A world-renowned film score composer! Ranking of Bill Conti’s most popular songs
Bill Conti is an American composer who has created numerous scores for films and television dramas.
He is also well known for scoring many of Sylvester Stallone’s works, and the theme from the Rocky series, “Gonna Fly Now,” is a piece almost everyone has heard at least once, regardless of generation.
In this article, we present a ranking of Bill Conti’s most popular tracks.
We hope you’ll enjoy it while picturing the visual works in which they were used.
A world-renowned film score composer! Ranking of Bill Conti’s most popular songs
Gonna Fly NowBill Conti1rank/position
If there’s an enduring symbol of a strong man across generations, it has to be Sylvester Stallone.
When Stallone was 29, he wrote the screenplay himself and also starred in the film Rocky.
The movie features many memorable scenes, but the most famous is the one where Rocky raises both arms after reaching the top of the steps.
The song that plays in this scene is Gonna Fly Now, composed by Bill Conti.
Just listening to it fires you up, so it’s perfect for when you want to give something your all!
Rocky ThemeBill Conti2rank/position
This is the iconic movie theme with a cool trumpet part: “Rocky’s Theme.” If you can play this piece, people will take notice.
It’s easy to get carried away with such a cool tune, but if you listen closely to the performance in the film, it actually sounds calm and controlled.
Practice the same way—stay relaxed and focus on capturing each note one at a time.
From the intro, it feels like the piece was made for the trumpet.
The intro absolutely calls for tonguing practice.
Aim for crisp, articulate playing! This is a highly recommended piece to keep in your trumpet repertoire.
Going The DistanceBill Conti3rank/position
It was used in the Stepwgn SPADA commercial.
Just from the song title, it might not ring a bell, but the moment you hear it you’ll go “Ah!”—it’s that super-famous instrumental number from the movie Rocky.
I bet many people were moved to tears as they remembered the emotional final scene of the film.
Gonna Fly Now (Theme From “Rocky”)Bill Conti4rank/position
This song is the so-called “Rocky theme.” It’s the track used in that iconic scene where Rocky undergoes grueling training, and its raw, untamed sound gives you a real boost of power.
Bringing that kind of wild energy into a magic show could be a great idea, too.
It’s a piece that multiplies the emotional impact many times over!
Theme from RockyBill Conti5rank/position
If you play in a concert band, this is one piece you’ll want to try at least once: the Theme from Rocky.
It’s especially recommended for schools with a powerful trumpet section.
It’s sure to fire up a concert audience, and it’s also a handy number for events like cheering on sports teams.
The trumpet solo is awesome, too.
And if your group has stronger soloists on sax or flute, switching the solo to those instruments works great as well.
Rocky Theme: Gonna Fly NowBill Conti6rank/position
A song that served as the theme for the film Rocky, composed by Bill Conti, with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta West and Nelson Pigford.
Rocky is one of Sylvester Stallone’s signature works and a landmark American boxing film that, since its 1975 release, has developed into a series.
This theme has been used throughout the series and is an essential element of the franchise.
It has been arranged for concert band and other ensembles and is still frequently performed in concerts today.