Andrew, Rachmaninoff would likely approve of Poledouris's music for Conan. I just took a listen to the dozen Amazon samples and they fall into the category of enjoyable classical music. Much(nearly all?)of the best classical music composed during the last 50 years or so has been composed for films. Composers such as Prokofiev and Vaughan Williams wrote a considerable amount of music for films, while other composers such as Goldsmith, Herrmann, Korngold, Steiner, etc. wrote almost entirely for films. Much of the classical music(?)other composers have attempted during the past few decades is unenjoyable aural garbage in no way comparable to many of the creations of the film composers, including Poledouris.

I have some film scores in my CD collection, which I of course include in the classical genre. Bernard Herrmann's music for Fahrenheit 451 and The Day the Earth Stood Still are fine examples of modern classical music which is still enjoyable for listening.

Theoretically, any band that writes songs with lyrics such as "Banana chips for you!/Banana chips for me!/ In the afternoon, banana chips and tea" should have a life span no longer than that of a grasshopper. But something oddly spellbinding occurs when deceivingly silly lyrics are sandwiched between a buoyant guitar and a rapid-fire, pop-punk drum kit. Which perhaps explains why the Japanese female rock duo Shonen Knife is still singing songs about cookies, sushi, jelly beans, and, of course, banana chips, nearly 25 years after its inception. - The Boston Globe[4]