Score Sample: Conan the Destroyer (1984)

When it comes to the big guns of fantasy music of the 1980s, you can't ignore the amazing score to Conan the Barbarian by Basil Poledouris. Nearly every track on that score is top notch film music material, and it is easily one of my favorite scores for the 1980s. The score became iconic in its time, and when the sequel came around the producers asked Poledouris to return.

While most of us will agree that Conan the Destroyer is an inferior film to the original, it has some solid fantasy tropes, some cool action scenes, and some really bad humor that doesn't work and some serious moments that turn out hilarious. It is a great movie to riff. But the music is actually one of the best parts of the production. Poledouris returns with a similar style, primal and rooted in medieval music stylings, giving it a very different feel to John Williams or James Horner's more classical trained scores.

Conan the Destroyer keeps the love theme, the main theme and even repurposes a few themes from the original score in unique ways. But the new material is really great. The villains get a bombastic new theme. The sequence with Conan facing the mirror room creature has a relentlessness to it, and there is plenty of magic in the score. While the original 80s album isn't too bad, there was an amazing rerecording that is the only way to listen to this score.

For you listening pleasure here is a suite of music from Conan The Destroyer by Basil Poledouris.

And the rerecording done by City of Prague Philharmonic for the amazing Tadlow album, that also includes music from the Universal Studios Sword and Sorcery Spectacular.

Soundtrack Sample - Conan the Barbarian - Basil Poledouris

I mentioned in my review of the 2011 version of Conan the Barbarian that the score was adequate at best and abrasive and annoying at worst. It literally distracted me at times during the film, and in a way that made me wonder, "What the hell was that?"

A score should support the film, feel like a natural part of the movie at the very least. But a great score will make you take notice and say, "Where can I buy that one?"

Sadly, composer Tyler Bates had a huge problem. He had to compose music for a franchise that created one of the best fantasy scores of the modern age, and easily one of the best movie scores of the 1980s.

Basil Poledouris created a masterpiece with his score to Conan the Barbarian. Inspired by medieval rhythms and primal power, the score feels at once ancient and at the same time a perfect fit for a Golden Age epic film.  Nearly every track on the score is a joy to listen to. Much of the film goes by with little to no dialogue, and allowed Poledouris to tell the story musically.

There are so many great tracks to pick from, but I decided to go with the opening credits. The track is The Anvil of Crom, and it pretty much tells you all you need to know about Conan and the Hyborian Age.

Poor Tyler Bates didn't have much of a chance.