by James Christopher Monger

Composer Bill Conti's iconic score for Sylvester Stallone's tale of over-the-hill Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa ranks as one of the most memorable and instantly recognizable pieces of film music ever applied to celluloid. The first Rocky is still the best, with classic cues like "Going the Distance," "Fanfare for Rocky," the "Final Bell" and "Gonna Fly Now" -- the latter was actually a hit single -- eschewing the myriad of questionable AOR songs that would end up cluttering future installments. [In 2006, Capitol released the 30th Anniversary Edition of Rocky which featured the original play list remastered in 24-bit digital, with photos and liner notes from Stallone himself.]