1. Binary Sunset (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977)
George Lucas has admitted many times it wasn't until he heard John Williams' score that he convinced himself that the movie would perform well with audiences. And rightly so if there's anything that holds his epic space saga together when narrative, performances and character arcs give way (particularly in Episodes I-III), it's the musical universe that John Williams created. The maestro filled the Star Wars movies with memorable moments, from the jazzy sound of the Mos Eisley cantina, to the Carmina Burana-like duel against Darth Maul. Of course, there's also the Imperial March, the Star Wars scroll music, the definitive character themes... But, for me at least, it is the unforgettable double sunset in Episode IV that really occupies the top spot in these movies' best musical moments. The force theme is introduced in this brief scene that perfectly captures Luke Skywalker's yearning for greatness. A noble-sounding solo tuba starts off and is responded by the string section to complete one of the saga's most recognisable melodies. The American Film Institute ranked Star Wars as the best movie soundtrack of all-time, beating works like Nino Rota's The Godfather, Steiner's Gone with the Wind, and Herrmann's Psycho. Needless to say, there were no complaints.
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