Picking a favorite Star Wars score is no easy task as composer John Williams really only has one source of competition to speak of when discussing the matter;
HIMSELF!!
Yes, this legendary maestro–for my money, still the best in the business– has the incredible distinction of having scored all three trilogies of the Star Wars saga. That’s 9 films over the last 42 years! That in and of itself is quite the accomplishment but Williams’s grand love affair with a galaxy far, far away and saga creator George Lucas is only the tip of the iceberg.
This iconic composer has scored the likes of Superman: The Movie (if I had to pick my favorite Williams jam, this would probably be it!), Harry Potter, Home Alone, Born on the 4th of July, Memoirs of Geisha, The Accidental Tourist, Seven Years in Tibet, Nixon, Sabrina, JFK, Space Camp, Family Plot, The Long Goodbye, and The Poseidon Adventure, just to name a precious few. This is to say nothing of his extraordinary collaborations with Steven Spielberg dating all the way back to the Beard’s 1974 theatrical debut, The Sugarland Express. In fact, with the notable exception of The Color Purple (Quincy Jones), Bridge of Spies (Thomas Newman), and the upcoming West Side Story redo (Leonard Bernstein), Williams has scored every other theatrically released Spielberg film to date! To call this union impressive would be a gross understatement.
Point being, If you’re not in love with Williams’s unforgettable work on titles like Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Schindler’s List, and Jurassic Park, then there’s probably no point in you even bothering to read this article.
Now obviously, where it’s May 4th, we’re here to talk about Williams’s masterful work on the Star Wars saga and as stated at the top of this article, picking the best saga scores in no easy task because they are all exceptional works in their own right. That said, I’ll throw caution to the wind and pick the 3 Star Wars scores that stand out the most for me. That said, all 9 are well worth owning!
Enjoy…And May the 4th be with you!
1. STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
It should probably come as no surprise that my favorite Star Wars film also just so happens to contain my favorite Star Wars score. While A New Hope certainly set the stage, Williams wasn’t about to simply repeat himself. Sure, there’s the iconic opening crawl theme and other wonderful flourishes carried over from its predecessor, but as a whole, the score for The Empire Strikes Back is bigger, more confident and yes…Darker! Listen no further than “The Imperial March.” In the end, I challenge anyone to listen to this score and not have images from this incredible movie play vividly in your head.
2. STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE
Of course I was going to include one of the prequels! Why? I can answer that in 4 words; “Duel of the Fates!” With all due respect to the majesty of “The Pod Race,” “Duel of the Fates” might just be the single strongest track from all of Star Wars scoredom. That build…Those swelling strings…That unforgettable choir! Yep! Incredible stuff! Beyond that, though, The Phantom Menace features plenty of new soundscapes to keep Star Wars fans more than happy.
Bonus Track (With Lyrics);
3. STAR WARS EPISODE IX: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Say what you will about “The Rise of Skywalker” as a movie (it is, arguably, as divisive as The Last Jedi), but there is little doubt that Williams’s score for this film is yet another clinic in movie composition mastery. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this saga closer is the way Williams creatively implements lovely little cues from the 8 Star Wars scores that came before it. This ultimately makes for a heartfelt soundtrack that works infinitely stronger than the safe and often uninspired film that inspired it.
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