The Pittsburgh Writer It’s no secret that music breathes life into my writing sessions. I am very much driven in my craft by a song’s flow. For those who know me, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, and this method has yet to steer me wrong. In today’s musically charged post, I’m sharing my favorite John Williams scores. I hope you’ll also check out other posts I have for this “Music That Drives My Writing” blog series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3: the Kpop Edition, Part 4: The Film Score Edition, Part 5: The 1940s Edition, Part 6: The SyFy Edition, Part 7: The James Horner Edition, and Part 8: The Hans Zimmer Edition.
This is Part 9: The John Williams Edition. Perhaps you’ll find some new music to love!
1. “The Raiders March” from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Arc
Iconic. One of the most recognizable scores in all Hollywood. I dare you to fight me on this one; or am I just channeling Indy??
2. “The Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back
One of the most classic musical cues in film history. When this march is played, everyone knows this tune whether they’re Star Wars fans or not. There’s also something magical about really good orchestral live performances.
3. “The Throne Room” from Star Wars: The Last Jedi
An amazing job on this medley by some very amazing young musicians.
4. “Flight to Neverland” from Hook
One of my favorite films from childhood is Hook. This song is one of the main reasons why.
5. “Main Theme” from Jurassic Park
And you thought I’d forget about Jurassic Park.
“Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly. Nor do brooms in Quidditch matches. Nor do men in red capes. There is no Force. Dinosaurs do not walk the earth. We do not wonder. We do not weep. We do not believe.“
Steven Speilberg
6. “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Ok. This a contender for the “most iconic piece of music in Hollywood history” prize. I mean, it basically set the tone for the whole Harry Potter film franchise.
7. “Viktor’s Tale” from The Terminal
Where Hans Zimmer excels at capturing drama and grandeur, John Williams perfectly captures whimsy and story telling in his themes.
8. “Sayuri’s Theme” from Memoirs of a Geisha
Anything this man composes is pure gold.
Pure gold, every single one of them.