Star Wars Episode 7 - 7 Composers Who Could Replace John Williams

6. Howard Shore

Why Him? Oh, I don't know - he's only an Oscar winner who scored one the greatest trilogies of all time. (If you don't recognize that graphic design from above, the aforementioned trilogy is Lord of the Rings.) He typically evokes emotion through the use of stringed instruments, but he does employ brass flourishes from time to time with great verve and intensity - something required of a Star Wars score. A lot of today's composers are getting bitten by the generic action/drama type score, with very little identifiable melodies to hum in your head afterward, but Howard Shore is experienced in creating several different that themes work together on a large canvas. This is of course, another crucial element of the Star Wars universe - think Han & Leia's theme, Vader's Imperial March, Luke's theme, etc. Now try to imagine a Star Wars score without those themes, and in their place, some generic driving rhythm. Yeah, I don't like it either. That's not to say that Star Wars should never employ a driving, syncopated, drum heavy rhythm during an action scene, but it'll be so much better to have an actual melody. Shore can do that. (Side note - I'm streaming the score to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey while I'm writing this, and it's very good.)
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Contributor

Lifelong lover of film. Married to a wonderful woman, newly 30, and a brand new father of a beautiful baby boy. Writer, editor, director, and all around savage beast.