If you were to stop someone on the street and ask them to name any film composer, their answer would likely be John Williams or Hans Zimmer. Indeed, with 169 credits to his name, Zimmer is one of the most prolific film composers of our time, and also one of the most memorable. From the “BRAHHHMMMM” of Inception to the emotional swells of The Thin Red Line, Zimmer’s work has transcended the cinema time and time again to become part of the pop culture lexicon.

But one of the qualities of Zimmer’s work that doesn’t seem to get enough credit is his versatility. He is equally at home in the world of a giant, heady sci-fi film as he is in a Nancy Meyers romantic comedy. This versatility has served him well — almost too well. With so many credits to his name and a chameleon-like ability to mask his signature sound, Zimmer is behind the scores of more movies than you think. And, even more incredibly, he's behind the scores of movies that, on their face, don't necessarily seem like Zimmer's kind of movie.

So, in celebration of the composer's 63rd birthday and the jaw-dropping resumé he's created over the course of his decades-spanning career, let's take a look at which movies he's scored that might surprise you.

Mission: Impossible 2

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Image via Paramount Pictures

The mid to late '90s saw Zimmer expanding more fully into the action genre, and he turned in a score for 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2 that evokes other similar-sounding '90s blockbusters but also tries to put a bit of a twist on the genre. The most prevalent Zimmer signifier is the “female voice singing in a foreign language beautifully”, which Zimmer would also employ for the epic Gladiator and the animated The Prince of Egypt. The score for Mission: Impossible 2 isn’t exactly memorable beyond being reminded of the fact that we let Limp Bizkit perform the theme song, but it’s a case of Zimmer trying to bring something slightly different to a well-treaded genre. That would be a hallmark of his work in the years to come and would signal success when he entered the superhero movie realm.

Rain Man

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Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Zimmer’s career really first took off when he composed the score to Rain Man, which went on to win numerous Academy Awards including Best Picture and even nabbed Zimmer a Best Original Score Oscar nomination. The music is, frankly, kind of silly in hindsight. It’s certainly evocative of what was popular at the time, with synthesizers, pan flute, and steel drums galore, but there’s a reason the theme to Rain Man isn’t an enduring pop culture staple all these years later.

Toys

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Image via 20th Century Studios

First of all, let’s agree that Barry Levinson’s 1992 dark comedy Toys is a weird movie. It’s tough to imagine this film being greenlit in any decade, let alone the '90s. But Zimmer’s work is actually kind of cool and unsettling, and pairs well with the film’s sweet oddness. It’s another synth-heavy score, and he co-composed this one with Trevor Horn, but it strikes me as slightly more distinct than some of his other 90s works. However, just as Toys has been relegated to the land of forgotten movies, Zimmer’s music for the film has also been lost to time.

True Romance

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Image vi Warner Bros.

The second of many collaborations with filmmaker Tony Scott, Zimmer opted to go the homage route for the Quentin Tarantino-penned True Romance. In a nod to the film’s riffs on Terrence Malick’s Badlands, Zimmer’s score draws from Carl Orff’s “Gassenhauer”, which was the prevalent theme in the Malick crime drama. It’s not nearly as intense as Zimmer’s work on Scott’s other films, but it’s a nice twist on the crime genre as the composer’s "softie at heart" side shines through in what’s essentially a love theme.

Cool Runnings

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Image via Buena Vista Pictures

Yes, that’s correct. Hans Zimmer composed the score to the Disney sports favorite Cool Runnings. It’s a decidedly commercial piece of work and, to be honest, pretty derivative, but this is one of the very few times Zimmer tried his hand at the sports genre. Feel the rhythm. Feel the rhyme. Get on up. It’s bobsled time!

Muppet Treasure Island

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Image via Walt Disney Pictures

Another oddball in Zimmer’s early filmography is the sequel Muppet Treasure Island, though it makes more sense in hindsight. It was Zimmer’s first kids-oriented film after his smashing success on Disney’s The Lion King, and as we’ve seen in the years since, the composer has carved himself a niche in the animated film world — mostly at DreamWorks Animation. This score also has a bit of familiarity to it; you can feel the precursors to the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean theme that Zimmer and his team would craft nearly a decade later.

The Ring

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Image via DreamWorks

Another one of Zimmer’s frequent collaborators is director Gore Verbinski, and he dipped his toe into the horror genre with the 2002 smash hit The Ring. It’s a hauntingly beautiful piece of work, but you’d be forgiven for forgetting it was Zimmer’s doing since it marked his only major foray into horror. There’s a sinister edge to it that’s kind of refreshing, and giving the soundtrack another spin makes me want to see the composer give horror another go.

The Holiday

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Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

While Zimmer is most known for his big, bombastic scores for big, bombastic movies, he’s been a mainstay in the romantic comedy genre throughout his career. He’s had a long and fruitful collaboration with director Nancy Meyers, and perhaps their highpoint is the 2006 film The Holiday. This score isn’t going to blow anyone away, but there’s a sweetness to it that’s endearing and comforting, like a warm blanket. Moreover, Zimmer handles the dual storylines of Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz’s characters by pretty much crafting two separate scores: one low-key and rural, the other one bustling and modern.

Chappie

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Image via Columbia Pictures

Yes, Hans Zimmer composed the score for Chappie! Every once in awhile Zimmer will have a film that kind of sneaks past everyone, and while Chappie’s lackluster reception certainly didn’t help, it seems like this score flew under many people’s radar. It’s a fairly guitar-heavy piece of work, which is a frequent hallmark in Zimmer’s filmography, but it also attempts to draw on robot-esque tones. However, Chappie isn’t the only 2015 film that Zimmer scored: He also did the small-scale drama The Woman in Gold. Again, the guy’s ubiquity is only outweighed by his versatility.