AllMusic's Favorite Soundtracks and Scores of 2011

The best soundtracks and scores of 2011 came from many corners. As they often do, film adaptations of books -- both classic and contemporary –- provided plenty of inspiration for composers, whether it was Thomas Newman's music for The Help, Johnny Greenwood's Norwegian Wood score or Dario Marianell's sweeping Jane Eyre cues. Meanwhile, the music from the HBO series Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire reflected the creativity and attention to detail in both shows, which rivals any theatrical release; the Chemical Brothers and Cliff Martinez further blurred the boundaries between electronic pop and film music with their respective work on the Hanna and Drive soundtracks; and The Muppets and Real Steel proved that movies for the young (or young at heart) can have top-notch music, too.

Andrew Bird - Norman
Ludovic Bource - The Artist
The Chemical Brothers - Hanna
Ramin Djawadi - Game of Thrones
Danny Elfman - Real Steel
Jonny Greenwood - Norwegian Wood
Grizzly Bear - Blue Valentine
James Newton Howard - Water for Elephants
Alberto Iglesias - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Jack Liebeck - Jane Eyre
Cliff Martinez - Drive
The Muppets - The Muppets
Thomas Newman - The Help
Daniel Radcliffe/John Larroquette - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Sonic Youth - Simon Werner a Disparu
Hans Zimmer - Rango
Original Broadway Cast - Book of Mormon
Original Soundtrack - Boardwalk Empire: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 1
Original Soundtrack - Descendants