My childhood was defined by three things: Bagel Bites, cartoons, and John Williams movie scores. Chances are when I was obsessed with a movie or series as a kid, Williams had a hand in the music. Even non-sci-fi/fantasy classics, like the first two Home Alone movies, which I still watch every Christmas, were scored by the iconic composer.
Today, I’m going to talk about the best sci-fi and fantasy scores by John Williams to listen to if you want to escape this world's chaos. Heck, you might not even know he composed some of these. But if you’re not listening to these scores throughout each week, you’re missing out.
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
- Star Wars
- Indiana Jones
- Harry Potter
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Jurassic Park
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
I truly believe something shifted in the universe when E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came out. While Steven Spielberg had directed iconic films before this one, I always think of this movie as one of his best, and I believe the score played a big role.
Suppose you’ve never seen this film (which, I don’t know how you wouldn’t): it follows a boy who befriends an alien stranded on Earth. He and his friends try to find a way to get him back home. I.e., “E.T. phone home.”
It wasn’t Williams' first time working with the director; they'd worked on several other films together (which we will go over in a little bit), but nothing beats that soaring classic theme, especially when E.T. makes their bikes float. That scene is one of the most memorable in the franchise for a reason. And thankfully wasn’t ruined by an unwanted sequel.
Star Wars
There is no way on God’s green earth. I could write an article about the best sci-fi and fantasy scores without mentioning Star Wars. The Star Wars movies are all about galactic battles, epic quests, and monumental betrayals and twists that have captured a generation.
So of course, Williams had to be the person to compose them.
There is nothing quite like the classic songs you hear, from the “Main Title," which we all know, to the “Cantina Band,” which I’m pretty sure has been played to death at weddings and parodied on TV, to the absolutely iconic “The Imperial March.” It’s Darth Vader’s theme — one of the most classic sci-fi villains of all time. You can’t get better than that.
Indiana Jones
Another Stephen Spielberg collaboration was Indiana Jones, and while Williams composed music for every single movie in the Indiana Jones franchise, the one I have to point out specifically is the first one, Raiders of the Lost Ark, where we see archaeologist Indiana Jones head out to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazi German forces find it.
And yes, while it was originally classified as an action-adventure, this movie leans heavily into fantasy at the end (without spoiling anything if you’ve never seen it).
I mean, I think out of all of these theme songs, this is the one that many people know, even if they haven’t seen the movie. The classic horns in the main theme's background clearly signal that we’re about to listen to Indiana Jones. The score must be one reason the movies did so well.
Harry Potter
If we’re talking fantasy strictly, the Harry Potter films marks the classic John Williams score, a legendary saga about Harry Potter, a young boy who discovers he’s a wizard and goes to Hogwarts to learn witchcraft and wizardry.
While Williams didn’t compose the last five films, he did compose the first three, and his classic contribution to film history, “Hedwig’s Theme,” forever defined the Harry Potter franchise. Even now, years later, people still listen to it when they rewatch the films, even the ones he didn’t compose, because that song is Harry Potter, his friends, and his adventures.
I’m not sure how Hans Zimmer’s score for the new Harry Potter TV show will differ, but I don’t think anyone will beat Williams' sound for such an amazing fantasy franchise.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Aliens are essential to sci-fi, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind is one of the most classic films in the genre. Also directed by Steven Spielberg, the film follows the interconnected lives of three humans as they interact with a UFO and the beings aboard it.
Recently (impressively at 94 years old), Williams scored Disclosure Day, another Spielberg film that explores alien life. But there’s no denying that their first foray into the genre is still one of the best. If you’ve never had the chance to listen to it, I’d highly suggest it.
Jurassic Park
Last but not least, we have to talk about Jurassic Park. This Jurassic Park franchise is about a park where dinosaurs have been genetically brought back to life, but, of course, things don’t always go so right, and a lot of people get hurt along the way. This one is also directed by Steven Spielberg, and oh, what do you know, Williams is back at it again with his score.
The classic song from Jurassic Park, “Welcome to Jurassic Park,” is synonymous with the series, and I don’t think it would be the same without those notes we all know and love.
You can stream all of these scores on YouTube or any music streaming app, and trust me, you will be whisked away to another world the moment you check them out.
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