The movie scores of 2018 have been as eclectic as the movies themselves, with any list of the year’s best forced to hop between the pep of “Paddington 2,” the swoons of “If Beale Street Could Talk,” the bloody tumult of “Mandy,” and the regal triumph of “Black Panther.” Yes, for the first time in forever, the score for a Marvel movie was worthy of being discussed alongside work from the likes of Jonny Greenwood and Justin Hurwitz. In fact, there was too much great work this year to celebrate all of it, especially in under-the-radar films like “Mary Shelley” (Amelia Warner), “Nostalgia” (Laurent Eyquem), and “Madeline’s Madeline” (Caroline Shaw). And while attention is too seldom paid to the original music in foreign films, the likes of “Burning” (Mowg) and “Capernaum” (Khaled Mouzanar) boasted indelibly evocative scores, as well.

2018 also featured a number of memorable soundtracks full of original...