Oomoog the Ecstatic

I can't think of many soundtracks that fit this description better than Aladdin. More than most films or Disney films, if you removed the music you'd be watching a very different movie. I felt the background themes pivotal to the script and its flow and characters, Menken's unique emphasis of major harmonization and his specific instrumentation.
 
 

Could you move all those bots to a subforum where only the bots are able to post? Who knows, if there's any adaptive algorithm behind them, they might get sentient in the long run, distil all the internet's knowledge of JW into that forum, and perhaps end up writing his definitive biography.

His style is really meant for specific types of scenes that are very artsy and warmhearted. Let me see if I can find you some example clips. It's good to watch the Star Wars original trilogy because that's the overwhelmingly best example of his approach to film and what type of movies he's suited for. (Not genre, but the style of narrative itself.)
 
Here's a scene I uploaded to show the brilliance of a typical Spielberg-Williams pairing. The music gorgeously fits this director's vision of an expansive silent movement scene; it sets the stage and world. Hear the contrasts and resolutions.
 
The following scenes epitomize the feeling of wonder, warmth, acceptance. These are very common themes in Williams best cues:
 
 
The key to the following scenes is that the music is in a Major key. You see, most composers would not even dare to write something both dooming and in Major for such a scene. But it shows Williams had his priorities straight here: he wanted to make the scene not to be about scariness, but about adventure!
ie. What is 'the light side' of the force? These deeper, double-sided meanings are important in understanding Williams' music:
 

I dislike all the post-2006 registered members here.

I think the biggest red flag is if you mention you like film scores and they say “Oh! Like Hans Zimmer?”

1998.

1. 77; at age 45 writes SW which alone would've qualified for place 1. Not just leitmotif at its finest but Williams did a touching job orchestrating for space muppets
2. 02; at age 70 rehashes terrific SW and HP music in one year. I think he felt fully rejuvenated returning back to his baby after 20 years
3. 82; age 50 writes ET
4. 80; age 48 writes ESB
5. 83; age 51 writes some mind-blowing music
6. 93; age 61 writes JP and SL
7. 04; age 72, Williams at his most agile writes PoA and Term
8. 20; at age 88 he's age 88
 
I put Williams as an A+ on last week's tier list but overall in my listening he's been an S. Can't think of many composers I'd place as high as A+ anyway.

My issue with Elfman/Burton collaborations of that period is, that the movies and the music flow over from irony. Often even unfunny bitter irony. That gave me hardly any touch point for emotional identification or empathy. That made the music often somehow feel superficial to me. Technically brillant maybe but superficial. Cinematically it might be a good way to approach Batman. And therefore Elfman always was the better choice for Burton movies. A perfect match. But Williams is rather the expert for emotional depths. Therefore not the best choice for the early Burton.

Elfman's score to Batman is one of those I would least want to let go, even if it was to be replaced by a top 20 or 25 Williams score.
 
There is a certain wild, simpler (yet still complex!) boldness in Elfman's music. All the wacky percussioning, playing ball with the main theme, unashamed hammering with various instrumental effects... and the instrumental choices are such a unique combination, that I fear Williams in comparison would tame it much more into the general symphony orchestra mold.
 
That being said, @Ludwig's example shows quite well what might have been.

In this dystopia of Gotham...
 
The bleak and hopeless villain theme is represented by power brass.
 
 
Coming to save the night, the high winds like bats screech in procession.
 
 
Overall summary:
 
 

If you see sentence 3, 4 and 5 above, it says that this is mathematically a critical 'Best of Williams list' to refresh you on some of his best scores overall, especially scores that may be a lot better than their films and thus get forgotten or overshadowed for not being as popular, even though they're actually better scores. 
 
We're just not used to hearing some of these scores as "the best" yet, like Hook, Temple of Doom, Angela's Ashes. They're not better 'according to popularity', but they may be better after cultural and childhood bias is removed from one's perception of more popular scores. The mathematics is a tool to logically show how these might be better scores.
 
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial for example, only moved up a placement from here, so it's one placement underrated, making it the #1 Williams score overall.
 
Bias occurs in thinking 'Bigger is better.' In other words, the bigger and more memorable the film, the more people will subconsciously overrate the score. But there are many Williams scores for smaller films that are better, so the OP is the adjusted list of Williams' Greatest Scores. This is not meant as an end-all be-all list. More like a recommendation to you.
 
We used the score's popularity not the film's popularity as the divisor, as this creates a much more accurate contrast between film score fans and Williams fans, providing the most accurate possible list for JWFan.

Braveheart isn't even on my list and it's #1 here overall. Just goes to show how disconnected I am from the people here.

The build up to the take off is so magnificent- I love that piano* figure- that I really can't ' complain' that  the flying music isn't from SUPERMAN.
Those two films and scores.....damn , they are....they are.....
How do you put into words , "magic"?
 
*sounds like two pianos playing simultaneously in octaves
 
 
 
 
 
R

Was browsing through the general forum and found this thread! Here is my current ranking of favorite soundtrack composers, those whose work I'm very familiar with. I will include more composers soon. Notes: I've never really played the games of Uematsu. His music is simply state-of-the-art
 
Update 10/17/20: I would make one slight change for now

Was browsing through the general forum and found this thread! Here is my current ranking of favorite soundtrack composers, those whose work I'm very familiar with. I will include more composers soon. Notes: I've never really played the games of Uematsu. His music is simply state-of-the-art
 
Update 10/17/20: I would make one slight change for now

@bruce marshall
 
 
 
 
Which film do you mean?

For me, it's the melody.
SUPE uses an upward, stepping  styled melody with wonderful chord changes ( major seventh iirc).
The E.T. theme uses the leap of a sixth , also present in the much warmer " E.T and Me " cue. But, it's a good, not great melody. It works better in quiet moments like when the flower comes back to life.
 
 
God, i love that film ( and score)😍!
 

Also, this. Always pictured pirates to this particular part with the horns
 
 
Also, I can totally picture a swordfight to this:
 
 

After watching several of this guy's videos on soundtracks, I have to say this one leaves an impression as one of the best-scored films.
 
 

Hardy would be an absolutely fuckall choice. Would make me instantly lose all interest in the franchise.

But the comparison or similarities end there. The biggest difference is that Craig is likeable, which is important for Bond. He needs to be able to get away with his 'rougher traits'.

Thankfully, we don't celebrate Halloween over here (most of us, anyway), so I'm thankfully relieved of that association.

I see a lot of wrong and idiotic answers in here.
 
Here is my book collection for reference:
 

 
I know where each one is by heart.