List of Doctor Who composers

This is a list of composers for science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is sortable by a number of different criteria. The list defaults to ascending alphabetical order the composer’s last name.

Doctor Who composers[edit]

The Revived Series’ original soundtracks were entirely composed by Murray Gold for the first ten series. Gold utilised an orchestra score for many episodes, with heavy use of leitmotifs for characters such as the Doctor, the companions and monsters.[3][4] Gold’s music was played at the Proms, such as for the 50th anniversary celebration.[5] Several singers performed in the soundtracks of these series, for instance, Neil Hannon in “Song for Ten”.[6] However, the programme had previously had a singer – The Gunfighters featured Lynda Baron singing “The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon” in 1966.

Segun Akinola replaced Gold for the duration of the Thirteenth Doctor’s run. Akinola’s scores tended to be more ambient than Gold’s, with a great variety of instruments for different episodes.[7]

In April 2023, it was announced that Gold would again join Doctor Who as composer.[8][9]

Stock music[edit]

Instead of using specially composed music, some serials were scored completely with pre-recorded stock music. Some of these serials used music by one composer as noted below:

• The Edge of Destruction
• The Web Planet – Music by Les Structures Sonores
• The Space Museum
• Galaxy 4 – Music by Les Structures Sonores
• Mission to the Unknown – Music by Trevor Duncan
• The Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve – Music by Pierre Arvey
• The War Machines
• The Tenth Planet
• The Highlanders
• The Moonbase
• The Faceless Ones
• The Tomb of the Cybermen
• The Enemy of the World – Music by Béla Bartók
• The Web of Fear
• The Mind Robber – Music by Anton Bruckner
• Inferno

Spinoff composers[edit]

Notes[edit]

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^ Also composed music for the 2017 version of Shada

^ Botterill performed eight minutes of percussive music for the score, with the rest from stock.[2]

^ Three serials credited to Cary (The Rescue, The Ark, and The Power of the Daleks) just reuse music originally recorded for The Daleks or The Daleks’ Master Plan with no new music.

^ a b c d e f g Composed as part of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

^ Also provided uncredited incidental music for Revenge of the Cybermen.

^ Also composed music for the 1992 video release of Shada and the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time

References[edit]

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^ Ainsworth, John, ed. (2016). “The Crusade, The Space Museum, The Chase and The Time Meddler”. Doctor Who: The Complete History. London: Panini Comics, Hachette Partworks. 5 (11): 133. ISSN 2057-6048.

^ “Adventures in Time and Sound PDF”. Retrieved 9 September 2022.

^ “Who Music in Notes”. Retrieved 9 September 2022.

^ “BBC 2013 Proms”. Retrieved 9 September 2022.

^ “Neil Hannon – Song For Ten Lyrics”. musiXmatch. Retrieved 10 September 2022.

^ “Doctor Who Series 12 Soundtrack World”. Retrieved 9 September 2022.

^ “Award-winning composer Murray Gold returns to Doctor Who | Doctor Who”.

^ T Davies, Russell. “Russell T Davies on Instagram: “MURRAY GOLD will be the composer for the next season of Doctor Who! Is anyone surprised?! Full story & interview in this week’s new DWM ♥️””. Instagram. Retrieved 24 April 2023.

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