John Williams,most heard musician of all time?

[Guest]

Think about this:

Many of his score are for movies which are among the most successful of all times, think about the number of people who have at least heard one of his scores!

His score albums sell also quite well, maybe not as well as Michael Jackson at his peak(I once had an argument with a friend, who said John Williams music is never as much know as Jacksons, I´m not so sure ), but that is just additional, to the people who saw his movies.

In terms of concerts, he may stay well behind in numbers of listeners per year to your regular pop-star, but that´s also just to be seen as additional.

So, leaving things like whatever crackles out of the loudspeakers of malls etc. (they don´t play John Williams there, luckily), aside, just take all occasions where people actually pay to hear music (even if it´s not just for the music alone, like in the movies).

I would say John Williams is the most heard musician of all time, just with his movies he reaches so many people, that no one else stands a chance, I think !

Would do others thinks?

Has anybody any concrete numbers on this?

[Johnnyecks 33]

I think it is a little niaeve to call him the MOST listened to musician of all time, because I think that would have to go to one of the classic ones i.e Beethoven, Bach, Strauss, Mozart, T chaivosky (sp?).

More people are familiar with their music, as a whole, than they are (in what I've discovered) with the main theme for "Accidental Tourist".

Sure, Williams is the most known FILM composer whose name is not quite a household name but pretty darn close. I have found, in my experience, that a lot of the people that I have talked to recognize his name from being the Laurete Conductor for the BSO. When I tell them of his film scores they go.. "oh right...now I remember".

Just my thoughts.

P.S. There is no way to accurately measure the "concrete numbers" of how many people know/listen to his music.

[Guest]

I think it is a little niaeve to call him the MOST listened to musician of all time, because I think that would have to go to one of the classic ones i.e Beethoven, Bach, Strauss, Mozart, T chaivosky (sp?).  

Certainly not!

John Williams easily surpasses all classical composers in terms of "paying audience" with his movies alone, even if some got a head-start of several centuries .

They just stand no chance against modern mass media.

[tpigeon 3]

I think you could make a serious argument that he is the most heard composer of all time. The question is not whether or not he's the most listened to composer, but rather the most heard. His music serves as almost modern classical music, it's everywhere. Every kind of sporting event, from high school football games to NBA basketball games his music is played, he has scored numerous record-breaking films and his movie theme and olympic themes are almost embedded in society, at least speaking in terms of American culture. The music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Superman are heard all the time in many different forms, and I think a lot of people would be surprised with how much some of his less recognizable and lesser known music I have heard. The question is difficult and practically impossible to really have an answer to, but I think a strong case can be made in favor of Williams being the most heard composer of all time.

Ted

[Morn 8]

I think that it's fair to say that most people have heard a greater amount of his music than other classical or film composers.

[jsawruk 0]

I am going to have to disagree, but this is all opinion. However, I can give you the following facts:

The most recorded song in history (400+ seperate recordings) is Unchained Melody by Alex North.

The song with the most airplay in history is "Yesterday" by Paul McCartney.

The two biggest selling artists of all time, any genre, are Garth Brooks and Michael Jackson (but I forget which is which).

The classical composer with the most airplay is Beethoven.

The longest running show in Broadway history was Cats.

With that kind of competition, I think that JW really doesn't stand a chance. But he might, as I haven't covered all bases.

However, I would venture that JW has the most memorable movie themes of all time.

[Morn 8]

The most recorded song in history (400+ seperate recordings) is Unchained Melody by Alex North.

It wasn't originally a song, just the love theme of a very small scaled film. The orchestral version is much better than the pop versions. It's quiet odd, the equal for Williams would be someone turning Stanley and Iris into a pop song and it becoming the most recorded of all time.

http://mfile.akamai.com/3171/wm2/muze.down....asx?obj=v10704

With that kind of competition, I think that JW really doesn't stand a chance. But he might, as I haven't covered all bases.

He has scored several of the most popular films of all time. While I suggested that he might not be the most heard by the simple fact that I didn't mension it, he most likely has more of his work well known than all others.

[jsawruk 0]

I agree Williams is a lot more recognizable, although even there he has competition with the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, Rossini, and Tchaikovsky. But for film composers, he's at the top really, especially because he has multiple themes that are recognizable across a large cross-sectional demographic (Jaws, Star Wars Main Title, Imperial March, Raiders' March...). Sure, everyone knows music from Psycho, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings, but how many non-film music people do you know that can hum or recognize ANYTHING else by Herrmann, Goldsmith, or Shore?

[Guest]

I agree Williams is a lot more recognizable, although even there he has competition with the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, Rossini, and Tchaikovsky. But for film composers, he's at the top really, especially because he has multiple themes that are recognizable across a large cross-sectional demographic (Jaws, Star Wars Main Title, Imperial March, Raiders' March...). Sure, everyone knows music from Psycho, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings, but how many non-film music people do you know that can hum or recognize ANYTHING else by Herrmann, Goldsmith, or Shore?

A doubt very much that most people could hum anything from Star Trek or Lord of the Rings(not people here, I mean general movie-goers,the "enter cinema-watch-forget" type.)

The Star Trek Movies are just not well enough known(whatever enraged fans here might throw at me ), people would remember that cheesy TV series theme much more than the Main Title from the movies.

Lord of the Rings may have had a large audience, but I own the soundtrack for FOTR and even then it´s hard for me to make anything "humable" out of it.

That´s why I personally think the LOTR scores are inferior scores ( my personal opinion, no reason to attack me), because they were a wonderful opportunity to develope a multitude of high profile themes and Shore basically botched it.

Some people might say, this is more original, but I prefer the leitmotif approach any day, it´s just the way movies, especially epic movies should be scored.

In Shore´s case you can´t even "blame" him for that originality, because he has themes, they are just not very recognizable, but they should be, because they make no sense to me that way!

[Morn 8]

Style is more important for originality, not method.

But Jaws, Raiders, Anh, TESB, I don't think there are film scores that are at minimum better known than those.

[King Mark 3,631]

I agree Williams is a lot more recognizable' date='

That´s why I personally think the LOTR scores are inferior scores ( my personal opinion, no reason to attack me), because they were a wonderful opportunity to develope a multitude of high profile themes and Shore basically botched it.

![/quote']

That sort of what I thought.Whenever the music seems to be going somewhere interesting for a few seconds,it then reverts back to blandness.

K.M.

[UCFKevin 0]

Lord of the Rings may have had a large audience, but I own the soundtrack for FOTR and even then it´s hard for me to make anything "humable" out of it.

DAMN well said.

I am not impressed in the least by the scores for the LOTR flicks. At all. They are very bland to me. Sounds like I've heard them all before.

[King Mark 3,631]

If you like any given track a lot,then your bound to like the rest just as much.

K.M.

[Morn 8]

They are humble, but they don't stick in your mind for a whole day or anything like that.

[MrScratch 294]

Film composers in general are the most heard musicians. Everygoes goes the movies right? Or watches them on TV... I don't know anyone that doesn't. I think it is safe to say that Williams is the most heard musician in his own life time. The classical composers had to wait decades before their music reached around the globe and even then it wasn't always accepted. But I think its safe to say that there is a copy of the movie Star Wars in probably every single country in the world right now.

[King Mark 3,631]

I agree he's the most heard composer of all time.People hear his music wether they like it or not.It's everywhere more than just movies,like the olympics,the news.ect.

K.M.

[Hector J. Guzman 1]

I have found, in my experience, that a lot of the people that I have talked to recognize his name from being the Laurete Conductor for the BSO.

BPO

[Hector J. Guzman 1]

The question is difficult and practically impossible to really have an answer to

Agree.

[jsawruk 0]

Film composers in general are the most heard musicians.  Everygoes goes the movies right?  Or watches them on TV...  I don't know anyone that doesn't.  I think it is safe to say that Williams is the most heard musician in his own life time.  The classical composers had to wait decades before their music reached around the globe and even then it wasn't always accepted.  But I think its safe to say that there is a copy of the movie Star Wars in probably every single country in the world right now.

First of all, I think you greatly underestimate the power of media such as radio, albums, and MP3s, which are only music-based and have a much greater reach than film or TV.

Secondly, I think you (not you specifically, but in general) are being a little ethnocentric. Even though American musicians are heard around the world, it doesn't mean that people in other countries necessarily like them as we do. The same applies vice versa.

Your point on TV and Film as a distribution media is good, but a little off. Classical composers simply didn't have the distribution networks we have today. That is why it took so long for some to really get recognized because the distribution chain simply didn't exist. Today's composers have that much easier. But TV and Film are not the entire answer themselves.

I just think it's a little hasty to say JW is the most heard living composer today. It MAY be true, but I always try to look for facts first. There are a lot of good, well known composers out there today. I'm also a pessimist

[MrScratch 294]

Film composers in general are the most heard musicians.  Everygoes goes the movies right?  Or watches them on TV...  I don't know anyone that doesn't.  I think it is safe to say that Williams is the most heard musician in his own life time.  The classical composers had to wait decades before their music reached around the globe and even then it wasn't always accepted.  But I think its safe to say that there is a copy of the movie Star Wars in probably every single country in the world right now.

First of all, I think you greatly underestimate the power of media such as radio, albums, and MP3s, which are only music-based and have a much greater reach than film or TV.

Secondly, I think you (not you specifically, but in general) are being a little ethnocentric. Even though American musicians are heard around the world, it doesn't mean that people in other countries necessarily like them as we do. The same applies vice versa.

Your point on TV and Film as a distribution media is good, but a little off. Classical composers simply didn't have the distribution networks we have today. That is why it took so long for some to really get recognized because the distribution chain simply didn't exist. Today's composers have that much easier. But TV and Film are not the entire answer themselves.

I just think it's a little hasty to say JW is the most heard living composer today. It MAY be true, but I always try to look for facts first. There are a lot of good, well known composers out there today. I'm also a pessimist

Of all forms of American entertainment, movies are by far the biggest. This has been proven. Other countries clamor for American films. And since Williams has scored a lot of the biggest movies of all time (Star Wars, E.T., Jurassic Park) I think this gives him an edge. Just look at the Academy Awards if you need proof... how many countries is this televised in? Its a worldwide event. Not the same for the Grammies or Tonies.

Your two arguments seem to contradict each other... first you said I underestimate the power of media such as mp3s, albums, radio. But then in your second argument you say just because our American music is out there doesn't mean that anyone likes it.

The point I was trying to make was that everyone watches movies. Thats why I think Williams reaches such a bigger audience. You don't have to be a fan of John Williams to hear his music. In fact, you don't even have to know who JW is to know his music. But with mp3s, albums and radio the listeners have to go out and choose to listen to these. You have to select and download an mp3, you have buy an album and you have to turn on the radio and select a station.

I don't understand you're point about classical composers and distribution. That was exactly the point I was trying to make. Technology wasn't around back then to distribute works by Mozart and Beethoven. Thats why I said that Williams is probably the most heard "in his own lifetime". Today artists are recognized during their life... sadly, most of the great classical composers were not. I don't think anyone disputes this.

I'm not trying to come to any conclusions, we're all just speculating for fun. But of all the musicians ever I think Williams is definitely a contender for "most heard musician of all time" and for legitimate reasons. This is for his work with the BPO, his classical compositions but mainly his work in film, and the massive success of those films. We will never know because there is no way to survey or prove this. Its just fun to speculate.