5. The Shawshank Redemption
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXKiOm0Ps Some may argue that this was the turning point for Newmans career. It was an incredibly powerful score for an even more powerful film. Before 1994, the mainstream had little knowledge of Mr. Newman. That all changed with Oscar nominations in 1995 for both The Shawshank Redemption and Little Women. Newman was now big time. The sound he crafted here is the basis of most people's understanding of him as a composer. The score is cathartic, euphoric, minimalist and thought provoking. While it is overall a very dark score, Newman sprinkles the melodies with sounds of hopefulness, preventing the score from ever becoming too grating on the listeners and viewers. Though this is far from a perfect score, it marked a crucial point in Newmans career and serves as a significant benchmark for charting his evolution as an artist.