Most Heard Williams Piece

[Tom 4,630]

Not the most provocative question, but what is likely the most heard Williams's piece?

 

I would guess it is either Star Wars main title, the Imperial March, or the NBC News Theme.

[King Mark 3,624]

E.T. flying theme

Jaws shark motif

Raiders March

Hedwig's Theme

Force Theme

Theme from Jurassic Park

[Wojo 2,453]

13 minutes ago, king mark said:

E.T. flying theme

Jaws shark motif

Raiders March

Hedwig's Theme

Force Theme

Theme from Jurassic Park

Way to narrow it down. 

[Will 2,215]

If you're talking about actual performances, probably the Star Wars main title, Imperial March or NBC news theme.

 

If you're talking about people humming them, probably the Jaws theme or the Imperial March (and out of those two, probably the former). 

 

Funnily enough, I randomly heard some kids at my school humming the Jurassic Park theme during lunch one day last week. That's popular too, I think (for instance, one of my cousins had listened to it at one point, and a kid at my middle school hummed it randomly a couple years ago). 

[Tom 4,630]

I mean, in the most general sense possible, what piece by Williams is heard by the most people, whether they have any clue it is Williams (like with the NBC theme) or are even choosing to listen to music (NBC theme, Olympics, imperial march at football games). 

[Jay 37,249]

Star Wars

[Wojo 2,453]

It's gotta be NBC, heard everyday, multiple times a day, for decades. 

[Jay 37,249]

Oh shit yea, good call

[Will 2,215]

18 minutes ago, petaQ said:

It's gotta be NBC, heard everyday, multiple times a day, for decades. 

 

Yes, but only by the people who watch NBC. 

 

I think there's a good chance you're right, though. 

[Wojo 2,453]

Think of all the doctor's offices and Jiffy Lubes that have NBC on all day. The stay at home parents who get the kids ready for school. Every day. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Star Wars Main Title.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Thor 7,451]

In terms of most played to the most members of US citizens, then yeah -- definitely the NBC news music or "Sunday Night Football" theme. But as Bloodboal points out, to the rest of the world, it's most likely STAR WARS, JAWS or HARRY POTTER.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,488]

People can hear something, without ever listening. On that score (no pun intended) the two most 'heard" themes in the UK would be EASTENDERS, and CORONATION STREET.

As for JW, I would probably say NBC NEWS. Was there much fanfare (again, no pun intended) when the new theme (I assume there was an old theme?) was announced? Was it on television?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

17 minutes ago, Richard said:

People can hear something, without ever listening. On that score (no pun intended) the two most 'heard" themes in the UK would be EASTENDERS, and CORONATION STREET.

 

The BBC News pips!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,488]

On the hour from 6am - midnight (except for 6pm).

[rough cut 1,714]

It's gotta be Jaws. Even people with no musical ear can hum that. And it's applicable in a lot of everyday situations. It also reaches across generations in a way that the others do not.

[Jay 37,249]

Oh yea, kids these days all wear Jaws t-shirts, not Star Wars ones 

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Bespin 8,472]

If you talk about John Williams to someone and he looks at you with fearful eyes, if you don't talk him about Star Wars immediately, well...

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's the '84 Olympic fanfare.  If that's used in the ceremonies so that other countries -- not just the ones who get NBC -- are exposed to it, then you're potentially talking about hundreds of millions of people every four years.  I'm not sure even Star Wars competes with that.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Disco Stu 15,495]

"Storia di una donna" for sure.

[rough cut 1,714]

Kids and videogames! I am just thinking about the demographics of a "most heard JW-theme"... What about girls (and boys, I feel obliged to write here) who don't like sci-fi? 40-year old mothers? Grandparents... ? Surely they cannot be counted on to be able to recite the imperial march? But I bet they go "dum-dum" if someone asks them what a shark sounds like!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Thor 7,451]

Globally, it's definitely STAR WARS. Even the ol', iconic JAWS "dum-dum" gimmick is getting old and dusty for younger people, and not as easily recognized as it used to. 

[Bespin 8,472]

And the new thing for the millenials, is of course, Hedwidge Theme.

 

So if we resume this, we passed directly from Star Wars to Harry Potter. Simple as this, in terms of instantly recognizable theme for the "average" people.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

4 minutes ago, Bespin said:

And the new thing for the millenials, is of course, Hedwidge Theme.

 

So if we resume this, we passed directly from Star Wars to Harry Potter. Simple as this, in terms of instantly recognizable theme by the average people.

 

I have often found that older fans, especially 40+, tend to underestimate just how well-known Harry Potter music is with us 35 and unders.  Not just Hedwig's Theme, but I guarantee you that even if they couldn't hum them many millions in their 20s could identify something like the Nimbus theme or the Great Hall entrance music as being from Harry Potter.

[rough cut 1,714]

45 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

What about boys and girls who don't like shark movies or old movies? 10-year old youngsters who only watch the latest Marvel flicks? People who are afraid of water, even in movies? Surely they cannot be counted on to be able to recite the Jaws motif? But I bet they'd go with the Imperial March if someone asked them to hum a bad guys theme!

This was the best! 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The Legend of Zelda theme as it obviously spans generations of video gamers worldwide.

[Thor 7,451]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I have often found that older fans, especially 40+, tend to underestimate just how well-known Harry Potter music is with us 35 and unders.  Not just Hedwig's Theme, but I guarantee you that even if they couldn't hum them many millions in their 20s could identify something like the Nimbus theme or the Great Hall entrance music as being from Harry Potter.

 

But even HARRY POTTER is getting up there now. True, the theme makes a cameo in FANTASTIC BEASTS, but it's mostly a millenials thing, and these guys are now approaching their 30s. Depressing thought for an old fogey like myself (who was already in my 20s when the first film came out), but there you have it. It's a tremendously popular theme still, but I think STAR WARS is THE theme that bridges the gap between the last 3 generations or so, especially now with the new movies. There really isn't anything else by Williams that can beat that on a global level.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, Thor said:

 

But even HARRY POTTER is getting up there now. True, the theme makes a cameo in FANTASTIC BEASTS, but it's mostly a millenials thing, and these guys are now approaching their 30s. Depressing thought for an old fogey like myself (who was already in my 20s when the first film came out), but there you have it. It's a tremendously popular theme still, but I think STAR WARS is THE theme that bridges the gap between the last 3 generations or so, especially now with the new movies.

 

Agreed!  (and I'm turning 30 later this year so I'm squarely in the group you're pointing out )

 

I'm saying that at this point Harry Potter is probably in that 2nd most well-known spot, not Jaws or Jurassic Park or whatever.

[aj_vader 533]

The Imperial March

[zoltan_902 141]

On TV, The Mission Theme - it's used in Australia by the channel 7 news. Most Aussies wouldn't even realise JW wrote it.

 

The most over-exposed concert piece is Schindler's List. I'm usually wondering why that piece out of all of them. Sure it's nice, buy there's so much more on offer.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Star Wars is far more overexposed than Schindlers.

[Bespin 8,472]

Yes since 1993, Schindler's List Theme is for sure the most recorded JW piece by classical artists.

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Because of it's perceived "respectability". Even snobby ensembles why usually stay away from recording or performing "movie tunes" can get away with programming that one.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

For good reason!  

[Arpy 4,145]

Probably the NBC theme, over here in Oz, it's used for Channel 7 news. 

[Will 2,215]

I think there's been some confusion about what this thread was really about. By most heard piece, I assume Tom meant that a "listen" was any time any person heard a Williams piece (and that one person hearing a piece more than once would still count for multiple listens).

 

In that case, I think the NBC News theme has to be the winner. If you take the number of people who watch the Nightly News and/or Today Show every day and times that by the number of days in a year, that's a lot of listens in a year.

 

I don't think anything else can even come close. 

 

If we, however, are talking about which piece is heard by the most individual people (so each person, no matter how many times they hear Williams music, is only counted with one "listen") then the answer is probably the Star Wars main title or one of the Olympic fanfares, which people all across the world would have heard when premiered at the opening ceremonies (Summon the Heroes or Call of the Champions are probably most likely, since those ceremonies, being most recent, would likely be watched by the largest audience, it seems to me). 

 

Further, if we are talking about some general notion of "subconscious cultural significance," which is harder to estimate, at least from my experience I might say the Jaws theme (with the Imperial March possibly being second). My parents and at least one cousin (multiple generations) almost subconsciously associate it with general dread, it seems. The Imperial March also seems to have the distinction of being hummed unconnected to SW itself, as a general melody of evil and dread. I think this is the most interesting thing. Obviously SW fans are going to know the SW main title ... but what is really amazing is when people who aren't big fans of the films and aren't really talking about the films make passing mention of the themes.

 

The Jaws theme is a perfect candidate to become that because of it being only two notes long -- much easier to remember, and quickly hum!

[Bespin 8,472]

15 hours ago, Will said:

(...) I think the NBC News theme has to be the winner.(...)

 

Well I don't live in the USA and I never heard the NBC Theme on TV, as I have never watched NBC!

 

"The Imperial March" is a more "universal" choice I think.

 

Oh, but wait a minute... what I say implies... that... there's life outside the USA? Oh my God, is it possible!!!???

 

 

[Brundlefly 2,385]

More people might have heard Star Wars, but the NBC theme is the more often heard one.

[Wojo 2,453]

[Brundlefly 2,385]

I wanted to say that, whereas 10 people have heard the NBC theme 50 times, 50 people have heard Star Wars 10 times. Of course those numbers are just examples to illustrate what I mean.

[Will 2,215]

Yes, I agree @Brundlefly. 

 

On 2/13/2017 at 10:27 AM, Bespin said:

Oh, but wait a minute... what I say implies... that... there's life outside the USA? Oh my God, is it possible!!!???

 

I think the discussion above illuminates what I meant. 

[Wojo 2,453]

11 hours ago, Brundlefly said:

I wanted to say that, whereas 10 people have heard the NBC theme 50 times, 50 people have heard Star Wars 10 times. Of course those numbers are just examples to illustrate what I mean.

 

And 10*50 < 50*10 because Star Wars is the shit.