The Official 2013 John Williams Top 10 Film Scores.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Ten years ago I post the official John Williams top 10 as voted by members 10 years ago. It was a fun endeavor and I thought in honor of John's 81st birthday tomorrow that we again determine this boards collective top 10 John Williams scores. Since last fall I've been asking members to post their lists and I was fortunate to get 82 lists this time around.

 

Since then the Maestro has composed 10 more film scores. I wanted to see how many of those scores would be included and how the list would change from a decade ago. I'm happy to say that all 10 of the news scores did receive votes, and while none made the top 10 one score from the last year did come close. It stood taller than all the other scores in the last decade.

 

So before I give the list let me once again explain how I drew my conclusions. I took each list of 10 scores and weighted the lists. The #1 score on each list received 10 points, #2 9 points, etc until the tenth score which received a single point. Some of you provided the list as you would say in no particular order but I took them in the order you provided.

 

Here is the Official John Williams Top 10 scores as voted by the members here.

 

1. The Empire Strikes Back, 485 points, 22 first place votes, 62 out of 82 votes.

2. E.T. The Extraterrestrial, 368 points, 10 first place votes, 58 out of 82 votes.

3. Star Wars, 330 points, 4 first place votes, 46 out of 82 votes

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark, 273 points, 1 first place vote, 52 out of 82 votes

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 230 points, 4 first place votes, 37 out of 82 votes

6. Jurassic Park, 223 points, 4 first place votes, 41 out of 82 votes

7. Hook, 211 points, 4 first place votes, 38 out of 82 votes

8. Superman, 211 points, 4 first place votes, 37 out of 82 votes

9. Jaws, 211 points, 2 first place votes, 36 out of 82 votes

10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 195 points, 4 first place votes, 34 out of 82 votes.

 

Here is the next 10.

 

11. Return of the Jedi, 167 points,

12. Schindler's List, 144 points,

13. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 142 points

14. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 110 points

15. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Philosopher's Stone, 99 points

16. A.I., 69 points,

17. Home Alone, 68 points (17 out of 82)

18, Memoirs of a Geisha, 68 points (15 out of 82)

19. The Phantom Menace, 66 points,

20. War Horse, 55 points.

 

Of the 82 lists there were 22 films that received first place votes, and 67 films received votes overall. It's amazing that Munich received one vote, but it was for the #1 spot.

 

Of the 67 films to receive votes 8 films received votes in all 10 spots.

 

Those films were Jaws, Close Encounters, Superman, Raiders, E.T. Hook, Jurassic Park, and Prisoner of Azkaban.

 

If you notice every major score from the Golden Era from 1975 to 1984 made the top 11 scores.

 

The original trilogy and the original Indiana Jones trilogy all made the top 15 scores.

 

Only one prequel film made the top 20, The Phantom Menace. Revenge of the Sith would be #25.

 

I'm most pleased that of the 82 lists not one contained Attack of the Clones. It did not receive a single vote. While I don't hold that film score in high regard it's clear that even the board doesn't when it comes to making these lists.

 

Probably my biggest disappointment was that The Adventures of Tintin received only 6 votes over all and barely registered. It's a fine score in any John Williams era.

 

Now who got the most scores right on their list.

 

No one actually got the order right but there is one who did get all ten films correctly on his list.

 

All bow, yield, kneel before

 

WOJO

 

The next closest was our dear fozmo with 9.

 

Now whose list had the least, well Alan, Alice and Romao had just two,

 

then Koray, and Miguel each had one correct score but again

 

All bow, yield, kneel before

 

Scissorhand.

 

You are as unique as the come, huzza, huzza.

 

You two are our Regents for the moment. Bask in the aura of our great and powerful John Williams.

 

And for reference here is the list from a decade ago for comparison.

 

1. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, 1980, 917PTS, 109 VOTES OUT OF 129
2. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, 1982, 754PTS, 108 VOTES
3. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, 1981, 520PTS, 85 VOTES
4. STAR WARS, 472PTS, 1977, 75 VOTES
5. SUPERMAN THE MOVIE, 458PTS, 1978 81 VOTES
6. SCHINDLERS LIST, 1993, 423PTS, 75 VOTES
7. JURASSIC PARK, 1993, 348PTS, 68 VOTES
8. HOOK, 1991, 339PTS, 66 VOTES
9. JAWS, 1975, 283PTS, 61 VOTES
10. RETURN OF THE JEDI, 1983, 281PTS, 46 VOTES

 

Thanks to all who participated and all those who love John's music.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Thank you. See you in 10 years!

[Jay 37,249]

Hook's climbing the charts!

[indy4 155]

It's a more conservative list than I expected from just scanning the list, but all the winners are great scores. I would've liked to see more from the last 10 years, but I guess that's the nature of democracy.

[Mattris 416]

Keep in mind, this list is our collective favorite John Williams scores - not necessarily the same as his best scores.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Thats a whole discussion onto itself!

The list it good. It shows very clearly that JWs blockbuster stuff is still what lies closest in the hearts of many here.

[crocodile 7,973]

Yeah, it's a bit disappointing actually. Not because there's anything wrong with any of these, but because there's nothing surprising about it.

Karol

[Incanus 5,713]

Thank you Joey for going through the trouble of compiling and tabulating these lists!

The results clearly point to the classics as fan favourites and certainly not without reason. But it is nice to see some of the noughties titles making the lists.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah, it's a bit disappointing actually. Not because there's anything wrong with any of these, but because there's nothing surprising about it.

Karol

Im surprised Hook landed so high.

[Quintus 5,399]

Cheers for all the effort involved in making The List, Joey. I'm imagining Making the List playing in the background whilst you were compiling it.

[filmmusic 1,822]

Thats a whole discussion onto itself!

The list it good. It shows very clearly that JWs blockbuster stuff is still what lies closest in the hearts of many here.

And it also shows that his late 70s-80s scores, are the most beloved of all.. (and I would add, probably the best)

I'm surprised though about Phantom Menace that made it to that place.

[Quintus 5,399]

I'd have thought it'd make the top fifteen.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Jaws is not as high as i would like it

[Jay 37,249]

I'm surprised Azkaban finished higher than Sorceror's Stone. Both are great scores, but one wouldn't exist without the other... I dunno

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,249]

Yea, but Star Wars is a much smaller and shorter score than Sorceror's Stone. SS has an enourmous score with more than twice the amount of themes that Star Wars did, plus an entire half-hour suite of new concert arrangements on top of the complete score..... its a stunning achievement and I'm stunned the leaking of the recording sessions didn't make it place higher.

[KK 3,307]

Thank you Joey for compiling this great list. And I'm not surprised that Williams' classics remain to be fan favourites. It's not hard to see why.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I found the list to be rather surprising myself.

two things really stood out, well three, one I've already mentioned in that AOTC got not a single vote, which in my opinion is as it should be.

The second is Close Encounters making such a large showing this time around when it did not 10 years ago

And third, Schindler's List long fall from grace out of the top 10.

I was amazed that Wojo got all the right 10 films in his list. Fozmo had 9, but Roald/Sandor had 8. A lot of us regulars had 7, Stefan, myself, Mark and others. but we all stayed old school mostly.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Which Mark? Olivarez or the King?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yes! I was the only one who voted for Munich

[KK 3,307]

I found the list to be rather surprising myself.

two things really stood out, well three, one I've already mentioned in that AOTC got not a single vote, which in my opinion is as it should be.

Not surprised really. I still stand by the idea that AotC is really underrated around here, but there are just so many more great scores to place above AotC (even for fans of the score).

And third, Schindler's List long fall from grace out of the top 10.

I was saddened to see this. Still one of my favourite Williams scores.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Which Mark? Olivarez or the King?

Mark Olivarez is Mark, King Mark is KM

I had hoped Marc would have contributed but I guess he has a life beyond these days. He exists only as a memory....

[alicebrallice 134]

extremely, extremely surprised to not see the terminal in the final top 10. who would've thought...

[Sandor 796]

Thanks Joey..!

[MSM 126]

I am happy to differ from the mainstream opinion and have put Sabrina at #1

[Hlao-roo 389]

Thanks for carrying out the project, Joe. Glad to see Star Wars and E.T. in the Top 3.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Superman, Jaws, and Hook all tied with 211 points, I put Hook, Superman and Jaws as 7,8, and 9 instead of tied for 7 based on the fact that Hook got 38 votes, Superman 37, and Jaws 36, it just so happened that the weighted scores added up to 211. I wondered if Jason saw that I spelled Tintin correctly?

[Uni 306]

First off, many thanks to Joey, not just for the effort involved in tabulating these scores but in making such a fine statistical presentation to go along with it. There are some fascinating trends at work here, and it's very interesting to note the changes (few though they may be) that have taken place over the last decade.

I'm pleased to see Close Encounters returning to prominence—as I think it should—but one has to wonder how much effect the thread discussing and debating its greatness, which was taking place as people were posting their lists, had on this result. Surely the conversation must've inclined some folks to reexamine their thoughts and feelings about the score. If that thread hadn't taken place, would CE3K be that high on the list. . . ?

Interesting to see both Superman and Schindler's List lose a little ground, but not really surprising. And any disappointment is offset by seeing Hook gain a spot, and to see Temple of Doom make the list for the first time. The latter is the best news I take from this whole thing.

I think the most interesting tidbit for me, though it may seem minor, is seeing Raiders displace Star Wars. It's only one spot, but I find it a particularly significant switch. Both are the first installments in their respective series, but I wouldn't be surprised if the overkill from the prequels is beginning to wear away, just a bit, at the novelty of the original.

Great stuff. Now it's time for the Top 25 Pieces list. . . !

- Uni

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

Yes! I was the only one who voted for Munich

Obviously.

[SF1_freeze 131]

TOD is in the top 10, about time! (i rated TOD second place right below TESB)

What really suprises me in this and in the list 10 years ago is Jaws place in the top 10. Don't get me wrong it's a great score but there are so many other more complex and enjoyable JW scores i would easily rank above Jaws. I don't really get why this score is so loved...

I am also very happy to see War Horse, The Phantom Menace and PoA in the top 20. I consider them to be the greatest JW works post 1993.

Thanks for all your efforts Joey!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

First off, many thanks to Joey, not just for the effort involved in tabulating these scores but in making such a fine statistical presentation to go along with it. There are some fascinating trends at work here, and it's very interesting to note the changes (few though they may be) that have taken place over the last decade.

I'm pleased to see Close Encounters returning to prominence—as I think it should—but one has to wonder how much effect the thread discussing and debating its greatness, which was taking place as people were posting their lists, had on this result. Surely the conversation must've inclined some folks to reexamine their thoughts and feelings about the score. If that thread hadn't taken place, would CE3K be that high on the list. . . ?

Interesting to see both Superman and Schindler's List lose a little ground, but not really surprising. And any disappointment is offset by seeing Hook gain a spot, and to see Temple of Doom make the list for the first time. The latter is the best news I take from this whole thing.

I think the most interesting tidbit for me, though it may seem minor, is seeing Raiders displace Star Wars. It's only one spot, but I find it a particularly significant switch. Both are the first installments in their respective series, but I wouldn't be surprised if the overkill from the prequels is beginning to wear away, just a bit, at the novelty of the original.

Great stuff. Now it's time for the Top 25 Pieces list. . . !

- Uni

Star Wars supplanted Raiders Uni, I was very pleased with that. I think Star Wars is often underappreciated here as a score. The love of the Empire Strikes Back cast less of a shadow now than it did 10 years ago.

Interesting about your comments on Close Encounters, I suspected that thread might influence results. I was tempted to creat a similar thread about Superman but I really didn't want to influence votes. I wanted everyone to post a list of the scores they truly loved. I trusted the greatness of Superman the score would carry through and it did.

Like Stefan I think Jaws is still underappreciated. Jaws as a score is probably the most important of John's cannon on how it makes people perceived the film. Some think it's not very listenable, I find it infinitely listenable. It's a pirate adventure horror score how could it not be listenable. It's definately not big and bold and brassy like Star Wars but hell really what is.

What I feared most did not happen. I suspected that E.T. would be supplanted from the #2 spot. Thankfully I was wrong. It does seem that E.T. is still quite a beloved film score. It's my personal favorite but it's a very emotional score so I tend to save it when I really want to listen or need to listen.

I appreciate the thanks but to be honest this was fun, and you don't have to thank me for fun.

[Smeltington 1,436]

Thank you, Joey, for your work on this!

Looks like I need to give E.T., Close Encounters, and Jaws a listen. These are the only scores in the top 20 that I haven't heard outside their respective films yet. I may finally listen to E.T. tonight in celebration of JW's birthday - I already made my edit based on a thread posted here a couple of years ago. I've been waiting until I have time to sit down and listen without any distractions.

I agree with Jason, Sorcerer's Stone is an extremely rewarding score and I was a little surprised it still comes in behind Azkaban. But it's great to see both, as well as Phantom Menace, in the top 20.

It's kind of sad about AotC, but then even if you included all 6 Star Wars scores in your list it would still be #6, so it's hard to make a case for it. I'm curious to know what other scores got zero votes.

Hook is a score that might have taken me much longer to "discover" without this forum. That's one entry in my own top 10 list that wouldn't have been there a few years ago.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

when I get a chance I will list the scores that did get votes. All 67 of them. but that info is at the house.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

extremely, extremely surprised to not see the terminal in the final top 10. who would've thought...

No you aren't!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Here are the films that made the lists.

The Rare Breed, Jane Eyre, The Reivers, The Cowboys, The Poseidon Adventure, Images, The Long Goodbye, Cinderella Liberty

The Towering Inferno, Jaws, The Eiger Sanction, Family Plot, Black Sunday

Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Fury, Jaws 2, Superman, Dracula, 1941, The Empire Strikes Back,

The Raiders of the Lost Ark, Heartbeeps, E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spacecamp, Witches of Eastwick

Empire of the Sun, The Accidental Tourist, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Born on the Fourth of July, Always

Home Alone, Hook, JFK, Far and Away, Home Alone 2, Jurassic Park, Schindlers List, Sabrina, Nixon, Rosewood, Lost World, Seven Years in Tibet

Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Stepmom, The Phantom Menace, Angela's Ashes, The Patriot, A.I.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Minority Report, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Catch Me If You Can,

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Terminal, Revenge of the Sith, War of the Worlds

Memoirs of a Geisha, Munich, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,

The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse, and Lincoln.

[Ollie 1,059]

Keep in mind, this list is our collective favorite John Williams scores - not necessarily the same as his best scores.

His top 6 best scores are on that list as far as I'm cocncerned.

[mrbellamy 6,270]

Yea, but Star Wars is a much smaller and shorter score than Sorceror's Stone. SS has an enourmous score with more than twice the amount of themes that Star Wars did, plus an entire half-hour suite of new concert arrangements on top of the complete score..... its a stunning achievement and I'm stunned the leaking of the recording sessions didn't make it place higher.

This is true, but compared to POA and SS, The Empire Strikes Back is still more dependent on the groundwork laid by Star Wars. Outside of Hedwig's Theme and an extremely brief reprisal of Nimbus 2000, there's very little in common between the two scores, in pretty much every way. SS is certainly an enormous achievement, but almost all of it has nothing to do with POA, so it's not really accurate to say one wouldn't exist without the other.

[Uni 306]

Star Wars supplanted Raiders Uni, I was very pleased with that. I think Star Wars is often underappreciated here as a score. The love of the Empire Strikes Back cast less of a shadow now than it did 10 years ago.

Oh, shoot—y'got me! I reversed the old and new lists. My bad!

I don't think it's any less significant, though. What was it that brought Star Wars back up in people's minds? Is it possible the prequels made folks pine for the original that much more. . . ?

I appreciate the thanks but to be honest this was fun, and you don't have to thank me for fun.

We're not thanking you for the fun you had, Joe. We're thanking you for making it fun for us.

- Uni

[Quintus 5,399]

I reckon War Horse will drop well out of the top twenty in the next one of these. It's still pretty current and so riding the new material wave of goodwill. Strictly scoring craft-wise, it's pretty substandard stuff imo, which actually feels quite strange for a Spileberg/Williams collaboration.

For me the other score of that year absolutely blows it away.

[gkgyver 1,645]

CE3K wasn't in the Top 10 ten years ago?

What kind of people were voting back then?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Morons.

[Bellosh 3,369]

Joey, thanks so much for putting this together. It was fun to look forward to.

Awesome that Temple of Doom made the top 10. He just had that Indy theme in the palm of hands for that score.

[Smeltington 1,436]

Yep, it was nice to see Temple of Doom on there. Interesting that Raiders came in fourth, but only got one first place vote.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Raiders dominated the middle portion of peoples lists. I was surprised it did not get more first place votes and I was very surprised Star Wars did manage to show at third.

I was not surprised to see that Saving Private Ryan once again failed to garner many votes. It often gets good lip service but it never gathers many votes in the past.

[Quintus 5,399]

I think it's very good score actually, but no it's not list material.

[Sandor 796]

The only score I truly feel belongs on the list is Born On The Fourth Of July. It's Williams' most powerful and beautiful work for a drama, only second to Schindler's List.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,488]

Hook's climbing the charts!

I'd better go out and buy every available copy of "Hook". It's all for chaaaarity, mate!

[Brundlefly 2,385]

I wonder if The Lost World gets a chance to make the list (or at least the top 20) next time after its deluxe treatment by La-La Land.