7. Thomas Newman
Why Him? Thomas Newman is currently wowing anyone who listens to his score for Skyfall, and rightfully so. It's grand, yet subtle. Aggressive, yet tender. And it really knows how to sneak up and punch your ears in the face. There are those who might feel that his sound is too sparse and spatial for the Star Wars universe. To those people, I would direct you to listen to his score for Wall*E. It's Newman's most accomplished score, ranging from the small and intimate to the grandiose and bombastic, and it's a perfect example of what he could do with an interstellar canvas. (For a more thorough charting of his pre-Skyfall evolution,
check this out.) Plus with Skyfall, he's shown he can step into an existing franchise, with existing themes and put his own spin on it, while turning in terrific work. (He's actually one of several on this list that have jumped into existing franchises, and one of two Bond composers.)