I’m still thinking a lot about The Odyssey, so I thought I’d take the time to highlight the composer of the film, since the music is one of the best things about it. Ever since Black Panther in 2018, Ludwig Göransson has become one of my all-time favorite composers. I actually first heard his score in We’re the Millers (2013), though I could barely remember much about it. Göransson began his career by moving from Sweden to Los Angeles in 2007 to attend the USC Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program, where he met student director Ryan Coogler. His collaborations with Coogler are some of his best work; it’s just so cool to see two college buddies reach such greatness in Hollywood. 

I’m a big fan of Göransson because he blends modern music production with rich cultural and historical authenticity. His scores are thoroughly researched and deeply rooted in the genre’s history, making his music feel one-of-a-kind and genuinely authentic. Göransson frequently approaches the script as if it were a musical score. He works closely with the directors well ahead of the filming process, so the filmmakers can use the essential themes and sonic elements on set while they’re shooting.

It’s thanks to Hans Zimmer that Göransson started scoring films for Christopher Nolan. This shift occurred when Nolan asked Zimmer to compose the music for his 2020 sci-fi thriller, Tenet. However, Zimmer had to decline the opportunity since he was already heavily involved in scoring Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, which has been a lifelong dream project for him. Zimmer stepped in to vouch for Göransson’s talent, stating that he and Göransson were friends but “forget the friend part—he’s really good!” It turns out to be a fruitful collaboration that’s led to Oscar glory. Like Zimmer, Göransson seems friendly and down-to-earth; he shows no signs of arrogance despite his amazing talent.

When I consider my favorite scores, they definitely need to fit seamlessly into the movie, and the film would not be as impactful without the music. I also take into account the replayability value… how often I want to listen to them on their own, apart from the film. Keeping that in mind, here are nine of Göransson’s best film and TV scores, based on my ranking from top to bottom.

1 ) Black Panther (2018)

Goransson’s Oscar-winning score for Black Panther fuses traditional West African folk music with a grand Western symphony. He crafted genuine cultural sounds by combining talking drums, the kora, and the Fula flute with a 92-piece orchestra. Before composing any music, he journeyed to Senegal to immerse himself in local musical traditions, collaborating with master musicians like Baaba Maal. I absolutely adore this vibrant score; it carries a certain strength and majesty, featuring a distinct African sound that’s quite contemporary. It’s a one-of-a-kind and enjoyable score that perfectly represents the advanced nation of Wakanda.

2 ) TENET (2020)

The first time I watched this movie, I was totally confused, but after seeing Tenet twice, I really enjoyed it much more. One thing that caught my attention right away was the creative score. To align with the film’s unique idea of things moving backward in time, Göransson flipped his recording process upside down. He’s so creative that he even used digital synthesizers to tweak Nolan’s recorded breathing, creating a breathing motif for some tracks. I’m really impressed with what he achieved during the 2020 pandemic when major recording studios were shut down, preventing him from gathering a 90-piece orchestra. Instead, Göransson transformed his home into a recording studio.

Posterity and Freeport became my favorite workout jams; I just can’t get enough of the drum beat and the wild, looping synthesizer riff in those tracks. Posterity is absolutely epic; it’s a 12-minute action suite that plays during the intense “temporal pincer movement” battle.

3 ) The Mandalorian Series (2019-2023)

I grew up enjoying 80s TV shows with unforgettable theme songs; from Miami Vice and MacGyver to Golden Girls and The A-Team, those TV scores are super catchy. But honestly, I struggle to recall any TV scores from the last decade, that is, until The Mandalorian came along. I’d go as far as to say that what Göransson has created here is practically as iconic as John Williams’ score for Star Wars.

I love how the score captures the vibe of a gritty space western, starting off with simple notes from his recorder. The steady tom-tom drum beat is crafted to mimic the rhythm of a horse trotting through an empty Western landscape.

4 ) Sinners (2025)

The last time I did a Music Break post was in January, when I posted my top 10 scores of 2026. Of course, Sinners made the list. Apparently, Sinners is Goransson’s most personal score yet, driven by guitar and reflecting his childhood roots as a guitarist. His dad, a Swedish music teacher who loved blues, got him his first blues record back in 1964, sparking Göransson’s interest in the genre early on. For the film, they took a research trip together along the American blues trail in Memphis. How cool is that!

Since the main character in the film carries a guitar, Göransson aimed to base the score around that very acoustic instrument. He traveled the world to find and buy three original 1932 Dobro Cyclops resonator guitars.

One of the score’s most intricate parts is a genre-bending music montage that beautifully merges decades of Black musical history into a single surreal track, starting with traditional African roots, moving through early blues, and evolving into modern electric funk, jazz, and hip-hop.

5 ) Oppenheimer (2023)

Göransson’s work on Tenet heavily shaped his Oscar-winning approach to Oppenheimer. In Tenet, he created an uneasy, unstable atmosphere by using custom synthesizers that constantly bent and modulated their pitch. He applied the same approach of pitch instability and applied it to analog string instruments, specifically the violin. I love that he worked with his wife, Serena, an accomplished classical violinist. The score mixes unsettling horror elements with lovely melodies to capture the essence of a genius tormented by personal demons, like the Trinity track.

My favorite track is “Can You Hear the Music,” which is so hypnotic and emotional, with that dizzying, ascending violin pattern. The track constantly accelerates and decelerates, shifting from an intimate, solitary acoustic performance into a thunderous wall of synchronized strings. Simply masterful.

6 ) The Odyssey (2026)

This one is still fresh in my mind. The Swedish composer is truly on top of his game, and he continues to be experimental and inventive in his scoring process. Chris Nolan banned him from incorporating a traditional orchestral score, so Goransson designed a period-appropriate soundscape rooted entirely in the Bronze Age. He’s definitely the perfect composer for this, as he’s used to doing musical archaeology and using unusual instruments.

He and his team built historical replicas of ancient woodwinds such as the Aulos and Greek Lyres, and for the percussion sound, he rented 35 distinct bronze gongs to evoke the gritty, industrial sound of Bronze Age warfare and sea voyages.

7 ) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Though typically a composer would reuse a lot of the scores from the original film in the sequel, Göransson had to reinvent his approach because of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing and the introduction of the underwater Mesoamerican civilization, Talokan. Thus, the sound of Wakanda Forever feels new and different, especially in its tone. While the first film was a lively tribute to the flourishing African nation, the score for the sequel evokes themes of grief, trauma, and change.

I really adore the song Lift Me Up; it’s so moving and honors Boseman beautifully, showcasing Rihanna’s incredible vocals. Co-written by Göransson, Rihanna, director Ryan Coogler, and Nigerian artist Tems, this track definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Original Song.

9 ) Creed (2015)

In his second project with Ryan Coogler, Goransson is tasked with reimagining the musical heritage of the Rocky franchise, which was originally created by Bill Conti. However, both felt that Adonis should have to ‘earn’ the iconic Rocky theme. As a result, for the first two-thirds of the film, we don’t get to hear Conti’s victorious brass fanfares. Instead, Adonis’s initial character is shaped by a somber, wandering electric guitar and piano theme. The score combines classic symphonic arrangements with contemporary Philadelphia hip-hop production.

8 ) Venom (2018)

2018 was a busy year for Göransson as he tackled several music projects, including this one. The narrative and vibe are worlds apart from Black Panther, prompting him to switch from the triumphant brass fanfares to an intense, gritty antihero score. The dynamic between Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote is quite chaotic, and the fast-paced score captures that energy. The heavy-metal rock tracks during the action scenes really ramp up the adrenaline and keep you on the edge of your seat. I know a lot of critics didn’t like the movie, but I actually found Venom and Tom Hardy’s performance pretty enjoyable.

2018 was a busy year for Göransson as he tackled several music projects, including this one. The narrative and vibe are worlds apart from Black Panther, prompting him to switch from the triumphant brass fanfares to an intense, gritty antihero score. The dynamic between Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote is quite chaotic, and the fast-paced score captures that energy. The heavy-metal rock tracks during the action scenes really ramp up the adrenaline and keep you on the edge of your seat. I know a lot of critics didn’t like the movie, but I actually found Venom and Tom Hardy’s performance pretty enjoyable.

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What do you think of this list? What are your favorite Ludwig Göransson scores?