and Jerry Bruckheimer blockbusters like The Rock and the Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers franchises. The epics have their slower moments, as you will see on the list, but few people notice his name as composer in the credits of softer films like As Good As It Gets, The Holiday, The Preacher's Wife, and Something's Gotta Give. The epics still win.

48. "Solomon" by Hans Zimmer from 12 Years a Slave (link)

49. "Still (Reprise)" by Hans Zimmer from Black Hawk Down (link)

50. "Time" by Hans Zimmer from Inception (link)

51. "Oogway Ascends" by Hans Zimmer and John Powell from Kung-Fu Panda (link)

52. "Sent Here for a Reason" by Hans Zimmer from Man of Steel (link)

53. "Roxanne (Love Theme)" by Hans Zimmer from Megamind (link)

54. "And Then I Kissed Him" by Hans Zimmer from Pearl Harbor (link)

55. "A Small Measure of Peace" by Hans Zimmer from The Last Samurai (link)

56. "A Way of Life" by Hans Zimmer from The Last Samurai (link)

57. "Journey to the Line" by Hans Zimmer from The Thin Red Line (link)

58. "Silence" by Hans Zimmer from The Thin Red Line (link)

THOMAS NEWMAN: YARED'S MORE POPULAR AMERICAN DOPPELGANGER-- Both Yared and California composer play on the melancholy court of film score basketball. I think Yared is better but Newman has the flashier resume. Both work for this project.

59. "Main Theme" by Thomas Newman from The Green Mile (link)

60. "Walkaway" by Thomas Newman from Meet Joe Black (link)

61. "Whisper of a Thrill" by Thomas Newman from Meet Joe Black (link)

62. "Rancher's Wife" by Thomas Newman from The Horse Whisperer (link)

63. "Rhythm of the Horse" by Thomas Newman from The Horse Whisperer (link)

64. "American Beauty" by Thomas Newman from American Beauty (link)

65. "So Was Red and End Titles" by Thomas Newman from The Shawshank Redemption (link)

66. "Brooks Was Here" by Thomas Newman from The Shawshank Redemption (link)

67. "Define Dancing" by Thomas Newman from Wall-E (link)

FOREIGN FILM COMPOSERS AND SELECTIONS-- America doesn't have the monopoly on good film scores. Foreign films and foreign composers have their own immeasurable talent on display. Look no further than the first song in this category. If you really want to challenge yourself with some remarkable different movie music, cull from this section. You will be pleasantly surprised.

68. "Farewell" by Tan Dun featuring Yo-Yo Ma from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (link)

69. "The Eternal Vow" by Tan Dun featuring Yo-Yo Ma from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (link)

70. "Through the Bamboo Forest" by Tan Dun featuring Yo-Yo Ma from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (link)

71. "Longing" by Tan Dun featuring Itzhak Perlman from Hero (link)

72. "Lovers (Flower Garden)" by Shigeru Umebayashi from The House of Flying Daggers (link)

73. "Mei and Leo" by Shigeru Umebayashi from The House of Flying Daggers (link)

74. "George's Waltz" by Shigeru Umebayashi from A Single Man (link)

75. "Yumeji's Theme" by Shigeru Umebayashi from In the Mood for Love (link)

76. "Angkor Wat Theme II" by Shigeru Umebayashi from In the Mood for Love (link)

77. "ITMFL I" by Shigeru Umebayashi from In the Mood for Love (link)

78. "ITMFL II" by Shigeru Umebayashi from In the Mood for Love (link)

79. "ITMFL III" by Shigeru Umebayashi from In the Mood for Love (link)

80. "Angkor Wat Theme Finale" by Shigeru Umebayashi from In the Mood for Love (link)

81. "Summer Road" by Joe Hisaishi from Kikujiro (link)

82. "Theme" by Luis Bacalov from Il Postino (link)

83. "In the Stairs" by Ludovic Bource from The Artist (link)

84. "Love Theme" by Philippe Rombi from Jeux d'Enfants (link)

85. "The Idea for a Book" by Cesar Benito from Ways to Live Forever (link)

86. "Cinema Paradiso Love Theme" by Ennio Morricone from Cinema Paradiso (link)

87. "Main Theme" by Ennio Morricone from Malena (link)

88. "Gabriel's Oboe" by Ennio Morricone from The Mission (link)

89. "Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri" by Ennio Morricone from Cuore di Mamma and The Place Beyond the Pines (link)

90. "End Credits" by Jean-Yves Thibaudet from Pride and Prejudice (link)

91. "Pi's Lullaby" by Mychael Danna featuring Bombay Jayashri from Life of Pi (link)

OLD SCHOOL FILM CLASSICS-- Because of my thirtysomething age, I tend to skew to the 80's, 90's, and 00's for much of this, but there are definitely plenty of great old scores that still swoon hearts on AMC and TCM. I know there are more, but here are some favorites.

92. "Tara's Theme" by Max Steiner from "Gone with the Wind" (link)

93. "A Summer Place" by Max Steiner from "A Summer Place (link)

94. "Scene d'Amour" by Bernard Herrmann from "Vertigo" and "The Artist" (link)

95. "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" by Bernard Herrmann from "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir"
(link)

96. "Nocturne" by Bernard Herrmann from "Marnie" (link)

97. "Finale and End Credits" by Bernard Herrmann from "Marnie" (link)

98. "Laura Suite" by David Raskin from "Laura" (link)

99. "Call of the Faraway Hills" by Victor Young from "Shane" (link)

100. "Love Theme" by Nino Rota from "The Godfather" (link)

101. "Cavatina" by Stanley Myers from "The Deer Hunter" (link)

102. "Love Story Theme" by Henry Mancini from "Love Story" (link)

103. "Moon River" by Henry Mancini from "Breakfast and Tiffany's" (link)

104. "Theme" by Elmer Bernstein from "To Kill a Mockingbird" (link)

105. "Lara's Theme" by Maurice Jarre from "Doctor Zhivago" (link)

GO BACK TO THE 80'S AND 90'S

106. "I Had a Farm (Main Titles)" by John Barry from "Out of Africa" (link)

107. "Out of Africa (End Titles)" by John Barry from "Out of Africa" (link)

108. "Theme from Somewhere in Time" by John Barry from "Somewhere in Time" (link)

109. "The Old Woman" by John Barry from "Somewhere in Time" (link)

110. "End Title" by John Barry from "My Life" (link)

111. "Chaplin (Main Theme)" by John Barry from "Chaplin" (link)

112. "The John Dunbar Theme" by John Barry from "Dances with Wolves" (link)

113. "Love Theme" by John Barry from "Dances with Wolves" (link)

114. "Main Title (Rudy)" by Jerry Goldsmith from "Rudy" (link)

115. "Recovery" by Basil Poledouris from "Conan the Barbarian" (link)

116. "Main Theme" by Basil Poledouris from "For Love of the Game" (link)

117. "Lane's Theme" by Bill Conti from "8 Seconds" (link)

118. "Mickey" by Bill Conti from "Rocky III" and "Rocky Anthology" (link)

119. "Robert and Mary" by Carter Burwell from "Rob Roy" (link)

120. "Balcony Scene" by Craig Armstrong from "Romeo + Juliet" (link)

121. "Main Titles" by Danny Elfman from "Good Will Hunting" (link)

122. "The End" by Danny Elfman from "Edward Scissorhands" (link)

123. "Memories" by Harold Faltermeyer from "Top Gun" (link)

124. "Agnes' Theme" by George Fenton from "In Love and War" (link)

125. "The Brothel" by George Fenton from "In Love and War" (link)

126. "End Credits" by George Fenton from "In Love and War" (link)

127. "End Title Suite" by George Fenton from "Memphis Belle" (link)

128. "Rain Forever" by Graeme Revell from "The Crow" (link)

129. "Believe in Angels" by Graeme Revell from "The Crow" (link)

130. "In the Half Light of the Canyon" by Mark Isham from "A River Runs Through It" (link)

131. "The Moment That Could Not Last" by Mark Isham from "A River Runs Through It" (link)

132. "October Sky" by Mark Isham from "October Sky" (link)

133. "Unchained Melody" by Maurice Jarre from "Ghost" (link)

134. "End Credits" by Maurice Jarre from "Ghost" (link)

135. "A Walk in the Clouds" by Maurice Jarre from "A Walk in the Clouds" (link)

136. "This Beautiful Girl By a Lake..." by Michael Kamen from "What Dreams May Come" (link)

137. "The Departure" by Michael Nyman from "Gattaca" (link)

138. "Diary of Hate" by Michael Nyman from "The End of the Affair" (link)

139. "Estella's Theme" by Christopher Doyle from "Great Expectations" (link)

140. "Main Titles" by Rachel Portman from "The Cider House Rules" (link)

141. "The End" by Stephen Warbeck from "Shakespeare in Love" (link)

142. "The Kiss" by Trevor Jones from "The Last of the Mohicans" (link)

143. "To the Stars" by Randy Edelmann from "Dragonheart" (link)

GOOD STUFF FROM THIS CENTURY

144. "Wedding Memories" by Robert Rodriguez from "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (link)

145. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" by Rachel Portman from "The Legend of Bagger Vance" (link)

146. "I Waited" by Rachel Portman from "The Lake House" (link)

147. "Solar Sailer" by Daft Punk from "Tron: Legacy" (link)

148. "StarWaves" by M83 from "Oblivion" (link)

149. "Cloud Atlas (End Title)" by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimeck, and Reynold Heil from "Cloud Atlas" (link)

150. "Goodbye My Love" by Tyler Bates from "300" (link)

151. "Main Title" by Aaron Zigman from "The Notebook" (link)

152. "Loneliness #3 (Night Talking)" by Arcade Fire from "Her" (link)

153. "Song on the Beach" by Arcade Fire from "Her" (link)

154. "Photograph" by Arcade Fire from "Her" (link)

155. "Theme" by Jon Brion from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (link)

156. "The Wicked Flee" by Carter Burwell from "True Grit" (link)

157. "Xibalba" by Clint Mansell from "The Fountain" (link)

158. "Together We Will Live Forever" by Clint Mansell from "The Fountain" (link)

159. "The Cottage on the Beach" by Dario Marianelli from "Atonement" (link)

160. "Unraveling" by Harry Escott from "Shame" (link)

161. "The Message" by Howard Shore from "Hugo" (link)

162. "Concerning Hobbits" by Howard Shore from "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (link)

163. "Evenstar" by Howard Shore from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (link)

164. "Marry Goes to Jesus" by John Debney from "The Passion of the Christ" (link)

165. "Into the Fray" by Marc Streitenfeld from "The Grey" (link)

166. "Song For Bob" by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis from "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (link)

167. "Can You See Jane?" by Patrick Doyle from "Thor" (link)

168. "Harry in Winter" by Patrick Doyle from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (link)

169. "Doyle's Walk" by Terrance Blanchard from "The 25th Hour" (link)

170. "Everything About You" by Alan Silvestri from "What Women Want" (link)

171. "End Credits" by Alan Silvestri from "Castaway" (link)

172. "Latika's Theme" by A.R. Rahman from "Slumdog Millionaire" (link)

173. "Excelsior" by Alexander Ebert from "All Is Lost" (link)

174. "Excelsior and the All Day Man" by Alexander Ebert from "All Is Lost" (link)

175. "Love So Alike" by Anne Dudley from "Tristan and Isolde" (link)

176. "None Can Die" by Anne Dudley from "Tristan and Isolde" (link)

THE FUTURE MASTERS: MICHAEL GIACCHINO AND ALEXANDRE DESPLAT-- We've gotten to a point in movie score history where new composers are replacing legends. Many of the classics like Jerry Goldsmith, Basil Poledouris, and Michael Kamen have passed away or retired. Even John Williams is 82 and slowing down. Hans Zimmer can't compose every movie so new faces are starting to emerge like Alexandre Desplat and Michael Giacchino. The latter is my absolute favorite of the bunch and reminds me of John Williams. Giacchino can jazz it up and slow it up for Pixar, where he won an Oscar for "Up," and then turn on the jets with action like "Star Trek." I'm sneaking in a few TV selections he did from "Lost" to this movie score list. When you hear them, you won't think they're simple music from some TV show. As for Desplat, it's just a matter of time Oscar gold comes his way. He's had six nominations in the last decade and can also show his range from work like "Argo," "Godzilla," and "Harry Potter" to softer pieces like his scores on foreign films like "Lust, Caution." These are the best two young talents working today.

177. "Landing Party" by Michael Giacchino from "Lost: Season 4" (link)

178. "Rose and Bernard" by Michael Giacchino from "Lost: Season 2" (link)

179. "Moving On" by Michael Giacchino from "Lost: The Final Season" (link)

180. "Hella Bar Talk" by Michael Giacchino from "Star Trek" (link)

181. "Married Life" by Michael Giacchino from "Up" (link)

182. "Stuff We Did" by Michael Giacchino from "Up" (link)

183. "We're in the Club Now" by Michael Giacchino from "Up" (link)

184. "The Ellie Badge" by Michael Giacchino from "Up" (link)

185. "Main Theme" by Michael Giacchino from "Ratatouille" (link)

186. "Letting Go" by Michael Giacchino from "Super 8" (link)

187. "Wong Chia Chi's Theme" by Alexandre Desplat from "Lust, Caution" (link)

188. "Dinner Waltz" by Alexandre Desplat from "Lust, Caution" (link)

189. "Falling Rain" by Alexandre Desplat from "Lust, Caution" (link)

190. "River Waltz" by Alexandre Desplat from "The Painted Veil" (link)

191. "Main Title" by Alexandre Desplat from "The Painted Veil" (link)

192. "Maya on Plane" by Alexandre Desplat from "Zero Dark Thirty" (link)

193. "Farewell to Dobby" by Alexandre Desplat from "Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows Part I" (link)

194. "Postcards" by Alexandre Desplat from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (link)

195. "Benjamin and Daisy" by Alexandre Desplat from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (link)

196. "Sunrise on Lake Ponchartrain" by Alexandre Desplat from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (link)

197. "Nothing Lasts" by Alexandre Desplat from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (link)

198. "Anthony's Story" by Alexandre Desplat from "Philomena" (link)

FINALLY, IF YOU HAVE TO ALLOW ONE ACTUAL MOVIE SONG WITH WORDS INSTEAD OF JUST A SCORE, TAKE THESE TWO. GO FOR THE ORIGINALS, NOT SOME COVER BY SINATRA OR A FAT HAWAIIAN.

199. "As Time Goes By" by Dooley Wilson from "Casablanca" (link)

200. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland from "The Wizard of Oz" (link)

DOWNLOAD OR USE THIS PLAYLIST FOR YOURSELF

YOUTUBE-- As you can see, for each item on the list above, I've tried to post a YouTube link of that song or track for you to hear and sample. If you want, favorite those tracks in YouTube in a playlist on your own YouTube login. Sneaky Mozilla Firefox browser users know of add-ons and extensions that can enable you to download an MP3 file of a YouTube video to keep (but I wouldn't know anything about that, *wink*). I've got a better way to get these score selections to keep. Read on.

SPOTIFY-- Another step is building this roster into a Spotify playlist. Spotify enables you to take your music on the go via online streaming without the storage issues of having 200+ tracks fill your device's memory. I've already done that for you. Find me, "Don Shanahan," on Spotify to follow me and this playlist. For a direct link the the playlist, click here: Ultimate Movie Music Lullabies

DROPBOX-- Storage not an issue? Want all of these songs to file and keep for yourself to upload to your own device? Want to avoid the ads of YouTube or Spotify and have a seamless experience? I thought so. The best large shared download method I can think of is Dropbox. If you are interested in taking these tracks home, send your email address to this website's email address: everymoviehasalesson@gmail.com. I will then communicate with you the necessary shared folder link with all of the hard files.

I hope this big post and 200-song playlist finds you and serves you well. It's been quite the passion project for me to build, on and off, over the last year and a half. Thanks for letting me merge sounding like a parenting blogger and a movie in one post. Please share this column with your friends with kids. It's all not just for babies either. If you like this kind of music, it works great in the car or at the office as well. As a school teacher, I used to play this in my elementary school classes all the time. It's excellent music for creativity and focus for all ages. Enjoy!