If you are a movie watcher of any intensity, chances are you have heard many musical scores from the great John Williams, who is most famous for his scores for the films of Steven Spielberg and for the Star Wars franchise. Many of his themes have become iconic in popular culture, from the majestic theme for Superman to the imposing Imperial March for Darth Vader. Film music has a way of conjuring up powerful memories of the movies from which it originates. Someone listening to a longing French horn playing the Force theme and building to a powerful crescendo will instantly picture the binary sunset on Tatooine from Star Wars. The soaring flying theme from E.T. will summon an image of a bicycle flying across the moon, or a simple, but ominous, two note stab instantly inspires anxiety in people as they picture a shark fin protruding from the water. The music in movies is not only a powerful accompaniment, but it is also a vital portion of a complete work of art. John Williams, along with the directors he has worked with, has helped shape our collective film consciousness and contributed so much memorable music to the movies we love. This list is a tribute to the work of a great film composer. But no list would be complete without a few honourable mentions. Even after picking twenty outstanding scores, some favourites were still on the outside looking in. Among the scores to just miss the cut are The Towering Inferno, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Fury, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Born on the Fourth of July, Home Alone, Seven Years in Tibet, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
20. The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
http://youtu.be/7s8DAdH7L3E This score to an underrated Steven Spielberg film is a throwback to Williams' jazzy music of his 1960s comedies, back when he was credited as Johnny Williams. The music has so much personality and playfulness, but also a great sense of action, adventure, and mystery. It fits the motion-capture animation perfectly. During the dazzling sequence when Tintin and Snowy chase the falcon through the town, the track "The Pursuit of the Falcon" echoes every twist and turn of the action. "Sir Francis and the Unicorn" is a swashbuckling epic and "Snowy's Theme" is appropriately vivacious. Highlight tracks include: "The Adventures of Tintin," "Snowy's Theme," "Sir Francis and the Unicorn," and "The Pursuit of the Falcon."
19. Presumed Innocent (1990)
https://youtu.be/bZ3C3222uw4 This score is a very interesting departure from the norm for Williams. It uses synthesisers and an orchestra to create a foreboding and suspenseful atmosphere for Alan J. Pakula's 1990 thriller Presumed Innocent starring Harrison Ford. It is an outstanding example of a musical score's ability to convey a certain mood throughout a film. The slow and methodical deterioration of the theme over the course of the score mirrors the events of the movie. The main title theme is a haunting and ominous track. It is not among Williams' more famous scores, but the music to Presumed Innocent should not be overlooked. Highlight tracks include: "Presumed Innocent," "Remembering Carolyn," "Case Dismissed," and "End Credits"