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. ~ James Christopher Monger