John Williams: His 20 Best Film Scores

4. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

http://youtu.be/uN6ZL-vpUOg Perhaps no other score by John Williams bursts with childlike wonder and pure magic quite like the music to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. John Williams was awarded his fourth Oscar for E.T., and his musical portrayal of two characters on the margins of society, one an alien, the other a child, is truly delightful. This score melds the realms of the fantastic and the realistic into a unified whole. It also contains one of Williams' most shining moments as a musical storyteller. "Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye" is a fifteen minute track that accompanies the final act of the film in one continuous sequence. The emotional progression within this single track is a musical marvel. Be sure to listen to this playful, poignant, and dynamic score. Highlight tracks include: "Far From Home/E.T. Alone," "E.T.'s New Home," "The Magic of Halloween," "Searching for E.T.," "Invading Elliot's House," "E.T. is Alive!," "Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye," and "End Credits."

3. Star Wars (1977)

https://youtu.be/kCGPt3XFxJk Star Wars was a seminal film and its musical score equaled the film's influence. Williams won his third Oscar for the score, which brought an intense orchestral majesty to George Lucas' historic space opera. The film spawned an enormous franchise, including six (soon to be seven) live-action feature films, games, animated TV shows, books, comics, and toys. But the anchor to all of it was the highly recognisable score. Who can forget the main title music that accompanied the opening crawl? Or the out-of-this-world jazzy cantina band song? Or the beautiful flute solo in "Princess Leia's Theme," the earth-shattering music for "The Battle of Yavin," or the heroic celebration in "The Throne Room/End Title." The score to Star Wars has become synonymous with pop culture itself and it should be heard and enjoyed by everyone. Highlight tracks include: "Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner," "The Moisture Farm," "The Hologram/Binary Sunset," "Tales of a Jedi Knight/Learn About the Force," "Cantina Band," "Princess's Leia's Theme," "Ben Kenobi's Death/Tie Fighter Attack," "The Battle of Yavin," and "The Throne Room/End Title."
 
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A chronicler of all things media. A lifelong film and television geek. A tenacious listener of movie music.