5 shows that prove Bear McCreary is the best composer on television

Black Sails

When it comes to out-of-the-box scores, it’s hard to find a better show than Black Sails. The Starz drama was bloody, gritty, and filled with layer upon layer of nuance…and Bear McCreary’s bombastic music was the perfect mirror to all the action happening on screen.

One of the coolest things about the Black Sails score is how unique and varied the instruments are, which is something of a calling card for McCreary (especially with Starz; we’ll get to more of their collaborations shortly). The most iconic sound from Black Sails is the hurdy gurdy, a stringed instrument that’s kind of like a cross between a violin and an accordion. Hurdy gurdys actually existed in the 18th century when the show is set, so using that sort of sound added a whole heaping spoonful of authenticity to Nassau and its residents.

Of course, McCreary’s stellar hurdy gurdy playing didn’t pull all the weight. Black Sails has a “pirate rock” soundtrack, meaning that there are plenty of songs that combine those authentic 1700s sounds with modern electric guitar, booming percussion, and some drunken-sounding gang vocals. The tale of Long John Silver and his companions is accompanied by a truly enormous range of sounds.

Black Sails stands as an excellent example of how McCreary’s choices to use authentic, off-the-beaten path instruments deepened the world of the show. The music on Black Sails may as well be its own character, for how much it adds.