Box Office Star Records > Domestic > Lifetime Specific Technical Role > Top Domestic Composers
Top Grossing Composer at the Domestic Box OfficeBETA
See also: Top Domestic Art Directors - Top Domestic Assistant Directors - Top Domestic Assistant Editors - Top Domestic Associate Producers - Top Domestic Casting Directors - Top Domestic Cinematographers - Top Domestic Co-Producers - Top Domestic Costume Designers - Top Domestic Costume Supervisors - Top Domestic Dialogue Editors - Top Domestic Directors - Top Domestic Editors - Top Domestic Executive Producers - Top Domestic Make-up and Hair Designers - Top Domestic Music Editors - Top Domestic Music Supervisors - Top Domestic Producers - Top Domestic Production Designers - Top Domestic Re-recording Mixers - Top Domestic Screenwriters - Top Domestic Second Unit Directors - Top Domestic Set Decorators - Top Domestic Set Designers - Top Domestic Sound Designers - Top Domestic Sound Editors - Top Domestic Sound Effects Editors - Top Domestic Sound Mixers - Top Domestic Story Creators - Top Domestic Stunt Coordinators - Top Domestic Supervising Sound Editors - Top Domestic Unit Production Managers - Top Domestic Visual Effects Supervisors - Top International Composers - Top Worldwide Composers
This list shows the highest grossing Composers based on the domestic box office of the movies they worked on.
Since we are still actively researching technical roles, we consider this chart to be in beta mode. The table includes data for movies in The Numbers database. While we make every effort to collect all available data, there are inevitably omissions and errors. Please help us by sending corrections to corrections@the-numbers.com.
1
Hans Zimmer
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 116 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: Top Gun: Maverick ($718,732,821 in 2022), The Lion King ($543,638,043 in 2019), The Dark Knight ($536,625,724 in 2008), The Dark Knight Rises ($448,139,099 in 2012), The Lion King ($423,981,226 in 1994), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($423,315,812 in 2006), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330,360,194 in 2016), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ($309,420,425 in 2007), Inception ($293,662,683 in 2010), Man of Steel ($291,045,518 in 2013) |
2
John Williams
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 79 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens ($936,662,225 in 2015), Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi ($620,181,382 in 2017), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ($515,202,542 in 2019), Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace ($487,574,671 in 1999), Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope ($460,998,007 in 1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ($439,801,744 in 1982), Jurassic Park ($415,404,543 in 1993), Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith ($414,378,291 in 2005), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ($317,871,467 in 2001), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($317,101,119 in 2008) |
3
Michael Giacchino
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 47 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: Spider-Man: No Way Home ($814,811,535 in 2021), Jurassic World ($653,406,625 in 2015), Incredibles 2 ($608,581,744 in 2018), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($533,539,991 in 2016), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($417,719,760 in 2018), Spider-Man: Far From Home ($391,362,492 in 2019), The Batman ($369,612,903 in 2022), Zootopia 2 ($365,774,438 in 2025), Inside Out ($356,461,711 in 2015), Thor: Love and Thunder ($343,256,830 in 2022) |
Complete List
| Rank | Name | Domestic Box Office |
Movies | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hans Zimmer | $13,763,661,898 | 116 | $118,652,258 |
| 2 | John Williams | $11,854,417,693 | 79 | $150,055,920 |
| 3 | Michael Giacchino | $9,389,133,412 | 47 | $199,768,796 |
| 4 | James Newton Howard | $8,840,052,142 | 123 | $71,870,343 |
| 5 | Danny Elfman | $8,724,322,636 | 100 | $87,243,226 |
| 6 | Alan Silvestri | $8,401,935,121 | 95 | $88,441,422 |
| 7 | John Powell | $6,347,600,045 | 56 | $113,350,001 |
| 8 | James Horner | $6,236,643,154 | 101 | $61,748,942 |
| 9 | John Debney | $5,818,678,285 | 102 | $57,045,866 |
| 10 | Christophe Beck | $5,407,684,040 | 76 | $71,153,737 |
| 11 | Brian Tyler | $5,021,696,445 | 66 | $76,086,310 |
| 12 | Thomas Newman | $4,718,864,491 | 87 | $54,239,822 |
| 13 | Howard Shore | $4,334,810,546 | 68 | $63,747,214 |
| 14 | Harry Gregson-Williams | $4,112,379,114 | 55 | $74,770,529 |
| 15 | Henry Jackman | $4,095,018,100 | 38 | $107,763,634 |
| 16 | Alexandre Desplat | $3,882,993,722 | 63 | $61,634,821 |
| 17 | Jerry Goldsmith | $3,846,336,831 | 108 | $35,614,230 |
| 18 | Mark Mothersbaugh | $3,743,941,635 | 74 | $50,593,806 |
| 19 | David Newman | $3,403,786,129 | 76 | $44,786,660 |
| 20 | Marco Beltrami | $3,368,105,284 | 70 | $48,115,790 |
| 21 | Randy Newman | $3,359,910,882 | 24 | $139,996,287 |
| 22 | Lorne Balfe | $3,258,288,137 | 45 | $72,406,403 |
| 23 | Heitor Pereira | $3,128,700,060 | 33 | $94,809,093 |
| 24 | Carter Burwell | $3,051,116,342 | 90 | $33,901,293 |
| 25 | Tyler Bates | $2,754,756,239 | 47 | $58,611,835 |
| 26 | Rupert Gregson-Williams | $2,746,559,897 | 33 | $83,229,088 |
| 27 | Ludwig Göransson | $2,686,532,945 | 19 | $141,396,471 |
| 28 | Theodore Shapiro | $2,638,488,133 | 63 | $41,880,764 |
| 29 | Steve Jablonsky | $2,574,966,429 | 30 | $85,832,214 |
| 30 | Trevor Rabin | $2,373,918,624 | 39 | $60,869,708 |
| 31 | Mark Isham | $2,283,694,430 | 100 | $22,836,944 |
| 32 | Alan Menken | $2,272,772,544 | 13 | $174,828,657 |
| 33 | Tom Holkenborg | $2,257,293,913 | 24 | $94,053,913 |
| 34 | Mark Mancina | $2,160,123,184 | 30 | $72,004,106 |
| 35 | John Ottman | $2,140,507,814 | 32 | $66,890,869 |
| 36 | Benjamin Wallfisch | $2,114,759,442 | 34 | $62,198,807 |
| 37 | Michael Kamen | $2,107,125,022 | 53 | $39,757,076 |
| 38 | Christopher Lennertz | $2,048,133,936 | 36 | $56,892,609 |
| 39 | Patrick Doyle | $2,007,295,338 | 47 | $42,708,411 |
| 40 | Christopher Young | $1,931,843,550 | 70 | $27,597,765 |
| 41 | David Arnold | $1,911,939,749 | 25 | $76,477,590 |
| 42 | Graeme Revell | $1,890,507,623 | 72 | $26,257,050 |
| 43 | Aaron Zigman | $1,815,329,335 | 49 | $37,047,537 |
| 44 | Harold Faltermeyer | $1,556,066,439 | 13 | $119,697,418 |
| 45 | Rolfe Kent | $1,438,244,136 | 44 | $32,687,367 |
| 46 | Teddy Castellucci | $1,429,708,472 | 19 | $75,247,814 |
| 47 | Ramin Djawadi | $1,392,348,109 | 24 | $58,014,505 |
| 48 | Mychael Danna | $1,355,781,772 | 51 | $26,583,956 |
| 49 | George S. Clinton | $1,352,678,063 | 45 | $30,059,513 |
| 50 | Daniel Pemberton | $1,326,056,303 | 23 | $57,654,622 |
| 51 | Rob Simonsen | $1,323,660,599 | 35 | $37,818,874 |
| 52 | Lalo Schifrin | $1,296,187,145 | 42 | $30,861,599 |
| 53 | Marc Shaiman | $1,245,067,398 | 17 | $73,239,259 |
| 54 | Michael Andrews | $1,176,537,677 | 32 | $36,766,802 |
| 55 | George Fenton | $1,139,327,898 | 61 | $18,677,507 |
| 56 | Simon Franglen | $1,125,337,981 | 4 | $281,334,495 |
| 57 | Elmer Bernstein | $1,026,260,911 | 20 | $51,313,046 |
| 58 | Craig Armstrong | $1,024,772,246 | 28 | $36,599,009 |
| 59 | Randy Edelman | $992,324,925 | 17 | $58,372,054 |
| 60 | Basil Poledouris | $975,938,586 | 44 | $22,180,422 |
| 61 | Klaus Badelt | $961,567,759 | 31 | $31,018,315 |
| 62 | Dario Marianelli | $959,104,424 | 32 | $29,972,013 |
| 63 | Steven Price | $950,566,629 | 16 | $59,410,414 |
| 64 | Stephen Schwartz | $916,278,328 | 3 | $305,426,109 |
| 65 | John Murphy | $911,964,745 | 9 | $101,329,416 |
| 66 | Joseph Bishara | $839,682,039 | 17 | $49,393,061 |
| 67 | Joseph Trapanese | $808,362,411 | 22 | $36,743,746 |
| 68 | Pharrell Williams | $800,874,667 | 4 | $200,218,667 |
| 69 | Elliot Goldenthal | $753,146,703 | 10 | $75,314,670 |
| 70 | Jon Brion | $722,622,841 | 16 | $45,163,928 |
| 71 | Lady Gaga | $718,732,821 | 1 | $718,732,821 |
| 72 | Ennio Morricone | $703,600,764 | 30 | $23,453,359 |
| 73 | Lyle Workman | $702,055,746 | 13 | $54,004,288 |
| 74 | Harald Kloser | $699,792,699 | 7 | $99,970,386 |
| 75 | Atticus Ross | $689,731,194 | 24 | $28,738,800 |
| 76 | Terence Blanchard | $681,296,094 | 35 | $19,465,603 |
| 77 | Dominic Lewis | $664,102,164 | 14 | $47,435,869 |
| 78 | Rachel Portman | $662,894,136 | 24 | $27,620,589 |
| 79 | Joby Talbot | $657,473,141 | 5 | $131,494,628 |
| 80 | Andrea Datzman | $652,980,194 | 1 | $652,980,194 |
| 81 | Geoff Zanelli | $647,793,187 | 24 | $26,991,383 |
| 82 | Don Davis | $642,836,796 | 4 | $160,709,199 |
| 83 | Nicholas Hooper | $640,552,845 | 5 | $128,110,569 |
| 84 | John Paesano | $639,795,237 | 13 | $49,215,018 |
| 85 | John Morris | $637,617,416 | 29 | $21,986,807 |
| 86 | Dan Romer | $614,818,758 | 17 | $36,165,809 |
| 87 | Edward Shearmur | $613,100,026 | 17 | $36,064,707 |
| 88 | Bruce Broughton | $579,515,664 | 38 | $15,250,412 |
| 89 | Andrew Lockington | $560,379,883 | 15 | $37,358,659 |
| 90 | David Holmes | $556,316,685 | 22 | $25,287,122 |
| 91 | Joel J. Richard | $551,266,879 | 5 | $110,253,376 |
| 92 | Kris Bowers | $550,473,820 | 16 | $34,404,614 |
| 93 | Trent Reznor | $540,389,434 | 14 | $38,599,245 |
| 94 | Marcelo Zarvos | $536,660,176 | 29 | $18,505,523 |
| 95 | Bill Conti | $525,362,533 | 10 | $52,536,253 |
| 96 | Marc Streitenfeld | $523,283,789 | 11 | $47,571,254 |
| 97 | Robert Rodriguez | $513,072,314 | 10 | $51,307,231 |
| 98 | Charlie Clouser | $508,999,921 | 12 | $42,416,660 |
| 99 | Matthew Margeson | $497,601,467 | 11 | $45,236,497 |
| 100 | Pinar Toprak | $492,192,151 | 4 | $123,048,038 |
The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).
This table is updated daily to reflect the latest studio reports.
Note: This chart is not adjusted for inflation.
Image attributions
Hans Zimmer: Richard Yaussi [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
John Williams: TashTish at en.wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
