Nick Glennie-Smith, Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams - The Rock - Original Motion Picture Score (1996)

Composed in tandem with Media Ventures partners including Nick Glennie-Smith and Harry Gregson-Williams, Hans Zimmer's The Rock typifies the bigger-is-better film scoring sensibilities that defined Hollywood in the mid-'90s -- with its bombastic electronics, relentless bass, and blast-furnace eruptions of dissonance, the music is an overwhelming sensory experience, and virtually impossible to absorb over the course of a single sitting. Too many cooks spoil the broth here -- with so many contrasting compositional approaches in the mix, the music is a disjointed mess, and thematic unity is nothing more than an afterthought. You thought breaking out of Alcatraz was difficult? Try listening to this tripe.~Review by Jason Ankeny