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 113 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 80 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 ($439,454,989 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
James Newton Howard
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 124 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: The Dark Knight ($536,625,724 in 2008), The Hunger Games ($408,010,692 in 2012), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 ($337,135,885 in 2014), The Sixth Sense ($293,506,292 in 1999), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 ($281,723,902 in 2015), I am Legend ($256,393,010 in 2007), Maleficent ($241,407,328 in 2014), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ($234,037,575 in 2016), Signs ($227,969,295 in 2002), King Kong ($218,080,025 in 2005) |
Complete List
| Rank | Name | Domestic Box Office |
Movies | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hans Zimmer | $13,568,168,708 | 113 | $120,072,289 |
| 2 | John Williams | $12,015,063,616 | 80 | $150,188,295 |
| 3 | James Newton Howard | $8,847,294,177 | 124 | $71,349,147 |
| 4 | Michael Giacchino | $8,750,808,358 | 45 | $194,462,408 |
| 5 | Danny Elfman | $8,721,924,866 | 98 | $88,999,233 |
| 6 | Alan Silvestri | $8,436,724,986 | 94 | $89,752,393 |
| 7 | James Horner | $6,230,885,892 | 101 | $61,691,940 |
| 8 | John Debney | $5,760,930,232 | 101 | $57,038,913 |
| 9 | John Powell | $5,744,523,635 | 55 | $104,445,884 |
| 10 | Christophe Beck | $5,407,686,040 | 76 | $71,153,764 |
| 11 | Brian Tyler | $4,945,434,693 | 63 | $78,498,963 |
| 12 | Thomas Newman | $4,724,914,509 | 88 | $53,692,210 |
| 13 | Howard Shore | $4,341,520,432 | 69 | $62,920,586 |
| 14 | Harry Gregson-Williams | $4,112,141,969 | 54 | $76,150,777 |
| 15 | Henry Jackman | $4,063,942,930 | 36 | $112,887,304 |
| 16 | Jerry Goldsmith | $3,852,804,660 | 108 | $35,674,117 |
| 17 | Mark Mothersbaugh | $3,737,320,037 | 73 | $51,196,165 |
| 18 | Alexandre Desplat | $3,521,146,043 | 61 | $57,723,706 |
| 19 | David Newman | $3,403,786,129 | 76 | $44,786,660 |
| 20 | Marco Beltrami | $3,367,108,828 | 68 | $49,516,306 |
| 21 | Randy Newman | $3,353,192,090 | 24 | $139,716,337 |
| 22 | Heitor Pereira | $3,128,700,060 | 31 | $100,925,808 |
| 23 | Lorne Balfe | $3,060,874,622 | 44 | $69,565,332 |
| 24 | Carter Burwell | $3,025,862,230 | 88 | $34,384,798 |
| 25 | Rupert Gregson-Williams | $2,746,559,897 | 32 | $85,829,997 |
| 26 | Tyler Bates | $2,696,704,912 | 47 | $57,376,700 |
| 27 | Ludwig Göransson | $2,649,402,576 | 18 | $147,189,032 |
| 28 | Steve Jablonsky | $2,574,966,429 | 29 | $88,791,946 |
| 29 | Theodore Shapiro | $2,547,252,361 | 61 | $41,758,235 |
| 30 | Trevor Rabin | $2,373,918,624 | 39 | $60,869,708 |
| 31 | Mark Isham | $2,276,245,824 | 99 | $22,992,382 |
| 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 | $2,160,132,755 | 30 | $72,004,425 |
| 35 | John Ottman | $2,140,507,814 | 32 | $66,890,869 |
| 36 | Michael Kamen | $2,107,988,271 | 53 | $39,773,364 |
| 37 | Christopher Lennertz | $2,048,133,936 | 36 | $56,892,609 |
| 38 | Patrick Doyle | $2,007,295,338 | 47 | $42,708,411 |
| 39 | Graeme Revell | $1,973,130,278 | 73 | $27,029,182 |
| 40 | Christopher Young | $1,931,443,550 | 70 | $27,592,051 |
| 41 | David Arnold | $1,911,939,749 | 25 | $76,477,590 |
| 42 | Benjamin Wallfisch | $1,845,549,399 | 29 | $63,639,634 |
| 43 | Aaron Zigman | $1,809,284,971 | 48 | $37,693,437 |
| 44 | Harold Faltermeyer | $1,556,066,439 | 13 | $119,697,418 |
| 45 | Rolfe Kent | $1,437,333,082 | 43 | $33,426,351 |
| 46 | Teddy Castellucci | $1,429,708,472 | 19 | $75,247,814 |
| 47 | Ramin Djawadi | $1,392,348,109 | 22 | $63,288,550 |
| 48 | George S. Clinton | $1,352,678,063 | 45 | $30,059,513 |
| 49 | Mychael Danna | $1,323,356,107 | 50 | $26,467,122 |
| 50 | Lalo Schifrin | $1,296,187,145 | 42 | $30,861,599 |
| 51 | Marc Shaiman | $1,224,762,147 | 16 | $76,547,634 |
| 52 | George Fenton | $1,210,380,159 | 61 | $19,842,298 |
| 53 | Rob Simonsen | $1,199,242,238 | 33 | $36,340,674 |
| 54 | Daniel Pemberton | $1,196,520,895 | 22 | $54,387,313 |
| 55 | Michael Andrews | $1,176,537,677 | 32 | $36,766,802 |
| 56 | Elmer Bernstein | $1,026,260,911 | 20 | $51,313,046 |
| 57 | Craig Armstrong | $1,024,589,661 | 28 | $36,592,488 |
| 58 | Randy Edelman | $992,324,925 | 17 | $58,372,054 |
| 59 | Basil Poledouris | $975,938,586 | 44 | $22,180,422 |
| 60 | Klaus Badelt | $961,063,729 | 30 | $32,035,458 |
| 61 | Dario Marianelli | $959,104,424 | 32 | $29,972,013 |
| 62 | Steven Price | $910,668,874 | 13 | $70,051,452 |
| 63 | Joseph Bishara | $839,682,039 | 17 | $49,393,061 |
| 64 | Simon Franglen | $812,927,145 | 3 | $270,975,715 |
| 65 | Pharrell Williams | $800,874,667 | 4 | $200,218,667 |
| 66 | Elliot Goldenthal | $753,146,703 | 10 | $75,314,670 |
| 67 | Joseph Trapanese | $738,021,443 | 18 | $41,001,191 |
| 68 | Jon Brion | $721,362,383 | 16 | $45,085,149 |
| 69 | Lady Gaga | $718,732,821 | 1 | $718,732,821 |
| 70 | Ennio Morricone | $703,233,234 | 30 | $23,441,108 |
| 71 | Lyle Workman | $701,897,456 | 13 | $53,992,112 |
| 72 | Harald Kloser | $699,792,699 | 7 | $99,970,386 |
| 73 | Terence Blanchard | $681,296,094 | 35 | $19,465,603 |
| 74 | Rachel Portman | $662,894,136 | 24 | $27,620,589 |
| 75 | Joby Talbot | $657,473,141 | 5 | $131,494,628 |
| 76 | Andrea Datzman | $652,980,194 | 1 | $652,980,194 |
| 77 | Don Davis | $642,836,796 | 4 | $160,709,199 |
| 78 | Nicholas Hooper | $640,552,845 | 5 | $128,110,569 |
| 79 | John Paesano | $639,795,237 | 13 | $49,215,018 |
| 80 | John Morris | $637,617,416 | 29 | $21,986,807 |
| 81 | Geoff Zanelli | $634,425,563 | 22 | $28,837,526 |
| 82 | Atticus Ross | $613,311,350 | 23 | $26,665,711 |
| 83 | Edward Shearmur | $595,251,704 | 16 | $37,203,232 |
| 84 | Dominic Lewis | $589,949,788 | 12 | $49,162,482 |
| 85 | Bruce Broughton | $579,515,664 | 37 | $15,662,586 |
| 86 | Stephen Schwartz | $574,644,308 | 2 | $287,322,154 |
| 87 | Andrew Lockington | $560,379,883 | 15 | $37,358,659 |
| 88 | John Murphy | $557,780,280 | 9 | $61,975,587 |
| 89 | David Holmes | $556,316,685 | 22 | $25,287,122 |
| 90 | Kris Bowers | $549,810,860 | 16 | $34,363,179 |
| 91 | Bill Conti | $525,362,533 | 10 | $52,536,253 |
| 92 | Marc Streitenfeld | $523,283,789 | 11 | $47,571,254 |
| 93 | Marcelo Zarvos | $512,360,176 | 28 | $18,298,578 |
| 94 | Charlie Clouser | $508,999,921 | 12 | $42,416,660 |
| 95 | Robert Rodriguez | $507,069,776 | 9 | $56,341,086 |
| 96 | Matthew Margeson | $497,601,467 | 11 | $45,236,497 |
| 97 | Joel J. Richard | $493,215,552 | 5 | $98,643,110 |
| 98 | Pinar Toprak | $492,192,151 | 4 | $123,048,038 |
| 99 | David Buckley | $491,663,748 | 16 | $30,728,984 |
| 100 | Eric Clapton | $489,541,466 | 5 | $97,908,293 |
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
James Newton Howard: By JNH et HZ.jpg: Yann de la marnederivative work: Butko [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
