The Greatest Science Fiction Soundtrack Ever!

[kentauros]

2. Kubrick used nothing but existing music.

Louis and Bebe Barron created not only a composition, but basically invented synthesizers (or started others on the road to them.)

Personally, I consider it the greatest because it's alien in sound. People loved it at the time because it fit to the genre. Sure, Kubrick picked just the right music for the majesty of 2001, but nothing was originally composed just for that movie.

Now, to be fair, as my brother and I were discussing this soundtrack recently, is that it could never be done again today. Not that you'd have musicians creating new equipment to make new sounds, but such atonal music would not be used by any major studio and today's audiences would never accept it. You'll find plenty such comments on imdb.com from people that just don't get "musique concrete" and think the soundtrack is horrible.

I've got a CD copy of the soundtrack (ripped to flac now) and in listening to it, I feel that deep thrill one gets from listening to a masterpiece, as from any era