With being a big fan of electronic music I thought the music on Classic Dr Who was great and added to the atmosphere of the show. Here is my list of some of my all time favourite incidental scores of Classic Who.

Mindwarp - Richard Hartley
Planet of Fire - Peter Howell
Caves of Androzani - Roger Limb
Revelation of the Daleks - Roger Limb
Vengeance on Varos - Jonathan Gibbs
Enlightenment - Malcolm Clarke
The Leisure Hive - Peter Howell
Logopolis - Paddy Kingsland
City of Death - Dudley Simpson
Jonathan Gibbs - Mark of the Rani
Time and the Rani - Keff McCulloch
The Mysterious Planet - Dominic Glynn
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy - Mark Ayres

Whenever this subject comes up, 'March of the Cybermen' from Earthshock always pops into my mind first and foremost. Its the first time i remember taking note of and loving the incidental music

So many choices!!! The recent CD release is glorious, and brings back such happy memories!

Agree that the 80s Cybermusic is great. The Cybermen often choose poor scripts but have a great ear for music. The 60s Cybermusic is also wonderful.

My other nominations:

The Five Doctors (the blaring "horn" sound in particular).
City of Death
The chanting in Death to the Daleks
Adric's theme
The Mark of the Rani

Other examples will come, I am sure.

I immediately think of Dominic Glynn's music for the opening scene in Trial of a Time Lord, then Paddy Kingsland's music for the end of Logopolis, oh, and then Dominic Glynn again when the Master appears on the trial room screen and reveals the Valeyard's identity.

Attack of the Cybermen: not just the fantastic clanging and echoey Cybermusic, but also the tinkly Cryon theme, baring Lytton theme, and "Peri running" theme.

Yes and a very recognisable piece of music too. I also liked Nyssa's theme from this era and Tegan's farewell music which was terribly sad.

Not such a big electronic fan myself, but I did like Kingsland's work in Logopolis, which was quite similar to what he did for Hitch Hiker's Guide.

The best score I can think of offhand is the one for The Savages by Raymond Jones. Beautiful.

Tristram Cary's work on the early Dalek stories springs to mind

When I saw the thread title, Paddy Kingsland's Fourth Doctor regeneration music sprang to mind.

It's very good to listen to, but it does bring a tear to my eye, knowing that this is when my all-time favourite Doctor, Tom Baker left the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_WSezfjs9o

I think Mawdryn Undead and City Of Death are the best pieces of Incidental Music there is in Classic Who. I also like the horn effects from The Five Doctors, and also the small piece of music to accompany the 4th to 5th Doctor regeneration. Just brings back the memory from first watching it all those years ago every time.

The going into the TARDIS bit at the end of Robot and the ambulance nicking music from Castrovalva.

I really like the music in City of Death, When the Doctor and Romana are running through the streets of Paris.

Admittedly, it was repeated far too many times, but I suppose they had to justify the cost of location filming and it makes a change from running down the same corridor.

Actually, City of Death is one of my favourite stories.

Paddy Kingsland - Logopolis.

City of Death is the only piece of incidental music in Classic Who I can actually remember so that.
The rest of it just sounds like ambient incidental music, very little of which stands out for me.

I don't know what it is called, but I love the score which plays in 'Revelation of the Daleks' when the Renegade Daleks drag Davros away.

In Ambassadors of Death, Part Three, there is a really haunting, beautiful piece of music played over the scene where two hired criminals abduct the three captive aliens from the space mission centre, and then the scene where the two criminals, now dead from radiation poisoning, are dumped in a gravel pit by another man. The music is from 7.10 to 8.35, then 9.40 to 11.35, in the link below. I think it is absolute gorgeous in a creepy sort of way.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12...h-3_shortfilms

No idea, but the worst has to be 'The Sea Devils'. What on earth were they thinking of?!

I'd go along with most of your choices there, although never got on with Keff McCulloch's scores. Malcolme Clarke is excellent, and agree with Mark Ayres inclusion. Certainly IMO the most talented of the latter lot.

Kingsland fan...the scores that most readily spring to my mind are for Castrovalva and Frontios.

Would add Geoffrey Burgon for Terror of the Zygons and Seed of Death, particularly the former; a beautiful and haunting score.

The piece that sounds like a musical setting for the lyric 'The Doctor in Paris, the Doctor in Paris, the Doctor in Paris...'?

Have to disagree. If it had been used for any other story, then yes, it would be totally unsuitable.

But for this, it was superb. Had just the right of appropriate mariney seaforty naval type feel to it in keeping with the story content.

NuWho character themes are a main part of the score today. Its quite sad that the only time we ever heard character themes back then was at debut and departure. And the poor ol Doctor didn't even have one.

Agreed. I think Deadly Dudley did sort of have a go at a theme for Tom. The one that went "Doooooo...de do de de de doooooo; do dooo, do de doooo".

I know what I mean. It's used in the scene where Tom and Elisabeth are skulking outside the house trying to avoid being seen and ducking below the windows in 'Pyramids...' Variations occasionally cropped up and I related it to Tom's Doctor.

(Disclaimer: I could be talking rubbish here.)

Yes! The Martian music is very mellow and very sinister. You've reminded me: I'd like to nominate The Invasion's theme for "the company" scenes. Quite unlike anything else in DW and very sinister.



Seeds of Doom, rather than Death. That said, Death also had great music!

Last year, I stayed in the cottage that is attached by the Krynoids, and watched the story there. The music is extra-spooky, on location. Zygons music is gorgeous too! Geoffrey Burgon did the music for the BBC's Narnia series, and that was also stunning.

Very talented man. Schoolboy error re: Seeds of Death/Doom!

Watched The Daleks yesterday and would like to add Tristram Cary to my roll of honour. Hugely effective and ambient score, with great use of backward loops to create an alien, unusual and sinister atmosphere. (The Beatles caught on circa 1966 )

(OT, the rewatch just reminded me once again how brilliant that story is. Huge part of why we are here 50 years later. Episode 6 sags a bit, but it's just wonderful.)