Although this year didn't have stand-out soundtracks like last year's Django Unchained or the previous year's Tron: Legacy, there were some very cool musical moments in the cinemas in 2013. Here's the ten best soundtracks of the year...

10. TRANCE

Rick Smith may be familiar to some of you as one of the minds behind Underworld, the trance-house group that rose to prominence in the early nineties. Danny Boyle's mind-bending thriller wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but there's no denying that Smith's soundtrack definitely helped the proceedings alone. Working with Emeli Sande for the song's main theme, there was also some really interesting tracks on the album as well. Our favourite, The Heist, was used to great effect in the opening scenes.

 

 9. LINCOLN

With JJ Abrams rightly opting to use John Williams in the upcoming Star Wars film, there's little doubt in anyone's mind that he'll do a terrific job. Spielberg has used Williams many times for his films down through the years – Schindler's List, Jaws, Minority Report – and it's of little surprise he chose him for Lincoln. The political drama's quieter moments are gilded with Williams' score. The final scene with the gaslamp might make eyes roll, but you can't deny the beautiful symphony music that plays over it.

 

 8. THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

Choosing the lead singer of Faith No More to score a crime saga about sons and fathers might seem like an odd choice. Yet, for some reason, Mike Patton's music in The Place Beyond The Pines slides together perfectly to create some of the year's most haunting musical moments in film. Patton is known for being a multi-instrumentalist and wanting to experiment and expand his range. Few could have predicted what he'd do with The Place Beyond The Pines, creating almost operatic musical cues for some of the film's most emotional scenes.

 

 7. THE WAY, WAY BACK

Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, the directors of The Way, Way Back used their keen ear for picking obscure indie songs for their film. All of them fit with the tone of the film – light, summery and with a hint of darkness. Songs such as Come And See by Young Galaxy and Trampled by Turtles' Alone feel almost as though they were written for the film itself.

 

6. FRANCES HA

Whatever you thought of Frances Ha, you have to give credit to the fact Noah Baumbach knows how to create a montage. The comparisons to HBO's Girls came thick and fast when Frances Ha was released. Like Girls, Frances Ha uses songs to affect emotional responses whenever needed. One scene in particular that stands out to us is Greta Gerwig running happily through New York at night whilst David Bowie's Modern Love blasts out. It's a fun, happy little scene and a great track, as well.

 

5. MAN OF STEEL

Hans Zimmer now seems permanently linked to Christopher Nolan and dark, adult retellings of comic-book films. Having made of the decade's most recognisable musical cues with The Dark Knight and Inception, it seemed a logical choice to put him in charge of Man of Steel. The original Superman film of the 1970's had an instantly recognisable tune and Zimmer had to push that far out of everyone's minds. The music from the initial trailers for Man of Steel were incredible and the finale was as thunderous and over-the-top as everything on screen.

 

4. THE BLING RING

Say what you like about Sofia Coppola – she knows how to pick a soundtrack. Lost In Translation is one of the finest soundtracks we've ever heard and very hard to top. The Bling Ring may not have gone over with everyone, but the soundtrack had some of the year's biggest pop hits. Featuring Azealia Banks, Frank Ocean and Deadmau5, the songs were in sync with the characters on screen – vapid, glittering and disposable.

 

3. IRON MAN 3

Turning Robert Downey Jr.'s iteration of Tony Stark into a kind-of spy thriller wasn't easy, but Shane Black managed to pull it off. Using Brian Tyler, who's worked on soundtracks such as the underrated Eagle Eye, to create a slightly OTT musical world filled with saxaphones and guitar riffs, it almost sounded like something from a 1960's Hawaii Five-O episode. It also brought this back into the public consciousness.

 

2. THE GREAT GATSBY

Baz Luhrmann soundtrack are often as huge as the films he makes. When The Great Gatsby was announced, some would have expected it to have a jazz soundtrack. After all, the film is set in the Roaring Twenties, also known as the Jazz Age and music was a huge part of the novel. Instead, Luhrmann decided to throw that element out and have Jay Z executive-produce the album. Featuring Bryan Ferry, Lana Del Rey, Beyonce and many others, Luhrmann went for a completely anachronistic soundtrack like he's done in the past with Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet.

 

1. GRAVITY

Although Gravity will be remembered for its incredible visuals, the music put to these images had to match them. Creating vast musical landscapes, Steven Price helped to create some of the year's most thrilling sequences with his work. The first explosion is particularly terrifying as there are no sound effects, no explosions – instead, Price's music helps to build the tension and sense of chaos. It's deafening and when heard in a darkened cinema, truly terrifying.