Who composed the musical score for Titanic (1997)?

James Horner composed the musical score for Titanic (1997), including its orchestral themes and songs.

Director James Cameron wanted the score to combine sweeping romantic music with the atmosphere of the ocean liner’s final voyage. Horner wrote the instrumental soundtrack, while Will Jennings wrote the lyrics for “My Heart Will Go On,” which Celine Dion recorded. The song became the film’s signature musical success, but its composition and lyrics were separate credits.

Horner had already scored major films such as Aliens and Braveheart before working on Titanic. His Titanic score used orchestral writing and choral textures to support both the love story and the disaster sequences. The soundtrack was released in 1997 and became one of the best-selling film soundtracks ever.

A common mix-up is crediting Cameron or Dion for the entire score. Cameron directed the film, Dion performed the best-known song, and Horner composed the film’s musical score.