For about a year I have been listening to and ranking the scores of Ennio Morricone. Normally I refrain from giving any sort of rating to the music I listen to, as if I wouldn't give it top marks then I don't bother listening to it. However, Morricone's body of work is so overwhelming, with over 500 scores for film and television, that I needed some structural assistance to help me penetrate and understand his methodology and development.
I haven't been able to listen to all of his published work so I don't consider this list a definitive expression of my critical tastes, but I did manage to get through about 360 scores, which is as many as are in my possession at present. I ranked the scores on their depth, variety, originality and sense of purpose, without reference to their effectiveness as accompaniment for the associated title. There are a great many more of his soundtracks that contain good music, but they didn't make this list because they were either too repetitive or perhaps only contained one exceptional piece among others of lesser quality.
(1965) The Return of Ringo(1966) El Greco
(1966) Svegliati e Uccidi
(1966) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
(1966) Uccelacci e Uccellini
(1967) I Crudeli
(1967) Il Giardino delle Delizie
(1967) Matchless
(1968) Once Upon A Time In The West
(1968) Roma Come Chicago
(1969) Cuore di Mamma
(1969) La Monaca di Monza
(1969) Metti, Una Sera a Cena
(1969) Queimada
(1969) Un Tranquillo Posto di Campagna
(1970) La Moglie Piu Bella
(1970) Vamos a Matar Compañeros
(1971) Correva L'Anno di Grazia 1870
(1971) Giornata Nera per L'Ariete
(1971) Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura
(1971) Il Gatto a Nove Code
(1971) Incontro
(1971) L'Istruttoria e Chiusa: Dimentichi
(1971) La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro
(1971) Oceano
(1971) Quattro Mosche di Velluto Grigio
(1971) Tre Nel Mille
(1972) Anche Se Volessi Lavorare, Che Faccio?
(1972) Controfase
(1972) L'Automobile
(1972) Le Due Stagioni Della Vita
(1972) Mysticae - L'Uomo e la Magia
(1972) Un Uomo da Rispettare
(1973) Giordano Bruno
(1973) Sepolta Viva
(1974) Il Fiore Delle Mille e Una Notte
(1974) Moses
(1974) The Final Days of Mussolini
(1975) Macchie Solari
(1976) Desert of the Tartars
(1977) Drammi Gotici
(1977) Holocaust 2000
(1977) Opposte Esperienze
(1978) Days of Heaven
(1980) Il Bandito Dagli Occhi Azzurri
(1980) La Banchiera
(1982) Butterfly
(1982) Marco Polo
(1982) The Thing
(1983) Le Ruffian
(1983) Sahara
(1984) Once Upon a Time in America
(1985) Red Sonja
(1986) The Mission
(1987) The Untouchables
(1988) Cinema Paradiso
(1988) Frantic
(1988) Secret of the Sahara
(1989) Casualties of War
(1989) I Promessi Sposi
(1990) Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
(1993) In the Line of Fire
(1996) Nostromo
(1998) La Casa Bruciata
