Originally published at Noovie.com on May 4, 2021
It’s May the 4th, and that means it’s the unofficial-but-now-official holiday known as “Star Wars Day.” Like all things born from the Internet, it’s a pun based on the iconic line from the saga, “May the force be with you.”
As you celebrate the day, we salute the film’s main theme and many other great movie themes and scores. After all, a heroic story deserves an equally heroic signature tune. So, let the sweeping strings and the triumphant horns carry you away, as we highlight some key instrumental movie themes that came to define and transcend the films themselves.
As you read on, also head over to Spotify and listen along with our “Iconic Movie Themes” playlist. We’ve collected these themes (and more!) into a single playlist you can hum along to, march to, and match to your workout. And, if you want to jam out to more good movie music, check out our list of great songs whose placement truly made the movie.
10. The Avengers (2012) – “The Avengers” by Alan Silvestri
Between the soaring horns of John Williams’ “Superman” theme and the dark undertones of Danny Elfman’s and Hans Zimmer’s “Batman” themes, it seemed like all the great heroic airs were saved for the superheroes of DC Comics. But, in 2012, Marvel finally got its place in the sun with a theme that stands among the greats.
The main theme of Marvel’s 2012 superhero match-up “The Avengers” is a throwback with a modern touch. The theme and score were composed by Alan Silvestri, the composer who gave us other notable themes, including the main theme of “Back to the Future,” and had previously scored 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Silvestri’s theme perfectly blends John Williams’ use of horns and heroics with Hans Zimmer’s deeper, more emotional touch. For the big team-up movie, Silvestri found a sound that balanced all the characters, while giving each the same emotional weight. What he created was a theme that could give any movie a heightened sense of heroics as heroes band together to thwart the bad guys.
9. Jurassic Park (1993) – “Theme from Jurassic Park” by John Williams
How do you capture the majesty and sublimity of seeing a real-life dinosaur? What kind of emotions does that conjure up, witnessing these colossal creatures roaming the Earth once again? Those were the questions on composer John Williams’ mind as he wrote the iconic movie theme to Steven Spielberg’s monster hit “Jurassic Park.” We first hear the theme as park creator and founder John Hammond takes Drs. Grant, Sattler, and Malcolm through the King Kong-like gate leading into the main park. The theme then swells in time as the three doctors encounter a towering brontosaurus. There are two commonly heard motifs in Williams’ score that play on the themes of awesome and grand beauty. And, it’s in the main title where it all comes together.
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – “Concerning Hobbits” by Howard Shore
With airy woodwinds and Celtic strings, Howard Shore’s “Concerning Hobbits” transports you right into the heart of the Shire. Its mood presents the feelings of peace and tranquility that only a true Hobbit knows. The theme is first heard in “The Fellowship of the Ring” as we meet Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. It then reappears numerous times throughout the main trilogy, and again in the “Hobbit” prequels. While there is no main theme, per se, for Peter Jackson’s epic fantasy adventure, “Concerning Hobbits” certainly stands as one of the most recognized pieces from Shore’s Oscar-winning score.
7. The Magnificent Seven (1960) – “Main Theme Suite” – Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein’s Oscar-nominated movie theme and score to “The Magnificent Seven” put you right in the saddle. The soaring violins and horns whisk you away to the wide-open spaces of the Wild West and its promise of adventure. And, adventure was sure to be had in John Sturges’ classic Western. The movie’s popularity was matched by the score’s. Bernstein’s theme, in particular, penetrated pop culture to the point that numerous bands covered it. It even found its way into everything from Australian beer ads to classic TV episodes to grand rock concert entrances. With such a popular and beloved theme, it really begs the question: why was it so absent from the 2016 remake, especially in the marketing?
6. Superman (1978) – “Theme from Superman” – John Williams
John Williams wasn’t originally supposed to score Richard Donner’s “Superman.” The director initially wanted Jerry Goldsmith, the composer behind his 1976 horror flick “The Omen” – a score that earned Goldsmith his only Oscar. Goldsmith had scheduling conflicts, so the orchestrating duties fell to Williams. Having appreciated the script’s lighthearted nature, Williams took on the task and created one of the most memorable movie themes of all time. So iconic was the theme that when a new Superman was set to fly again in 2013, “Man of Steel” composer Hans Zimmer had some cold feet. Zimmer admitted to CNN that he “spent three months just procrastinating and not even getting a start on the thing, because I was so intimidated: ‘Oh my God, I’m following in John Williams’ footsteps.’”
5. Dr. No (1962) – “James Bond Theme” by Monty Norman and the John Barry Orchestra
Since his first outing in 1962, James Bond’s jazzy movie theme has been featured in some capacity in each film featuring the suave spy. The distinctive “dum-di-di-dum-dum” from the electric guitar actually has its roots in an Indian song sung by the characters in a never-produced musical, “A House for Mr. Biswas,” composed by “Dr. No” composer Monty Norman. John Barry then added his own jazzy arrangement, turning it into the memorable tune we still hear today, and will soon hear again in “No Time to Die.”
In fact, each version of Bond received its own distinctive version of the theme. Sean Connery’s was more jazzy and orchestral. George Lazenby’s was higher-pitched, featuring a Moog synthesizer. Roger Moore’s version started with a full string orchestra, but then got funkier as Bond moved into the ’80s. Timothy Dalton’s version was overdubbed with harder rocking drums to play on his movies’ darker themes. Pierce Brosnan’s version was more techno-influenced as Bond’s adventures became more tech-inspired following the end of the Cold War. Finally, in Daniel Craig’s reboot, the theme almost became something that’s earned. It, along with the classic gun-barrel sequence, is featured at the end of the movies, just as we follow Craig’s Bond in his first adventures as Double-0-7.
4. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1967) – “Main Title” by Ennio Morricone
There are great themes to great Westerns, and then there’s the “Main Title” to “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Ennio Morricone’s theme to Sergio Leone’s classic “spaghetti” Western – the last in Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” – features several Old West allusions, including a whistle that recalls a howling coyote. Three instruments are heard throughout the piece, each representing a different character from the film. A flute sings for Blondie, a/k/a “The Man with No Name” (the Good). An ocarina plays for “Angel Eyes” (the Bad). And, human vocals come in for Tuco (the Ugly).
Morricone’s theme and the score have become so synonymous with Westerns that they can stand completely separate from the film and still evoke the same emotions. It’s almost a crime that Morricone’s score was not even nominated for an Oscar that year. But the theme did peak at #4 on Billboard’s “200 Album” chart. It even became a pop hit for musician Hugo Montenegro, who covered it a year after the film’s release – so, at least there’s that.
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – “Raiders March” by John Williams
It’s no surprise that John Williams takes up most of this list. Between his themes from “E.T.” and “Harry Potter” to “Jaws” and “Schindler’s List,” we could have easily made this a list of “Iconic John Williams Movie Themes.” Out of all of his themes over the years, though, almost none is more iconic than his theme to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Meant to evoke feelings of adventure, while also harkening back to the grand themes of the adventure movie serials of the ’30s and ’40s, the “Raiders March” has become synonymous with the Indiana Jones franchise itself. Williams’ “Raiders” score was nominated for an Oscar, but ended up losing to another iconic score – Vangelis’ triumphant synthesized symphony from “Chariots of Fire.”
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – “Also sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss
A fanfare of horns blares, and heart-pounding timpanis boom, as an ape tosses a bone in the air. It suddenly transforms into a spaceship, and the evolution of man culminates in time with the soaring crescendo of Richard Strauss’s timeless flourish. This is the celebrated opening to Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Kubrick wanted his space drama to be an almost non-verbal experience. Traces of this can still be found in the movie, from the aforementioned opening scene to the space-trippy ending sequence.
Kubrick wanted the music, more than the dialogue, to evoke the film’s drama and emotions. To get this to sound exactly right, he originally asked his “Sparticus” and “Dr. Strangelove” composer, Alex North, to compose the score. But Kubrick was moved more by the classical pieces he picked out as placeholders. And thus we have Strauss’s 1896 tone poem, Johann Strauss’s famous 1866 waltz “The Blue Danube,” and other classical pieces in a film about the future. The perfect irony, but someone should have told North – he had no idea his score was removed until he saw the film at its premiere.
1. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) – “Main Title” by John Williams
Fun fact: John Williams wrote the main theme to “Star Wars” in the same key as 20th Century Fox’s famous fanfare. Williams knew that both pieces of music would be heard back-to-back, so he deliberately composed the theme to blend seamlessly, making it less jarring for the viewer. With its placement at the start of the movie, what was originally written as the main theme for the hero, Luke Skywalker, has since become the main theme of the entire franchise. As the movie became a massive force of pop culture, it was no surprise that Williams’ romantic, heroic and Oscar-winning score would too. The main theme – which peaked at #10 on the Billboard “Hot 100” – in true ’70s fashion, even had its own disco cover.