Basil Konstantine Poledouris was born on August 21, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Greek immigrant parents from Messenia. He developed an early interest in music, beginning piano lessons at the age of seven. After graduating from Garden Grove High School, he attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he studied both filmmaking and music. It was at USC that Poledouris met influential directors such as John Milius and Randal Kleiser, with whom he would later collaborate extensively.

Poledouris became renowned for his powerfully epic orchestral compositions and intricate thematic designs. He is best known for his collaborations with directors John Milius and Paul Verhoeven, scoring films such as "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), "Red Dawn" (1984), "RoboCop" (1987), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "Free Willy" (1993), and "Starship Troopers" (1997). His work earned him critical acclaim, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for the miniseries "Lonesome Dove" in 1989, and he was a four-time recipient of the BMI Film Music Award.

In addition to his film work, Poledouris composed "The Tradition of the Games" for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics opening ceremony. He maintained a professional mixing facility called "Blowtorch Flats" in Venice, California, specializing in film and media production.

Poledouris married his wife, Bobbie, in 1969, and they had two daughters, Zoë and Alexis. His elder daughter, Zoë Poledouris, followed in his footsteps as an actress and film composer, occasionally collaborating with him.

Basil Poledouris spent his final years on Vashon Island, Washington, and passed away from lung cancer on November 8, 2006, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 61. His legacy endures through his distinctive and influential contributions to film music.