Vangelis
Composer · Died May 17, 2022, aged 79 · Volos, Thessaly, Greece
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (Greek: Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου, pronounced [eˈvaɲɟelos oðiˈseas papaθanaˈsi.u]; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis (/væŋˈɡɛlɪs/ vang-GHEL-iss; Greek: Βαγγέλης, pronounced [vaɲˈɟelis]), was a Greek musician, composer, and producer of electronic, progressive, ambient, and classical orchestral music. He composed the Academy Award-winning score to Chariots of Fire (1981), as well as scores for the films Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1982), Antarctica (1983), The Bounty (1984), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004), and the 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan. Born in Agria and raised in Athens, Vangelis began his career in the 1960s as a member of the rock bands the Forminx and Aphrodite's Child; the latter's album 666 (1972) is recognised as a progressive-psychedelic rock classic. Vangelis settled in Paris and gained initial recognition for his scores to the Frédéric Rossif animal documentaries L'Apocalypse des Animaux, La Fête sauvage, and Opéra sauvage. He released his first solo albums during this time and performed as a solo artist. In 1975, Vangelis relocated to London, where he built his home recording facility named Nemo Studios and released a series of successful and influential albums for RCA Records, including Heaven and Hell (1975), Albedo 0.39 (1976), Spiral (1977), and China (1979). From 1979 to 1986, Vangelis performed in a duo with Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, releasing several albums as Jon and Vangelis. He collaborated with Irene Papas on two albums of Greek traditional and religious songs. Vangelis reached his commercial peak in the 1980s and 1990s. His score for Chariots of Fire (1981) won him an Academy Award for Best Original Score and the film's main theme, "Chariots of Fire – Titles,” went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, while his score for 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, and the film's soundtrack and main theme topped the European charts, selling millions of copies. His compilation albums Themes (1989), Portraits (So Long Ago, So Clear) (1996), and studio album Voices (1995) sold well. Vangelis composed the official anthem of the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Korea and Japan. In his last 20 years, Vangelis collaborated with NASA and ESA on music projects Mythodea (1993), Rosetta (2016), and Juno to Jupiter (2021), his 23rd and final studio album. He died on 17 May 2022, at age 79, of heart failure at a hospital in Paris. Having had a career in music spanning over 50 years, and having composed and performed more than 50 albums, Vangelis is one of the most important figures in the history of electronic music and modern film music. He used many electronic instruments in the fashion of a "one-man quasi-classical orchestra," composing and performing on the first take. Description above from the Wikipedia article Vangelis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 29, 1943
- May 17, 2022 (aged 79)
- Volos, Thessaly, Greece
- Composer
- 14 on MovieCove · 42 credits in all
What are Vangelis' films like?
Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 13
Light 1 · Serious 3 · Dark 10
A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 7
Steady 5 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 3
A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 8
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet6
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous4
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Vangelis' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Vangelis' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
42 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
2790 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Beyond, ode to the Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
We are Stardust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Nuclear Now(2022)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Creator of the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Twilight of Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all filmsRupture: A Matter of Life OR Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
El Greco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Alexander(2004)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Cavafy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Bitter Moon(1992)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Plague (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Black Ink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Starwatcher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Francesco(1989)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Vampire in Venice(1988)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
The Bounty(1984)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Antarctica(1983)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Blade Runner(1982)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Missing(1982)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Chariots of Fire(1981)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Cosmic Machine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Mater amatísima (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Death of a Princess(1980)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Defiant Delta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
The Mantle of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Crime and Passion(1975)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
The Wild Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Face in Motion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Do You Hear the Dogs Barking? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
The Apocalypse of the Animals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Apocalypse of the Animals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Frenzy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Georges Mathieu or the Fury of Being (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Sex-Power (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Vortex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Five Thousand Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
State of Being (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 42 titles, 41 of them dated from 1966 to 2025.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Vangelis' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 83rd percentile, the median of all 14; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the sound and music 74/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 56. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Vangelis' work okay for kids?
Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Vangelis work with?
People who share at least 2 of Vangelis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Oliver Stone shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Oliver StoneShared titles: Nuclear Now (2022), Alexander (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Oliver Stone
- Ridley ScottShared titles: 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), Blade Runner (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Ridley Scott
Actors
- Ben CrossShared titles: Vangelis and the Journey to Ithaka (2013), Chariots of Fire (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Ben Cross
- Ian CharlesonShared titles: Vangelis and the Journey to Ithaka (2013), Chariots of Fire (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Ian Charleson
- Anthony HopkinsShared titles: Alexander (2004), The Bounty (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Anthony Hopkins
- Christopher PlummerShared titles: Alexander (2004), Vampire in Venice (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Christopher Plummer
Editors
- Françoise BonnotShared titles: 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), Missing (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Françoise Bonnot
- Terry RawlingsShared titles: Blade Runner (1982), Chariots of Fire (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Terry Rawlings
Producers
- Fernando SulichinShared titles: Nuclear Now (2022), Alexander (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Fernando Sulichin
- Jon KilikShared titles: Nuclear Now (2022), Alexander (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Jon Kilik
- Robert S. WilsonShared titles: Nuclear Now (2022), Alexander (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Robert S. Wilson
- Iain SmithShared titles: Alexander (2004), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Iain Smith
