Best John Williams themes! Go!

[Zaukrie]

I think the music is so central to Jaws and SW, that while I love everything else, I think those two win for me.

 

[aco175]

Just think what Star Wars would have been with Flash Gordon music instead. What would Jaws be without; Duh-Duh, duh-duh... Dud-duh, Duh-duh...

 

[Rabulias]

I am kind of confused about who wrote the Harry Potter music as I feel like I have seen his name and Patrick Doyle as well as some others credited with it. Patrick Doyle is pretty good too

John Williams wrote the scores for the first three Harry Potter films which established most of the major themes. Patrick Doyle scored the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which utilized some of William's themes. Nicholas Hopper scored the next two films and Alexandre Desplat scored the last two, and each of those also incorporated themes that Williams originated.

For me, it's this.


It's a short piece, but it encapsulates so many of the themes of the movie, of the entire series.



When you said chills, I knew exactly which Indiana Jones piece it had to be.

"Binary Sunset" is use of the Force Theme, which is one of my favorite themes. The medal ceremony at the end of A New Hope is a different rendition of the same melody.

 

[TwoSix]

It's like trying to pick between your children, but I think Jurassic Park does the most work elevating its movie.

 

[Rabulias]

Star Wars ignited the soundtrack fan spark in me, and John Williams is probably my favorite film composer. I find the Force Theme a beautiful piece and Williams masterfully uses it in so many ways throughout the nine Star Wars films. It can be mysterious, aspirational, dark, ominous, heroic, majestic, or hopeful.

While most folks recognize the Force Theme, there was another theme he briefly presented in a very different way in the prequels that most people missed. The parade on Naboo at the end of The Phantom Menace re-purposed the Emperor's Theme from Return of the Jedi (16 years prior), tying Palpatine's theme to his Naboo heritage.

 

[CleverNickName]

Indiana Jones had the best music, IMO. Then Jurassic Park, then Star Wars, but these three are all very close. I think they're the top-tier of his work...they all could easily tie for first place, if I weren't picking nits here.

Harry Potter, Jaws, and Superman are in the second row.

The rest are pretty good, but I don't dig them as much as the other six.

 

[Willie the Duck]

What, no The Eiger Sanction or TV work!? Outrageous!

You joke (I think), but even a lot of his scores for... products of lesser overall quality, shall we say... are often quite good. I remember both Sabrina and The Terminal being overlong and underwhelming (and Stanley & Iris being just a forgettable romance), but the scores were still of the caliber that on anyone else's resume they would be top-ten material.

 

[reelo]

Any answer other than "Leia's Theme" is objectively wrong.

 

[Imaculata]

I would say his music for Home Alone 2 might be one of his best works. It is like he was on a quest to write the perfect Christmas song, and ended up writing several.

 

[monsmord]

You joke (I think), but even a lot of his scores for... products of lesser overall quality, shall we say... are often quite good. I remember both Sabrina and The Terminal being overlong and underwhelming (and Stanley & Iris being just a forgettable romance), but the scores were still of the caliber that on anyone else's resume they would be top-ten material.

I was serious - there are many more terrific scores than those listed in the poll. And you're right, there are movies/shows that are otherwise pretty silly, mundane, or otherwise forgettable that benefit from his excellent soundtracks - like The Eiger Sanction, Valley of the Dolls, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, Fitzwilly... (The "love theme" from Fitzwilly, "Make Me Rainbows", can get stuck in my head for days.)

John Williams is why I majored in Music Composition, intending to write for film. While some of his work is more interesting than others (IMO, Harry Potter, A.I., and Hook, for example, are technically excellent - meaning they accomplish the primary goal of supporting the films - but rather middle of the road as far as "singability", and not ones I go to for the sheer joy of listening), there's not a bad score among 'em. And yeah, the TV work is excellent! (And both Lost in Space themes rule!)