Arguably the greatest movie composer of his time, John Williams has composed more than 75 film scores. Williams has a way of simplifying an entire film score, theme, or character into a few powerful bars. When we see an Indiana Jones poster or shark attack, we think of William’s accompanying music before it plays. With two notes he created a villain, and with a simple chorus he makes galaxies far, far away and fantastical worlds seem like our own backyard.

Updated: November 2022: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Maria McGinnis.

When Disney boughtStar Wars in 2012, many fans were skeptical of a new trilogy, but everyone agreed that if Disney made new movies, John Williams needed to write the score. The Academy nominated him for a whopping 52 Oscars (making him the most nominated person alive), and awarded him five. Williams not only inspires emotion with his work, but he is also a master storyteller. While listening to his soundtracks one can’t help but imagine the characters, images, or conflicts that would be on-screen. While we won’t attempt to rank all 75 of his composed works, here are some of John Williams’ best.

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11 Far and Away

     Universal Pictures

Ron Howard’s nostalgic film about the Oklahoma land rush received mixed reviews, but the score is undeniably a work of art. In Far and Away, a wealthy landlord’s daughter and struggling potato farmer move from Ireland to America in search of their own land. Williams captures the excitement, risk, and hopefulness of the immigrants during the late 1800s. He fantastically blends the musical identities of the two different countries into one comprehensive score. The beautiful score, paired with breathtaking cinematography, gives viewers a new appreciation for the Midwest and an often overlooked piece of history.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

10 Home Alone

     20th Century Studios

Home Alone is a yearly must-watch during the holiday season. It’s funny, heartwarming and light — the perfect recipe for a Christmas movie. While most people revere Home Alone for its plot, humor, and good performances, the movie’s score is an equally important part of what makes this movie so good. Williams managed to perfectly capture the feeling of the holiday season in the score with music that almost seems to sparkle. Most notable is “Somewhere in My Memory,” which has been performed time and time again by large orchestras and even high school bands and choirs. It’s a song that within the first few seconds seems to warm the room and stir up holiday memories.

9 Hook

     TriStar Pictures

Steven Spielberg’s Peter Pan adventure Hook is a fun take on the classic story featuring an incredible cast with names like Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Dame Maggie Smith, and Julia Roberts. Williams was brought on to score the movie when it was being considered to be a musical and wrote about eight songs with lyricist Leslie Bricusse, which was narrowed down to two songs — “We Don’t Wanna Grow Up” and “When You’re Alone” — in the final cut of the movie. Overall, the score for Hook just screams adventure. Listening to it makes you feel like you’re setting off on a journey somewhere far away. One of the best tracks is “Presenting the Hook,” which serves as Captain Hook’s (Hoffman) theme. It’s both fun and menacing, which is a good blend for a theme song for a villain like Captain Hook.

8 Superman

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Superman was originally set to be composed by Jerry Goldsmith (Star Trek, Planet of the Apes) but due to scheduling conflicts, Goldsmith dropped out and Williams came aboard. Williams conducted the London Symphony Orchestra to record the soundtrack. The score features tracks like “The Planet Krypton” that feel uncertain and suspenseful, like you’re carefully exploring a new discovery, or the more cunning “March of the Villains.” Most notable though, is the Superman theme. It’s a song that makes you feel like taking off into flight and saving the town. The Superman theme was actually released as a single and reached #81 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

7 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial follows a story about a suburban boy who befriends an alien. Williams’ score for this film makes a typical neighborhood in California feel otherworldly. According to Movie Music UK, John Williams creatively rubbed a super ball over a cymbal in order to create the foreign sounds of the aliens. The score perfectly embodies different villains, heroes, and aliens of the film by giving them each a motif that feels like their character. According to the same site, Williams captures ET’s character with a lonely piccolo that represents the isolation he feels alone on Earth. Williams’ understanding of character ties this classic movie up in a neat bow.

6 Jurassic Park

Dinosaurs are often thought of for their aggressive nature. After all, a Tyrannosaurus Rex would be an unstoppable opponent in a fight. However, Williams turned many of the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park into lovable and majestic beings with just his wonder-evoking music. The main theme of Jurassic Park fosters compassion for nature and the creatures. Although when things start to go awry, he and the director have no problem reminding us of the dangers of dinosaurs, despite their magnificence.

5 Raiders of the Lost Ark

     Paramount Pictures

History is not everyone’s favorite topic, but John Williams’ score breathes life into ancient historical artifacts in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones’ journey to discover treasures before they fall into the wrong hands is rarely dull. Some of that is thanks to the energy that William’s music adds to the movie. He helps us to feel attached both to the characters and to the history, with Williams once again achieving the perfect balance between tender emotions and epic suspense. Not to mention, Indiana’s motif is probably one of the most recognized in movie history.

4 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

     Warner Bros.

What does magic sound like? Thanks to John Williams, we might actually know the answer. Williams’ celesta gives “Hedwig’s Theme” a bell-like magical sound, and the full orchestra adds strength and majesty that mirrors the setting. In the score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, he transports us to a world beyond our wildest dreams. The whimsical music of Harry Potter helps viewers to stay immersed in the fantastical world, no matter what they see there.

3 Jaws

John Williams only needed two notes in order to create the most suspenseful and iconic movie song of all time. Everyone recognizes Jaws’ “Duh-Duh” sound without ever needing to watch the movie. It has become a cultural symbol across the United States that’s been ingrained into the pop lexicon. John Williams explained the thought process behind Jaws’ score himself in a 2012 interview with Limelight magazine. “I just began playing around with motifs that could be distributed in the orchestra, and settled on what I thought was the most powerful thing, which is to say the simplest,” he said. “Like most ideas, they’re often the most compelling.”

2 Schindler’s List

The tragedy of the events of WWII still haunts many. Somehow, Williams captures both the haunting grief and the persistent optimism of some concentration camp survivors in the score for Schindler’s List. His score starts soft but builds into a strong, boisterous, and beautiful melody. Who knew a song could make us feel powerful and powerless at the same time? It almost dares the listeners to respond.

1 Star Wars: A New Hope

     20th Century Fox

Williams’ epic soundtrack for the Star Wars universe is almost as iconic as the franchise itself. When we think of Star Wars, we think of the music. Williams broke new ground with this soundtrack. Most ’80s science fiction films used synthesizers and other electronic instruments to make space as alienating and foreign as possible. William’s soundtrack for Star Wars: A New Hope did just the opposite. He brought in familiar sounds and emotional cues that make viewers feel right at home on any spaceship or planet in the movie. He helps us relate to the heroes and fear the villains in the far-off galaxy. Williams’ contributions didn’t stop there. He continued to work on Star Wars films until 2019, the baton having now been passed to Kevin Kiner. He has big shoes (and orchestra pits) to fill.