My Top 10 Movie Scores Composed by John Williams

Hello, everyone!

Do any of you love movies? In addition to that, do any of you love to be utterly swept away by these movies through the assistance of a dynamic score? I do, that's for sure. Here at Movies Meet Their Match I love to celebrate movies, music, and a birthday whenever I can.

What does a birthday have to do with all of this?

Well, the stupendous composer John Williams turned 90 today. And in honor of him, Rebecca at Taking Up Room is hosting a blogathon for him!

I haven't participated in a blogathon since September, but I couldn't stay in the shadows for this one! Ages ago I did a list of my top 10 movie scores, and since,  John Williams composed several, including (spoiler alert) my favorite of all time, it is only right that I give him a post all to his own!

I decided (thanks to inspiration from Hamlette, who also did a post like this. You should check that out and every entry into this blogathon!) to talk about my 10 scores he has composed. In preparation for this post, over the last few days I have listened to about 19 albums for scores. That's staggaring. And it made it so much harder to just chose 10 because every one I listened to deserves a spot on this list. But, I tried! I will probably wish to put in completely different ones as soon as I publish this post.

Also, because the Olympics are going on right now (One of my FAVORITE things in the world!), I should mention another fact. How many of you know that our own John Williams composed the EPIC anthem we all hear when we watch it? The Olympics theme makes me cry and I was astonished that I hadn't made the connection when I learned it was all because of him. I should have known better, as so many of his scores make me weep.

 

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) & Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I tried so hard to just pick one of these, but I couldn't. Chamber of Secrets has the utterly magic music surrounding Fawkes (above) (I LOVE that bird and we don't get enough of him but when we do I cry), so I couldn't leave that out. But the way Prisoner of Azkaban incorporates a clock is seamless, giving me chills. Also, the double touble choir sequence (above)? I once thought it was overly dramatic, but I dig it now. You see my conundrum. Which is why I am picking both in my number 10 spot. I have quite the soft spot for the first few Harry Potter movies and might love them more than the books. This changes at #4 for many reasons, but one of them might be that the music doesn't grip me in the same way it does when John composed it.

9. Home Alone (1990)

First, let me tell you that I felt guilty listening to Christmas music in February because it was putting me in the holiday mood. Maybe even more so than a few months ago. This is the only movie on this list that is set in our modern world without magic or adventure. There is a lot of action, but no exploration of new places. Only protecting what we love. Just listening to this music gives you questions of how you can be a kinder person. When you find music that does that, hold on to it. (Also, when you've listened to this then you go through a lot of Harry Potter you start to figure out John's tricks for making you feel it is Christmas immediately. This is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.)

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Story time: One year (maybe it was around when Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls came out? I don't remember) my dad received one of those musical cards for his birthday, where you open it and it blares a song. It had Indiana Jones on it and probably said "Have an adventurous year" or something like that. It wasn't important. What WAS important was that it blasted out Indy's iconic theme. My sisters and I loved it so much that we would open and close the card non-stop, then proceed to dance around and come up with stories to fit the score to. I hadn't even seen the movie at that time. Finally, we drove my mom so crazy that she had to take it away. All the same, I am filled with adrenaline any time I hear those notes.

7. Hook (1991)

Another movie that I had sadly forgotten about. My sisters and I watched this a lot (though I still remember the first time!) so hearing the score again for the first time in years was straight nostalgia to my bloodstream. It is very gentle, yet has elements of playfulness and fairy dust sprinkled in. It is a balm of adventure to any tired soul. I sound overly sentimental, but it's true for me!

6. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Why do I always forget that John Williams wrote the score for this movie? AND he won an Oscar for it? I guess I usually just think about the songs with lyrics, but this is just as important. The soundtrack is only about an hour long, yet the movie is about three, so John helped carry it along. The Fiddler is such an important element to weave in, and he does that along with elements from the songs and so much more. This is one of those scores and soundtracks that together I could listen to on repeat. Without stopping. I'm serious.

5. War Horse (2011)

I should probably do a top 10 scores to do homework to because this would be on there. I have only seen the movie once, but I have listened to this score a lot since then. It has everything: jaunty tunes that lift my spirit, steady ones that build hope within me, and the soft plucking of a piano that rips my heart out. Sorry, my sentences are starting to not make sense anymore. What I love about this one is how subtle it is. It is a war movie, but listening to the soundtrack that wouldn't be your first thought. There are occasional bugle calls, horns, and the like which clue you in, but it is so soft for a war movie soundtrack. I LOVE soundtracks are knock you away with power (as you will see later), but this one tiptoes into my heart and destroys me every time I hear it. I don't mind.

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Does anything scream magic as much the music to Harry Potter? It is a pure dose of wistfulness that never fails to give me shivers. It is a score that explores a new life and shows how even that can be mystical. This is rich in friendships and hard decisions, bravery and fear. This is a score that I can't attempt to describe because it does it so well itself.

3. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

I can't think of another animated movie that showcases John Williams's skills. I couldn't be happier. When I need motivation with a splice of fun, I listen to Tintin. This soundtrack describes the movie so well: it is fun, mysterious, clever, and has twists all over the place. If you want a boost of adventure, watch this movie. Or enjoy the soundtrack. Whichever is easier to access for you. I have lost count how many times I have listened to this soundtrack over the last few months. This movie plays with tropes and the music does in a way, too. It can get dark in one moment, but turn you around and is empower you in the next. My brain is so giddy from listening to this soundtrack that I can't think straight to write about it. That tells you a lot!

2. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

The original Star Wars soundtrack isn't my favorite? The ultimate plot twist! But it was on the other list, so why is it not now? This is still my go-to movie score. The swelling of the instruments is one of my favorite sounds, and makes me so happy. I am putting this second because I listen to it so much, and when I listened to the 18 others this time around, one caught my attention just a bit more, that I had to stop doing my homework and just listen to it because I was reliving the movie. This one helps me power through homework, feeling like the Force was within me, while the one after this has me in awe.

And number 1 is:

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1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Gotcha, didn't I? I know that a lot of people don't like this movie (which is still painful to think about for me, but I'm learning to let it go), but hear me out. Most times if I don't have anything good to say about a movie, I often still find I can say, "The score was nice!". This might be the case for you.

Listening to this I am transported to a galaxy far, far, away. I have lost count how many times I have seen this movie, but it is dozens. I nearly have the script memorized. But what I'm here to talk about today is the score. There is NOTHING I don't like about it. I love how Kylo Ren's score shadows Darth Vader's. I love the clarity we get with Rey's score, which is unlike anything I've heard. I love the hope. I love the bravery. I love the rebellion. I love the peace and purpose. It creeps upon you without you even knowing what these feelings are doing to you. I love the spark this music gives me. It lights me up. This music changes me every time I hear it. It brings me to deeper levels, and I feel refreshed and at home.

This music is home.

Happy Birthday, John Williams! You have made a huge impact in my life, and I know you will continue to do so as I watch more movies that you worked on.

Thank you so much to Rebecca for hosting this! Make sure to read all the good posts, HERE!

Can't forget about these guys.

What do you think, my readers? Did anything on this list surprise you? Have I convinced you to watch any of these movies? Do you have any recommendations for me for movies based on their scores? 

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic