Upon leaving the cinema after watching Inception this summer, I came with a profound new love for movie soundtracks. You simply cannot have an amazing film without an amazing soundtrack. And in my mind, there are no two better composers in the business than the legendary John Williams and of course Hans Zimmer. But my question is, who do you prefer?

Of course at the end of the day, it’s all just a matter of opinion. But I thought it was a rather interesting debate. John Williams on one hand has under his belt, some of the greatest films of all times with Jurassic Park and E.T. for example which I’m sure if you’re in my generation will forever be adorned as the true classic films of our era. Then there’s Hans Zimmer whose catalogue of films is also impressive with arguably one of my favourite films of all time in Gladiator. There’s a clear contrast in styles here but in the end, it really does come down to what you’d prefer. Either the instantly recognisable tunes from John Williams, or the atmospheric rollercoaster that comes from Hans Zimmer.

To help you decide, I’ve listed down 8 of my favourite songs from both directors.

Let me know what you think in the comments section, Twitter or on my Facebook page. All the links as usual can be found in the sidebar.