The Best of Film Score Monthly: 35 Years of Loving Soundtracks

by Lukas Kendall, Joe Sikoryak, Jeff Bond

424 pages, Hardcover

Published December 8, 2025

Reviews

[Randy Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do my best to be objective and rid myself of nostalgia while reading books of this sort, but this is a case where I’m unable to do so and don’t particularly care. I discovered Film Score Monthly when I was in high school, my first issue covering Jerry Fielding to mark the 20th anniversary of his death. I wasn’t even familiar with Fielding or his work, so FSM was immediately a boon to me, filling the gaps of my youthful ignorance. Reading this collection of articles really does feel like stepping into a time machine (please forgive the cliche). The Alan Silvestri article references a release of Predator that was prepared for 1995 but ultimately cancelled. Since then, Predator, one of the most requested holy grails, has been reissued at least three times! We’re lousy with Predator albums. Also captivating is an interview with agent Richard Kraft and the late producer Nick Redman, who expound on the ideal length of a soundtrack album, their opinions in stark contrast to the complete and chronological presentations used by all the specialty labels today. I also appreciate that the book includes the 101 best scores on CD feature that I keep coming back to throughout the years. One wonders what such a list would look like today given the sheer number of holy grails and expanded editions that have been released in the 25 years since. And the complete FSM discography is also a terrific edition. Lukas Kendall and his team are not only indispensable for what they’ve done to soundtrack preservation, but also for letting high school dorks know that they are not alone.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a soundtrack fan, you know of Film Score Monthly, which started out as a zine in the early 90s by Lukas Kendall, then went professional in the mid-90s, then moved to digital in the 00s (and still going). This volume collects all the highlights - interviews with Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer; analysis and opinions and reminisces from most of the notable contributors to the publication.

If you don't have access to the entire print volume or the current digital incarnation, this is a great introduction to the magazine and a wonderful collection that'll bring back memories for those who followed the publication from earlier. And if you're into film music, there's no reason NOT to read this.

This was a Kickstarter reward for their recent campaign to upgrade their website. It is currently available on Amazon and FSMCDS.com

[Scott Kardel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful retrospective of articles from Film Score Monthly, a must read for any fans of music for movies and TV.