06/12/2023
John Williams' Top 10 Movies
08/02/2022
Most of my favourite movies or movie franchises have one thing in common: the score is composed by John Williams. John Williams, for those who aren't aware, is an incredible composer who wrote many of the most iconic movie scores in history. Today (the 8th of February, 2022) is Williams' 90th birthday! In celebration of this memorable day, I have created a list of John Williams' top ten best movies. Just to be clear, a movie franchise is going to count as one movie so, because John Williams wrote the music for most of the Star Wars movies, Star Wars will only take up one spot on the list. For each movie or movie franchise, I have suggested some of the best songs for recommended listening.
Credit: Getty
#10: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (MA15+)
Saving Private Ryan is an incredible film directed by Steven Spielberg. It follows a special group of soldiers tasked with extracting Private Ryan from behind enemy lines after all his brothers have been killed in action. John Williams' score adds a true sense of heroism and reflects the sense of sacrifice seen on screen. Williams perfectly captures the wartime genre within the music making it a tremendous score. If you haven't already seen the movie, I would certainly suggest you go and do that right away but also check out "Hymn To The Fallen" and "Defense Preparations" from the album.
#9: HOME ALONE (PG)
Home Alone is a classic movie often played at Christmas. But did you know that John Williams composed much of the music for the movie? Williams expertly reflects the magic of Christmas in his music and the songs have an undoubtedly December feel about them. The main title ("Somewhere in My Memory") best shows how Williams can create music for any situation. And although John Williams wasn't the original composer of "Carol of the Bells", he can still be credited for arranging the version heard in Home Alone and for cleverly placing it in the movie.
#8: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (G)
You will notice that many movies on this list are also directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg made the smart decision of getting John Williams in for his earlier movies and stayed with him for many years. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is another movie whose magic is conveyed through its music as well as what is happening on screen. The "Flying Theme" is my favourite piece of music from E.T.
#7: SUPERMAN (PG)
I'm not talking about any of these flashy DC remakes, I'm talking about the original Superman starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman and the incredible score from John Williams. Williams once again proves that he can write music for any situation. If comic books had music, this is exactly what it would sound like. Just listen to the main title to see what I'm talking about.
#6: HOOK (PG)
Hook is another hilarious Steven Spielberg movie following a grown Peter Pan returning to Neverland after his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook. Hook is my all-time favourite Peter Pan adaptation and is certainly worth a watch. The score for Hook captures the fantasy of the movie as well as the silliness from Robin Williams' acting. "Flight to Neverland" is a must-listen as much as Hook is a must-see. If I haven't hooked you then I don't know what will.
#5: The INDIANA JONES Franchise (M)
The entire Indiana Jones franchise essentially rides on "Raiders March" originally written for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Once again, John Williams has adapted to whatever has been thrown at him. The Indiana Jones movies are all about adventure and this can easily be heard in the music. Just start playing "Raiders March" and see how many people grab out their Fedora hat and whip.
#4: The HARRY POTTER Franchise (M)
Similarly to how every Indiana Jones movie uses variations of "Raiders March", all Harry Potter movies use music based around "Hedwig's Theme". The song was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and can be heard throughout the rest of the series. The song perfectly captures the mystery and magic of the Wizarding World. I have never liked Harry Potter all that much but I love sitting down and listening to "Hedwig's Theme" and "Prologue" from the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone album.
#3: JAWS (M)
Whether they know it or not, everyone has heard this theme. John Williams simplicity in this theme certainly paid off. The themes throughout Jaws admirably add to the suspense of the movie. It is hard to imagine Jaws without the iconic theme. Check out "Main Title And First Victim" and "Man Against Beast" to hear this masterpiece.
#2: The STAR WARS Franchise (M)
It's equally hard to imagine my all-time favourite movie saga without any music. Most of the Star Wars movies had music composed by John Williams so it will be no surprise if these themes remain iconic for many years. The "Main Title" is the most famous Star Wars theme, however, there are so many other incredible themes and each instalment in the franchise creates a new epic theme. Aside from the "main Title", my favourites from the original trilogy are "The Throne Room and End Titles", "Cantina Band", "The Imperial March", "The Return of the Jedi", and "The Hologram / Binary Sunset". Although the prequels are my least favourite Star Wars films, there are still some great themes including "Across the Stars (Love Theme from "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones")", "Battle Of The Heroes", and "Duel of the Fates". The sequels have "Rey's Theme", "March of the Resistance", and an epic mashup of all of John Williams' works in the "Finale" of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
#1: JURASSIC PARK (M)
John Williams' best movie in my opinion, which also happens to be my all-time favourite movie theme, is Jurassic Park. I literally dedicated an article to the sounds of Jurassic Park. The score manages to easily reflect the magic and wonder of the movie but also helps create some suspense. Even if you've seen the movie, you must listen to the album on its own! But if you don't have the patience to listen to the whole album, then I'd recommend "Welcome To Jurassic Park" and "Opening Titles". I must also mention that Michael Giacchino did an excellent job at taking over the reigns for composing the music for the later Jurassic World movies but nothing will ever compare to John Williams' magnificent score for Jurassic Park.
Honourable Mentions
If this isn't enough for you and would like to hear more of Williams' work (because let's admit it, you can never have too much John Williams), here are some honourable mentions which didn't quite make the top ten.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (M)
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (G)
EMPIRE OF THE SUN (PG)
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (PG)
SCHINDLER'S LIST (M)
THE PATRIOT (MA15+)
Credit: Jamie Trueblood / Lucasfilm Ltd.
There you have it: John Williams' best movies. If this still isn't enough and you want to listen to movie scores all day long, then I've made a playlist on Spotify of some of the best scores from many different movies. Some of these are by John Williams but there are many more by other great composers such as Kevin Kiner, Ludwig Goransson, Michael Giacchino, Hans Zimmer, and more! You can find that playlist here.
Article by Tristan Carr
Last edited: 08/02/22
