One of the most iconic movie maestros of all time,John Willaims’s career expands to TV and movies, where he has been responsible for some of the greatest themes to hit the big screen. John Williams’s music is iconic and instantly recognizable, and his best work has expanded across multiple genres and also provides audiences with boundless imagination and an instant classic.
While John Williams has been responsible for some incredible themes over the years, it’s his work on entire soundtracks to support the best movie scores that really make him a triumphant composer, whose music helps to provide films with the sounds of cinema itself.
E.T. And Elliott Get Drunk
Escape / Chase / Saying Goodbye
End Credits
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’s music hasn’t had as many conversations as other pieces from John Williams, but it’sequally as deserving. It’s yet another collaboration between the legendary duo of John Willaims and Steven Spielberg, and the composition provided brings forth an adventure for children to crave along with a friend alien of their own.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialmight be a more subtle touch of music than compared to other sci-fi swells of John Williams’ talent, but there is still magic and beauty in its brass instruments that swell within themes like Far From Home. The music almost sounds like the fair of a church organ to build on the friendship of a boy and his alien.
Remembrances
Theme From Schindler’s List (Reprise)
Schindler’s Listis an essential movie for anyone’s watchlist to put a light on the horrors of World War 2, and John Williams, along with Itzhak Perlman, respects the story of the movie and provides it with the sounds of tragedy.Schindler’s Listis heartbreaking, and John Williams’ score provides heartbreak with a theme of its own in part to the violin solos that bolster silent percussions.
Schindler’s Listallows for its music to breathe, and at times, it can almost be overwhelming with how the violins will swell as if to cry out in song for the tragedy that befalls a movie such as this from Spielberg and Williams.
Escape from the Temple
Reunion in the Tent / Searching for the Well
The Miracle of the Ark
Washington Ending / Raiders March
The music that will follow Harrison Ford with every step comes from John Williams, which provided an archaeologist adventurer with a main theme of a lifetime which combines brass and percussion to immense fanfare. The Raiders March is one of the most recognizable themes in movie history, andwith a fedora, leather jacket, and whip, the theme will make anyone crave adventure in exotic places.
John Williams’Raiders of the Lost Arkscore bolstered the epic collaborative duo of John Williams and Steven Spielberg once more, and the elements for this movie’s themes work beautifully, like the poetic romance of Marion’s Theme that provides a personal flute that blossoms with harps and further percussion.
Visit to the Zoo and Letters from Hogwarts
Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Vault
Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters and the Journey to Hogwarts
Entry into the Great Hall and the Banquet
Hogwarts Forever! and the Moving Stairs
The Norwegian Ridgeback and a Change of Season
The Invisibility Cloak and the Library Scene
In the Devil’s Snare and the Flying Keys
Leaving Hogwarts
Hedwig’s Theme
The iconic chimes from the celesta that bring audiences intothe magic of Hogwartscome from the genius of John Williams, who provided fans of the series with sound that has become as iconic as the visuals and the magic from J.K. Rowling. John Williams’ work onHarry Potterhas followed every subsequent movie, and for good reason, as it combines magical elements of music for a sound like no other.
Building from the dazzling chimes,Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneamazes with bustling percussion instruments, with a mixture of trumpets, flutes, and violins, with sounds that truly elevate the movie and float audiences into the true magic of Hogwarts itself.
T-Rex Rescue & Finale
Welcome toJurassic Park, a movie that most have fond or terrifying memories of. No matter what the opinion of the movie is for nostalgia, everyone knows the iconic theme fromJurassic Parkthat slowly swells into a triumph of wonder for creatures that have been extinct for millions of years.
WhileJurassic Park’s visuals and main theme have immense excitement and wonder to their design, the soundtrack isn’t afraid to embrace the more horrific aspect ofthese pre-historic predatorswith tracks like The Raptor Attack, which provides an ominous hum among quick bursts of trombones for suspenseful drama. Jurassic Park is a brilliant blend of wonder and terror.
Prelude and Main Title March
Lois and Clark
Crime of the Century
Misguided Missiles and Kryptonite
Super Dam and Finding Lois
Finale and End Title March
Love Theme from Superman
Can You Read My Mind
Superman: The Movieis heartfelt and beautiful, and if that doesn’t come out of Christopher Reeve’s incredible performance as Superman, it certainly comes out with John Williams’ composition. John Williams’ excellent marches, dedication to brass, and tender waves make for a beautiful set of themes for a superhero in love with both the world and Lois Lane.
The beauty of lengthy themes like The Flying Sequence showcases a believable romance in the skies, whereas Turning Back the World harbors incredible grief and anger for a man who can turn back time. Yet, where Superman: The Movie really shines is in the Prelude and Main Title March, which brings forth a sound that is as synonymous to Superman as the blue and red costume itself, so much so that it returnsfor James Gunn’sSupermanmovie on June 13, 2025.
Star Wars and the Revenge of the Sith
Battle of the Heroes
Grievous and the Droids
The Birth of the Twins and Padme’s Destiny
A New Hope and End Credits
John Williams went above and beyondfor theStar WarsPrequel Trilogy, in which his work is often discussed, if not more so, than the movies themselves. While John Williams provided some of the greatest orchestral music of all time with Duel of the Fates, the better soundtrack of the Prequel Trilogy belongs toRevenge of the Sith, which features far more bolster for emotional swells in Anakin’s tragedy.
The emotional involvement in Anakin’s Dark Deeds from the loud and aggressive choir to the almost tear-jerking brass instruments just furthers how this fall of a hero becomes all the more iconic and tragic. Paired with Battle of the Heroes and Anakin vs. Obi-Wan, audiences are in for a thrill ride of sound, just as much as they are with the choreography of the fight itself.
The Heroics of Luke and Han
Han Solo and the Princess
Yoda and the Force
Lando’s Palace
Finale
John Williams’Star Warsis the undisputed king of movie scores, and it’s hard to find anyone who wouldn’t recognize the iconic Main Theme ofStar Wars. Yet, a revisedlook at the seriesfor its sequel,Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, saw even greater themes with the likes of The Imperial March, which provided Darth Vader with his iconic and menacing theme that would follow him with every step and breath.
Not only doesThe Empire Strikes Backimpress with its menace, but it also impresses with its blistering love. Yoda and the Force are truly captivating and magical, whereas themes like Han Solo and the Princess blossom through a daring love story of tenderness and innocence within the war.
