Star Wars (soundtrack)

1977 soundtrack album by John Williams

This article is about the score for the 1977 film. For the Wilco album, see Star Wars (Wilco album).

Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Cover of the original 1977 release

Soundtrack album by

John Williams

Released| June 1977
Recorded| March 5–16, 1977
Studio| Anvil Studios, Denham
Genre| Classical

* contemporary classical music
* film score

Length| 74:58
Label| 20th Century
Producer|

* John Williams
* George Lucas

John Williams chronology
| Black Sunday
(1977)  | Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(1977)  | Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1977)

|
|

Star Wars soundtrack chronology
|  | Star Wars
(1977)  | The Empire Strikes Back
(1980)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic|
Filmtracks|
Movie Wave|
SoundtrackNet|

Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 1977 film Star Wars, composed and conducted by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Williams' score for Star Wars was recorded over eight sessions at Anvil Studios in Denham, England on March 5, 8–12, 15 and 16, 1977. The score was orchestrated by Williams, Herbert W. Spencer, Alexander Courage, Angela Morley, Arthur Morton and Albert Woodbury. Spencer orchestrated the scores for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The score was recorded by engineer Eric Tomlinson and edited by Kenneth Wannberg, and the scoring sessions were produced by Star Wars director George Lucas and supervised by Lionel Newman, head of 20th Century Fox's music department.

The soundtrack album was released by 20th Century Records as a double-LP record in the United States in June 1977. The album's main title peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, with a disco version of the film's theme by Meco becoming a number one hit single in the United States in October 1977. The soundtrack album itself peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in September 1977, and became the best-selling symphonic album of all time;[1] it was certified Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and won numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special and Best Instrumental Composition (for the "Main Title"). It was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 2004, it was preserved by the Library of Congress into the National Recording Registry, calling it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2005, the American Film Institute named the original Star Wars soundtrack as the most memorable score of all time for an American film.[2]

The Star Wars soundtrack saw subsequent reissues since its initial release. In 2016, the album was re-released by Sony Classical Records on vinyl, CD, and digital formats alongside Williams' other Star Wars soundtracks. The vinyl release is pressed on 180g vinyl and features the original 20th Century Records logo. Unlike all of Sony Classical's previous releases, however, the vinyl version is a remastered version of the original 1977 release, not the Special Edition. Walt Disney Records remastered and reissued the soundtrack on vinyl LP on December 1, 2017, and on CD and digital formats on May 4, 2018.[3][4]

## Influences

[edit]

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The scores draws on, amongst other things, music from adventure films from the golden age of Hollywood.

Elements of the iconic Imperial Attack theme appear in Mario Nascimbene's score to the 1949 film, The Vikings and in Victor Young's Samson and Delilah also 1949.

These elements are progressed and developed further in Miklos Rozsa's scores for Julius Caesar in 1953 and King of Kings 1961.

The King of Kings arrangement of the motif most closely matches the one Williams used at the heart of his track.

## Original 1977 release

[edit]

The original 1977 release of the soundtrack, entitled Star Wars - Original Soundtrack, included a poster of a painting by science fiction artist John Berkey, depicting the final battle over the Death Star from the film's end.[5] The album was released as a double LP which was formatted for an autochanger record player; one disc had sides one and four with the other having sides two and three. This allowed a person to stack sides one and two on the player, then flip the stack over for sides three and four, allowing the listener to have over half an hour of uninterrupted music before they needed to flip the discs over.[6]

### Track listing

[edit]

First release on LP by 20th Century Records. For the original soundtrack, Williams selected 75 minutes of music out of the 88 minute score. To provide musical variety, it did not follow the film's chronological order.

This track listing is also shared by Sony Classical's LP release in 2016, and Walt Disney Records' LP and CD releases in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Side oneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Main Title"| 5:20
2.| "Imperial Attack"| 6:10
3.| "Princess Leia's Theme"| 4:18
4.| "The Desert and the Robot Auction"| 2:51

Side twoNo.| Title| Length

|
|

5.| "Ben's Death and TIE Fighter Attack"| 3:46
6.| "The Little People Work"| 4:02
7.| "Rescue of the Princess"| 4:46
8.| "Inner City"| 4:12
9.| "Cantina Band"| 2:44

Side threeNo.| Title| Length

|
|

10.| "The Land of the Sandpeople"| 2:50
11.| "Mouse Robot and Blasting Off"| 4:01
12.| "The Return Home"| 2:46
13.| "The Walls Converge"| 4:31
14.| "The Princess Appears"| 4:04

Side fourNo.| Title| Length

|
|

15.| "The Last Battle"| 12:05
16.| "The Throne Room and End Title"| 5:28
Total length:| 74:58

### Personnel

[edit]

* 1st Violins: Neville Taweel (Leader), Richard Studt (Principal), Irvine Arditti (Principal), Brian Thomas (Sub-Principal), Stanley Castle, Sydney Colter, Dennis Gaines, Charles Beldom, Robert Retallick, C. Reuben, Norman Freeman, Max Weber, Robin Brightman, Brian Gaulton
* 2nd Violins: Warwick Hill (Principal), Neil Watson (Co-Principal), Samuel Artis, William Brown, Thomas Cook, Terry Morton, Jack Steadman, Donald Stewart, Thomas Swift, David Williams, R. Clark, Geoffrey Creese, D. Llewellyn, Harry Nathan
* Violas: Alexander Taylor (Principal), Brian Clarke (Co-Principal), Peter Norriss (Sub-Principal), Patrick Hooley, Michael Mitchell, David Hume, William Sumpton, Patrick Vermont, William Krasnik, Eric Cuthbertson
* Cellos: Douglas Cummings (Principal), Maurice Meulien (Co-Principal), Ray Adams (Sub-Principal), Jack Long, Ken Law, Douglas Powrie, Francis Saunders, Clive Gillinson, Tom Storer, K. Glossop
* Double Basses: Bruce Mollinson (Principal), Arthur Griffiths (Sub-Principal), John Cooper, Gerald Newson, Pashanko Dimitroff, Goelson Neal
* Flutes: Richard Taylor (Principal), Lowry Sanders, Francis Nolan
* Oboes: Roger Lord (Principal), Anthony Camden (Principal)
* Clarinets: Jack Brymer (Principal), Ronald Moore, Roy Jowitt
* Bassoons: Robert Bourton (Principal), Peter Francis
* Horns: David Cripps (Principal), John Rooke (Asst. Principal), Anthony Chidell, Graham Warren, James Quaife, James Brown, S. Reading, J. Butterworth, Terry Johns
* Trumpets: Maurice Murphy (Principal), William Lang, Norman Archibald, R. Izen
* Trombones: Dennis Wick (Principal), Eric Crees (Principal), Frank Mathison
* Tuba: J. Fletcher (Principal), Steven Wick
* Timpani: Kurt-Hans Goedicke (Principal)
* Percussion: Michael Frye (Principal), Ray Northcott
* Harp: Renata Sheffel-Stein (Principal), J. Marson
* Piano/Celesta: Robert Noble (Principal), M. Round

## Subsequent releases

[edit]

### Release history

[edit]

Title  | U.S. release date  | Label  | Format

|
|
|

Star Wars–Original Soundtrack | June 1977  | 20th Century | Double-LP
1986  | Polydor | CD
Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology | 1993  | Arista
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope Special Edition: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 1997  | RCA Victor | Double CD
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2004  | Sony Classical
The Music of Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collector's Edition[7] | November 6, 2007  | CD
Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection[8] | January 8, 2016  | CD, LP, digital
Star Wars: A New Hope–40th Anniversary Box Set[3] | December 1, 2017  | Walt Disney | Remastered 3-LP
Star Wars: A New Hope (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[4] | May 4, 2018  | Remastered CD, digital

### 1986 release

[edit]

First release on CD by Polydor Records in 1986. It is identical in content and packaging to the LP release.

Disc one

1. "Main Title" – 5:21
2. "Imperial Attack" – 6:16
3. "Princess Leia's Theme" – 4:22
4. "The Desert and the Robot Auction" – 2:52
5. "Ben's Death and TIE Fighter Attack" – 3:46
6. "The Little People Work" – 4:01
7. "Rescue of the Princess" – 4:46
8. "Inner City" – 4:13
9. "Cantina Band" – 2:45

Disc two

1. "The Land of the Sandpeople" – 2:49
2. "Mouse Robot and Blasting Off" – 4:01
3. "The Return Home" – 2:45
4. "The Walls Converge" – 4:32
5. "The Princess Appears" – 4:03
6. "The Last Battle" – 12:06
7. "The Throne Room and End Title" – 5:27

### Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology

[edit]

Star Wars Trilogy – The Original Soundtrack Anthology: "Star Wars"

Film score by

John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra

Released| 1993
Genre| Classical
Label| Arista
Producer| Nick Redman

In 1993, 20th Century Fox Film Scores released a four-CD box set containing music from the original Star Wars trilogy. This release marked the first time that the complete contents of the original double-LP releases of the scores from the first two films became available on CD. Disc one in the set was devoted to Star Wars, with further tracks on disc four.

Since every cue is recorded several times, usually with varying orchestral differences, the final decisions on what takes of cues are used and/or how they are edited to create the tracks was decided by the music editor Kenneth Wannberg. In the time between the original LP release and the Anthology's release, this breakdown was lost. Because of this, many takes of cues used on the Anthology are not the same. This is most obvious on the cue "The Throne Room".[citation needed] Also, the tracks were re-arranged to better follow their chronological order in the film.

Disc OneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "20th Century Fox Fanfare with CinemaScope Extension"| 0:22
2.| "Main Title"| 5:23
3.| "Imperial Attack"| 6:41
4.| "The Desert/The Robot Auction"| 2:51
5.| "The Little People Work"| 4:08
6.| "The Princess Appears"| 4:06
7.| "The Land of the Sand People"| 2:55
8.| "The Return Home"| 2:48
9.| "Inner City"| 4:44
10.| "Mouse Robot/Blasting Off"| 4:03
11.| "Rescue of the Princess"| 4:48
12.| "The Walls Converge"| 4:33
13.| "Ben's Death/TIE Fighter Attack"| 3:51
14.| "Princess Leia's Theme"| 4:23
15.| "The Last Battle"| 12:13
16.| "The Throne Room/End Title"| 5:32
Total length:| 1:13:21

Disc FourNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "20th Century Fox Fanfare with CinemaScope Extension"| 0:22
2.| "Star Wars Main Title" (Alternate)| 2:16
4.| "A Hive of Villainy"| 2:12
5.| "Destruction of Alderaan"| 1:31
10.| "Cantina Band"| 2:46
12.| "Cantina Band #2"| 3:44
15.| "Standing By"| 1:14
Total length:| 14:05

The alternate version of the Star Wars Main Title can be heard in the end credits for Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and is included in the film's soundtrack.

### 1997 and 2004 Special Edition reissues

[edit]

The 1997 and 2004 releases include the complete film score, including expanded and unreleased tracks.

Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Film score by

John Williams

Released| 2004
Recorded| 1977
Length| 1:45:09
Label| Sony Classical
Producer|

* John Williams
* Nick Redman
* Michael Matessino

Disc OneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "20th Century Fox Fanfare" (Alfred Newman, 1954)| 0:22
2.| "Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner - Medley"| 2:14
3.| "Imperial Attack"| 6:42
4.| "The Dune Sea of Tatooine/Jawa Sandcrawler - Medley"| 5:01
5.| "The Moisture Farm"| 2:25
6.| "The Hologram/Binary Sunset - Medley"| 4:08
7.| "Landspeeder Search/Attack of the Sand People - Medley"| 3:20
8.| "Tales of a Jedi Knight/Learn About the Force - Medley"| 4:28
9.| "Burning Homestead"| 2:50
10.| "Mos Eisley Spaceport"| 2:16
11.| "Cantina Band"| 2:46
12.| "Cantina Band #2"| 3:54
13.| "Binary Sunset (Alternate) - Medley" (contains hidden track "Star Wars Main Title" [take 19] (complete recording session version; takes 16-20))| 16:59
Total length:| 57:33

Disc TwoNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Princess Leia's Theme"| 4:27
2.| "The Millennium Falcon/Imperial Cruiser Pursuit - Medley"| 3:51
3.| "Destruction of Alderaan"| 1:32
4.| "The Death Star/The Stormtroopers - Medley"| 3:35
5.| "Wookiee Prisoner/Detention Block Ambush - Medley"| 4:01
6.| "Shootout in the Cell Bay/Dianoga - Medley"| 3:48
7.| "The Trash Compactor"| 3:06
8.| "The Tractor Beam/Chasm Crossfire - Medley"| 5:18
9.| "Ben Kenobi's Death/TIE Fighter Attack"| 3:51
10.| "The Battle of Yavin (Launch from the Fourth Moon/X-Wings Draw Fire/Use the Force)"| 9:06
11.| "The Throne Room/End Title"| 5:37
Total length:| 48:16

### 2017 and 2018 Disney reissues

[edit]

Walt Disney Records reissued the original 1977 soundtrack album in digital formats and streaming services on January 1, 2017, and on LP record on December 1, 2017, to coincide with the film's fortieth anniversary that same year. The LP reissue featured a remastered soundtrack, hand-etched hologram art, and a 48-page book containing production photographs, liner notes, and essays on John Williams and the music of Star Wars.[3]

Disney released a newly remastered edition of the original 1977 album program on CD, digital download, and streaming services on May 4, 2018. This remaster was newly assembled by Shawn Murphy and Skywalker Sound from the highest-quality master tapes available, rather than sourced from the existing 1977 album masters.[4] On these reissues, the final track ("The Throne Room and End Title") is presented at the correct speed and pitch, having been sped up slightly on the original LP, CD, and 2016 Sony releases.

## Compilations and re-recordings (Selection)

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2023)

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Tracks of the soundtrack appear on various Best of Compilations and rerecordings by John Williams.

* 1983: The Star Wars Trilogy (Return of the Jedi / The Empire Strikes Back / Star Wars)[9]
* 1990/2001: John Williams Conducts The Star Wars Trilogy[10][11]

## Accolades

[edit]

* Academy Award for Best Original Score (1977)[1]
* Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (1977)[1]
* BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (1978)
* Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (1978)
* Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (1978) – for Main Title
* Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (1978)
* Saturn Award for Best Music (1977) – tied with Close Encounters of the Third Kind
* AFI's Greatest American movie score of all time (2005)[2]

## Charts & certifications

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1977-78)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 12
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13] | 2
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] | 19
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 27
UK Albums (OCC)[16] | 21
US Billboard 200[17] | 2

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1977)  | Position

|

Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[18] | 26
US Billboard 200[19] | 64

### Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[20] | Gold  | 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Gold  | 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[22] | Platinum  | 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## Recording Information

[edit]

### Cue list

[edit]

* R1P2 Star Wars (March 5, 1977)
* R1P3 Imperial Attack Pt. II (The War*) (March 8, 1977)
* R1P4-R2P1 Imperial Attack (The Escape Hatch*) (March 12, 1977)
* R2P2 The Desert (R1P5-R2P1 Desert Song*) (March 12, 1977)
* R2P2 The Little People (Not Recorded)
* R2P3N The Little People (March 15, 1977)
* R2P3 More Little People (Not Recorded)
* R2P5R More Little People (March 15, 1977)
* R2P4 R-2 (Not Recorded)
* R2P4R R-2 (March 11, 1977)
* R3P1 The Princess Appears (Not Recorded)
* R3P1R The Princess Appears (March 5, 1977)
* R3P2 Lost R2 (Not Recorded)
* R3P2R Lost R2 (March 8, 1977)
* R3P2N (March 15, 1977)
* R3P3 The Sand Speeder (Not Recorded)
* R3P3R The Land of the Sand People (March 11, 1977)
* R3P4-R4P1 The Sandman Attacks (Not Recorded)
* R3P4-R4P1R Land of Sand People Pt. II (March 16, 1977)
* R4P2 Obi-Wan Kenobi (March 9, 1977)
* R4P2A The Force (March 9, 1977)
* R4P3 The Princess Reappears (March 11, 1977)
* R4P4 A Home Destroyed (March 11, 1977)
* R4P4R The Return Home (March 9, 1977)
* R5P1 A Hive of Villainy (Not Recorded)
* R5P1R A Hive of Villainy (March 15, 1977)
* R5P4-R6P1 Monkey Band (R5P3-3A Jolly Jazzers*) (March 10, 1977)
* R5P6 The Inner City (Not Recorded)
* R5P6R The Inner City (March 12, 1977)
* R6P1 Blasting Away (March 16, 1977)
* R6P5N The Destruction of Alderon (March 12, 1977)
* R7P1N Is It a Bird? (R6P3*) (March 5, 1977)
* R7P1 The Hatch Opens (Not Recorded)
* R7P2N The Hatch Opens (March 11, 1977)
* R7P2 The Mouse Robot (March 9, 1977)
* R8P2N More Rescue (March 12, 1977)
* R8P2 The Rescue (Not Recorded)
* R8P2R The Rescue (New Intro) (March 8, 1977)
* R8P3 The Water Snake (Not Recorded)
* R8P3R The Water Snake (March 11, 1977)
* R8P4 The Walls Converge (March 11, 1977)
* R9P1 Ben Creeps Around (March 8, 1977)
* R9P2 The Swashbucklers (March 5, 1977)
* R9P3-R10P1 Ben's Death (March 5, 1977)
* R10P2 The Fighters Attack (Here They Come*) (March 11, 1977)
* R10P3-R11P1 Standing By (Stand By*) (March 12, 1977)
* R11P2 Approaching the Target (Not Recorded)
* R11P2R The Last Battle Pt. II (March 11, 1977)
* R12P1 (March 15, 1977)
* R12P2 The Throne Room and End Title (End Titles*) (March 12, 1977)
* R12P2X (March 16, 1977)
* The Princess Theme (March 8, 1977)

*Original cue number/title before revisions

### Original recording log

[edit]

The score for Star Wars was recorded over the span of eight days in the month of March 1977. The 1997 Special Edition soundtrack release by RCA Victor included a detailed look at the recording log for all the cues in the film.

Recording Date: March 5, 1977 – Day 1  Recorded Take  | Cue Title  | Selected Take  | Film Order

|
|
|

1-7  | Chasm Crossfire  | 5, 7  | 31
8-10  | The Death Star  | 10  | 23
11-15  | Ben Kenobi's Death  | 13, 15  | 32
16-20  | Main Title  | 18, 19, 20  | 1
21-23  | The Hologram  | 22  | 8
Recording Date: March 8, 1977 – Day 2  Recording Take  | Cue Title  | Selected Take  | Film Order

|
|
|

24-27  | Shootout In The Cell Bay  | 26, 27  | 27
28-40  | Princess Leia's Theme  | 33, 40  | N/A
41-50  | Imperial Attack (Part 1)  | 44, 50  | 2
51-53  | The Tractor Beam  | 53  | 30
54-55  | Binary Sunset (Alternate)  | N/A  | N/A
Recording Date: March 9, 1977 – Day 3  Recorded Takes  | Cue Title  | Selected Takes  | Film Order

|
|
|

56-58  | Learn About The Force (Part 2)  | 58  | 15
59-63  | Burning Homestead  | 62, 63  | 16
64-67  | Wookiee Prisoner  | 67  | 25
68-72  | Learn About The Force (Part 1)  | 72  | 14
Recording Date: March 10, 1977 – Day 4  Recorded Takes  | Cue Title  | Selected Takes  | Film Order

|
|
|

73-80  | Cantina Band  | 76  | 18
81-82  | Cantina Band #2  | 81  | 19
Recording Date: March 11, 1977 – Day 5  Recorded Takes  | Cue Title  | Selected Takes  | Film Order

|
|
|

83-86  | X-Wings Draw Fire  | 85, 86  | 35
87-92  | Landspeeder Search  | 92  | 10
93-94  | Tales Of A Jedi Knight (Part 2)  | N/A  | N/A
95-97  | Tie Fighter Attack  | 95, 97  | 33
98-105  | The Trash Compactor  | 101, 102  | 29
106-109  | Tales Of A Jedi Knight (Part 2)  | 109  | 13
110-114  | The Stormtroopers  | 114  | 24
115-116  | Dianoga  | 116  | 28
117-122  | Tales Of A Jedi Knight (Part 1)  | 122  | 12
123-126  | The Moisture Farm (Part 2)  | 126  | 7
Recording Date: March 12, 1977 – Day 6  Recorded Takes  | Cue Title  | Selected Takes  | Film Order

|
|
|

127-133  | The Throne Room  | 132, 133  | 37
134-143  | End Title  | 136, 137, 142, 143  | 38
144-149  | Dune Sea Of Tatooine  | 149  | 4
150-154  | Detention Block Ambush  | 153, 154  | 26
155-162  | Launch From The Fourth Moon  | 162  | 34
163-167  | Imperial Attack (Part 2)  | 165, 167  | 3
168-172  | Destruction Of Alderaan  | 172  | 22
173-175  | The Millennium Falcon  | 175  | 20
Recording Date: March 15, 1977 – Day 7  Recorded Takes  | Cue Title  | Selected Takes  | Film Order

|
|
|

176-180  | Use The Force  | 178, 180  | 36
181-185  | Mos Eisley Spaceport  | 184, 185  | 17
186-188  | Jawa Sandcrawler  | 186, 187, 188  | 5
189-197  | The Moisture Farm (Part 1)  | 194, 197  | 6
198-202  | Binary Sunset (Revised)  | 202  | 9
Recording Date: March 16, 1977 – Day 8  Recorded Takes  | Cue Title  | Selected Takes  | Film Order

|
|
|

203-209  | Imperial Cruiser Pursuit  | 205, 206, 209  | 21
210-214  | Attack Of The Sand People  | 213, 214  | 11
215-219  | End Title (Crossover)  | 219  | 38

## See also

[edit]

* The Story of Star Wars
* Music of Star Wars

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Abramovitch, Seth (29 January 2021). "Hollywood Flashback: John Williams' 'Star Wars' Score Won a Golden Globe and an Oscar". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
2. ^ a b "AFI's 100 years of film scores". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
3. ^ a b c "Star Wars: A New Hope (original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 3-LP Vinyl Album Boxed Set Of Composer John Williams' Oscar®-Winning Score To Be Released On December 1". Burbank, California: Walt Disney Records. PR Newswire. 7 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
4. ^ a b c "Disney Music Group Set To Release First 6 Remastered Star Wars Original Motion Picture Soundtracks On May 4". Burbank, California: Walt Disney Records. PR Newswire. 21 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
5. ^ "John Berkey Remembered". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm Ltd. 13 May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
6. ^ "John Williams (4), London Symphony Orchestra, The – Star Wars original soundtrack release". Discogs. 12 August 1977. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
7. ^ "Sony Classical Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars with an 8-CD Collectors Edition Featuring Three of Composer/Conductor John Williams' Original Soundtrack Recordings". Sony Music Masterworks. PR Newswire. 7 November 2007. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
8. ^ "Sony Classical Reissues Star Wars Episodes I-VI In Newly Restored Audio Collections". Sony Classical. PR Newswire. 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
9. ^ The Star Wars Trilogy (Return of the Jedi / The Empire Strikes Back / Star Wars), 1 January 1983, archived from the original on 20 February 2023, retrieved 20 February 2023
10. ^ "John Williams Conducts The Star Wars Trilogy" von John Williams (in Swiss High German), 6 November 1990, archived from the original on 20 February 2023, retrieved 20 February 2023
11. ^ John Williams Conducts The Star Wars Trilogy, 6 November 1990, archived from the original on 20 February 2023, retrieved 20 February 2023
12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 282\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
13. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5434a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
14. ^ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack / John Williams – Star Wars". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
15. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Soundtrack / John Williams – Star Wars". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
16. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
17. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. 10 September 1977. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
18. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5558". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
19. ^ "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1977". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
20. ^ "Cash Box Newspaper" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 April 1978. p. 58. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
21. ^ "British album certifications – John Williams – Star Wars (soundtrack)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
22. ^ "American album certifications – John Williams – Star Wars (soundtrack)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 6 November 2014.

* v
* t
* e

John Williams

* Discography
* Composition list
* Accolades

Soundtracks|

* Jaws (1975)
* Star Wars (1977)
* Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
* Superman (1978)
* The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
* Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
* Return of the Jedi (1983)
* Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
* SpaceCamp (1986)
* Empire of the Sun (1987)
* Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
* Home Alone (1990)
* JFK (1991)
* Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
* Jurassic Park (1993)
* Schindler's List (1993)
* The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
* Saving Private Ryan (1998)
* Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
* Angela's Ashes (1999)
* The Patriot (2000)
* A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
* Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
* Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
* Catch Me If You Can (2002)
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
* Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
* Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
* Munich (2005)
* Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
* The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
* War Horse (2011)
* Lincoln (2012)
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
* The BFG (2016)
* Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
* Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
* The Fabelmans (2022)
* Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Compilations|

* John Williams Greatest Hits 1969–1999 (1999)

Compositions|

* "Star Wars (Main Title)"
* "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
* "The Imperial March"
* "Ewok Celebration"
* "Summon the Heroes"
* "Duel of the Fates"
* "The Five Sacred Trees"
* Horn Concerto
* "Liberty Fanfare"
* "For New York"
* "American Journey"
* "Soundings"
* "Air and Simple Gifts"
* Violin Concerto No. 2

Songs|

* "Nice to Be Around"

See also|

* Music of Star Wars
* Music of Superman
* Music of the Harry Potter films
* Barbara Ruick
* Joseph Williams
* Music by John Williams (2024)

Category

* v
* t
* e

Star Wars

Films|

| Skywalker Saga|

| Original trilogy|

* Star Wars (1977)
* The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
* Return of the Jedi (1983)

|

Prequel trilogy|

* The Phantom Menace (1999)
* Attack of the Clones (2002)
* Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Sequel trilogy|

* The Force Awakens (2015)
* The Last Jedi (2017)
* The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Animated|

* The Clone Wars (2008)

Other|

* Rogue One (2016)
* Solo (2018)
* The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Television|

* Holiday Special (1978)
* The Ewok Adventure (1984)
* Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)

Television series|

| Animated|

* Droids (1985)
* Ewoks (1985)
* Clone Wars (2003)
* The Clone Wars (2008; episodes)
* Detours (unaired)
* Rebels (2014; episodes)
* Forces of Destiny (2017)
* Resistance (2018)
* The Bad Batch (2021)
* Visions (2021)
* Tales (2022)
* Young Jedi Adventures (2023; episodes)
* Maul – Shadow Lord (2026)

|

Live-action|

* The Mandalorian (2019)
* The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
* Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
* Andor (2022)
* Ahsoka (2023)
* The Acolyte (2024)
* Skeleton Crew (2024)

Characters|

* Rebels
* The Mandalorian
* The Book of Boba Fett
* Legends
* Knights of the Old Republic

Music and audio|

| Audio dramas|

* The Story of Star Wars
* Audio novels
* Radio dramatizations of the films

|

Compositions|

* "Main Title"
* "The Imperial March"
* "Duel of the Fates"
* "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band"

Soundtracks|

* Star Wars
* The Empire Strikes Back
* Return of the Jedi
* Ewoks
* The Phantom Menace
* Attack of the Clones
* Revenge of the Sith
* The Clone Wars
* The Force Awakens
* Rogue One
* The Last Jedi
* Solo
* The Rise of Skywalker
* Obi-Wan Kenobi
* Andor

Other media|

| Attractions|

* A Galactic Spectacular
* Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
* Star Tours
* The Adventures Continue
* Path of Jedi
* Galaxy's Edge
* Millennium Falcon – Smugglers Run
* Rise of the Resistance
* Galactic Starcruiser
* Hyperspace Mountain
* Launch Bay
* Star Wars Weekends
* Where Science Meets Imagination
* Star Wars Celebration
* In Concert
* Hyperspace Lounge

|

Documentaries|

* The Making of Star Wars
* SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back
* Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi
* From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
* Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
* Science of Star Wars
* The Legacy Revealed
* Star Wars Tech

Lego|

* Droid Tales
* The Resistance Rises
* The Freemaker Adventures
* Rebuild the Galaxy

Merchandise|

* Action figures
* Kenner
* list
* Hasbro
* Vintage Collection
* Transformers
* Pez
* Force Trainer
* Shepperton Design Studios
* Trading cards
* Vinylmation

Other|

* Video games
* list
* Books
* reference books
* Star Wars Insider
* Comics
* list
* manga
* Legends
* characters
* Thrawn trilogy
* Shadows of the Empire
* Galaxies
* Knights of the Old Republic
* The Force Unleashed
* The Old Republic
* The High Republic

Production|

* George Lucas
* Lucasfilm
* Cast
* film
* television series
* Changes in film re-releases
* Han shot first
* Filming locations
* Opening crawl
* Art
* Sources and analogues
* comparison to Star Trek
* Accolades
* The Force Awakens
* Special effects of The Empire Strikes Back
* Duel of the Fates
* Light & Magic

Cultural impact|

* Star Wars fandom
* 501st Legion
* Rebel Legion
* Religion
* Chewbacchus
* Jediism
* Jedi census phenomenon
* Star Wars Day
* Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk
* Fan websites
* Wookieepedia
* TheForce.Net
* Spaceballs
* Force for Change
* Chewbacca defense
* Yoda conditions
* Death Star (business)
* Strategic Defense Initiative
* List of organisms named after the Star Wars series
* Robot Chicken: Star Wars
* The Family Guy Trilogy
* "The Saga Begins"
* Darth Vader in Ukrainian politics
* Statue of Darth Vader

| The Simpsons Disney+ shorts|

* The Force Awakens from Its Nap
* Rogue Not Quite One
* May the 12th Be with You

|

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Star Wars original trilogy

Films|

| Theatrical|

* Star Wars (1977)
* The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
* Return of the Jedi (1983)

|

Television|

* Holiday Special (1978)
* Caravan of Courage (1984)
* The Battle for Endor (1985)

Characters|

* Admiral Ackbar
* Admiral Piett
* Bib Fortuna
* Boba Fett
* C-3PO
* Chewbacca
* Darth Vader
* R2-D2
* Grand Moff Tarkin
* Greedo
* Han Solo
* Jabba the Hutt
* Lando Calrissian
* Princess Leia Organa
* Luke Skywalker
* Mon Mothma
* Obi-Wan Kenobi
* Emperor Palpatine
* Wedge Antilles
* Yoda

Novelizations|

* Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker
* The Empire Strikes Back
* Return of the Jedi

| Related novels|

* Splinter of the Mind's Eye
* Journal

|

Soundtracks|

* Star Wars
* "Main Title"
* The Empire Strikes Back
* "The Imperial March"
* Return of the Jedi
* "Ewok Celebration"

Video games|

| Episode IV|

* Star Wars (1983)
* Star Wars (1987)
* Star Wars (1991)
* Super Star Wars (1992)

|

Episode V|

* The Empire Strikes Back (1982)
* The Empire Strikes Back (1985)
* The Empire Strikes Back (1992)
* Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1993)

Episode VI|

* Return of the Jedi: Death Star Battle (1983)
* Return of the Jedi: Ewok Adventure (cancelled)
* Return of the Jedi (1984)
* Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1994)

Other|

* Jedi Arena (1983)
* Star Wars Arcade (1993)
* Yoda Stories (1997)
* Star Wars Trilogy Arcade (1998)
* Flight of the Falcon (2003)
* Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force (2004)
* Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006)
* Angry Birds Star Wars (2012)

Awards for Star Wars soundtrack

* v
* t
* e

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score

1940s|

* Life with Father – Max Steiner (1947)
* The Red Shoes – Brian Easdale (1948)
* The Inspector General – Johnny Green (1949)

1950s|

* Sunset Boulevard – Franz Waxman (1950)
* September Affair – Victor Young (1951)
* High Noon – Dimitri Tiomkin (1952)
* On the Beach – Ernest Gold (1959)

1960s|

* The Alamo – Dimitri Tiomkin (1960)
* The Guns of Navarone – Dimitri Tiomkin (1961)
* To Kill a Mockingbird – Elmer Bernstein (1962)
* (1963)
* The Fall of the Roman Empire – Dimitri Tiomkin (1964)
* Doctor Zhivago – Maurice Jarre (1965)
* Hawaii – Elmer Bernstein (1966)
* Camelot – Frederick Loewe (1967)
* The Shoes of the Fisherman – Alex North (1968)
* Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Burt Bacharach (1969)

1970s|

* Love Story – Francis Lai (1970)
* Shaft – Isaac Hayes (1971)
* The Godfather – Nino Rota (1972)
* Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Neil Diamond (1973)
* The Little Prince – Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (1974)
* Jaws – John Williams (1975)
* A Star is Born – Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams (1976)
* Star Wars – John Williams (1977)
* Midnight Express – Giorgio Moroder (1978)
* Apocalypse Now – Carmine Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola (1979)

1980s|

* The Stunt Man – Dominic Frontiere (1980)
* No Award (1981)
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – John Williams (1982)
* Flashdance – Giorgio Moroder (1983)
* A Passage to India – Maurice Jarre (1984)
* Out of Africa – John Barry (1985)
* The Mission – Ennio Morricone (1986)
* The Last Emperor – David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su (1987)
* Gorillas in the Mist – Maurice Jarre (1988)
* The Little Mermaid – Alan Menken (1989)

1990s|

* The Sheltering Sky – Richard Horowitz and Ryuichi Sakamoto (1990)
* Beauty and the Beast – Alan Menken (1991)
* Aladdin – Alan Menken (1992)
* Heaven & Earth – Kitarō (1993)
* The Lion King – Hans Zimmer (1994)
* A Walk in the Clouds – Maurice Jarre (1995)
* The English Patient – Gabriel Yared (1996)
* Titanic – James Horner (1997)
* The Truman Show – Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass (1998)
* The Legend of 1900 – Ennio Morricone (1999)

2000s|

* Gladiator – Lisa Gerrard, Hans Zimmer (2000)
* Moulin Rouge! – Craig Armstrong (2001)
* Frida – Elliot Goldenthal (2002)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Howard Shore (2003)
* The Aviator – Howard Shore (2004)
* Memoirs of a Geisha – John Williams (2005)
* The Painted Veil – Alexandre Desplat (2006)
* Atonement – Dario Marianelli (2007)
* Slumdog Millionaire – A. R. Rahman (2008)
* Up – Michael Giacchino (2009)

2010s|

* The Social Network – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (2010)
* The Artist – Ludovic Bource (2011)
* Life of Pi – Mychael Danna (2012)
* All Is Lost – Alex Ebert (2013)
* The Theory of Everything – Jóhann Jóhannsson (2014)
* The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone (2015)
* La La Land – Justin Hurwitz (2016)
* The Shape of Water – Alexandre Desplat (2017)
* First Man – Justin Hurwitz (2018)
* Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir (2019)

2020s|

* Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste (2020)
* Dune – Hans Zimmer (2021)
* Babylon – Justin Hurwitz (2022)
* Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson (2023)
* Challengers – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

1950s|

* Anatomy of a Murder – Duke Ellington (1959)

1960s|

* Exodus – Ernest Gold (1961)
* Breakfast at Tiffany's – Henry Mancini (1962)
* Tom Jones – John Addison (1964)
* Mary Poppins – Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman (1965)
* The Sandpiper – Johnny Mandel (1966)
* Doctor Zhivago – Maurice Jarre (1967)
* Music from Mission: Impossible – Lalo Schifrin (1968)
* The Graduate – Dave Grusin & Paul Simon (1969)

1970s|

* Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Burt Bacharach (1970)
* Let It Be – The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison & Ringo Starr) (1971)
* Shaft – Isaac Hayes (1972)
* The Godfather – Nino Rota (1973)
* Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Neil Diamond (1974)
* The Way We Were: Original Soundtrack Recording – Alan and Marilyn Bergman & Marvin Hamlisch (1975)
* Jaws – John Williams (1976)
* Car Wash – Norman Whitfield (1977)
* Star Wars – John Williams (1978)
* Close Encounters of the Third Kind – John Williams (1979)

1980s|

* Superman – John Williams (1980)
* The Empire Strikes Back – John Williams (1981)
* Raiders of the Lost Ark – John Williams (1982)
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – John Williams (1983)
* Flashdance – Michael Boddicker, Irene Cara, Kim Carnes, Doug Cotler, Keith Forsey, Richard Gilbert, Jerry Hey, Duane Hitchings, Craig Krampf, Ronald Magness, Dennis Matkosky, Giorgio Moroder, Phil Ramone, Michael Sembello & Shandi Sinnamon (1984)
* Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution (1985)
* Beverly Hills Cop – Marc Benno, Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, Micki Free, John Gilutin Hawk, Howard Hewett, Bunny Hull, Howie Rice, Sharon Robinson, Danny Sembello, Sue Sheridan, Richard Theisen & Allee Willis (1986)
* Out of Africa – John Barry (1987)
* The Untouchables – Ennio Morricone (1988)
* The Last Emperor – David Byrne, Cong Su & Ryuichi Sakamoto (1989)

1990s|

* The Fabulous Baker Boys – Dave Grusin (1990)
* Glory – James Horner (1991)
* Dances with Wolves – John Barry (1992)
* Beauty and the Beast – Alan Menken (1993)
* Aladdin – Alan Menken (1994)
* Schindler's List – John Williams (1995)
* Crimson Tide – Hans Zimmer (1996)
* Independence Day – David Arnold (1997)
* The English Patient – Gabriel Yared (1998)
* Saving Private Ryan – John Williams (1999)

2000s|

* A Bug's Life – Randy Newman (2000)
* American Beauty – Thomas Newman (2001)
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Tan Dun (2002)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Howard Shore & John Kurlander (engineer/mixer) (2003)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Howard Shore, John Kurlander (engineer/mixer) & Peter Cobbin (engineer/mixer) (2004)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Howard Shore, John Kurlander (engineer/mixer) & Peter Cobbin (engineer/mixer) (2005)
* Ray – Craig Armstrong (2006)
* Memoirs of a Geisha – John Williams (2007)
* Ratatouille – Michael Giacchino (2008)
* The Dark Knight – Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard (2009)

2010s|

* Up – Michael Giacchino (2010)
* Toy Story 3 – Randy Newman (2011)
* The King's Speech – Alexandre Desplat (2012)
* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (2013)
* Skyfall – Thomas Newman (2014)
* The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat (2015)
* Birdman – Antonio Sánchez (2016)
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens – John Williams (2017)
* La La Land – Justin Hurwitz (2018)
* Black Panther – Ludwig Göransson (2019)

2020s|

* Chernobyl – Hildur Guðnadóttir (2020)
* Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir (2021)
* The Queen's Gambit – Carlos Rafael Rivera / Soul – Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (2022)
* Encanto – Germaine Franco (2023)
* Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson (2024)
* Dune: Part Two – Hans Zimmer (2025)

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* MusicBrainz release group
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