The Poll to end all Star Wars Finale/End Credits Polls

[mxsch 115]

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[Datameister 2,037]

Noooooooo, this one is so much tougher.

 

But again, ANH wins. There's nothing more Star Warsy than that. Very difficult not to give it to ESB, though, which on certain quasi-objective levels may be superior. And AOTC is nipping right at its heels.

 

Last place goes to everything from ROTS onward. I instantly disliked the segue from the Force theme to the credits, and lo and behold, it became an inexplicable new tradition from there on out. (Although Williams did help with the finale of Solo, and that transition is waaaaay better.)

 

ROTJ SE is the head-scratcher. I actually really like Victory Celebration but I don't know wtf Johnny was thinking with the segue.

[Jay 37,310]

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7515-favorite-star-wars-finale-cue/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9672-favorite-star-wars-credits/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17200-best-end-credits-from-a-star-wars-film/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17550-strongest-williams-star-wars-finale-not-incl-end-credits/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/25213-ranking-the-star-wars-finaleend-credits-cues/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27178-favourite-star-wars-musical-third-act-end-credits/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28103-what-is-your-favorite-star-wars-end-titles-music/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28945-favorite-star-wars-finale-and-end-credits-music/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/31043-star-wars-end-credits-rankings/
 

[Bespin 8,480]

People can change their mind!

[Quintus 5,399]

Empire is the best but Star Wars is my favourite. 

[Romão 2,274]

Either Empire of the Force Awakens, but my vote goes to the former because of Jedi Steps

[karelm 2,903]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7515-favorite-star-wars-finale-cue/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9672-favorite-star-wars-credits/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17200-best-end-credits-from-a-star-wars-film/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17550-strongest-williams-star-wars-finale-not-incl-end-credits/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/25213-ranking-the-star-wars-finaleend-credits-cues/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27178-favourite-star-wars-musical-third-act-end-credits/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28103-what-is-your-favorite-star-wars-end-titles-music/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28945-favorite-star-wars-finale-and-end-credits-music/

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/31043-star-wars-end-credits-rankings/
 

We need a poll asking which is your favorite Poll to end all Star Wars Finale/End Credits Polls thread.

[Arpy 4,145]

ESB - Just for the sheer inventiveness of the three major new themes! I also love the Rebel Fleet part with that tentative statement of the Force Theme and those gorgeous strings underneath @0:42-0:47 - so warm and nostalgic: 

 

TFA is a close second much for the same reasons - showcasing the major new themes and it has this energy to it that says 'Star Wars is back!'

[SilverTrumpet 638]

Empire > Awakens > Star Wars > Menace > Jedi > Clones > Sith > Parts of Rise > Last

 

Subject to change.

[artguy360 1,843]

ESB, TFA, ANH, ROTS, TROS, AOTC, ROTJ, TLJ, TPM.

To add to my last comment, I'm not sure there is a performance I enjoy more in all the Star Wars end credits than the LSO performing the concert version of Throne Room in the ROTS end credits. It is a grand, flawless performance and the perfect send off for (at the time) the entire SW saga. I enjoy the piece and performance more than the somewhat awkward main titles and end credits bit from TROS.

[Bellosh 3,397]

The rendition of Yoda's Theme in Empire's credits makes it #1 for me.

[Holko 9,499]

I still hate that performance edit to a differently orchestrated HSatP mid-phrase for Empire. So SW.

[crumbs 14,304]

Surprised how many people have rated the prequel "suites" ahead of the sequel suites. He just recycled OT material, appended his concert suites and called it a day (barring that nice alternate ending to Across the Stars).

 

At least all the OT and ST suites were written and recorded specifically for the credits, and not just repeated material from elsewhere on the OST (and there's at least one alternate suite that was entirely unused -- hopefully that turns up on an expansion someday).

 

It would be nice to get the unedited TROS credits eventually too, even if it's just more ANH material.

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

6 hours ago, crumbs said:

Surprised how many people have rated the prequel "suites" ahead of the sequel suites. He just recycled OT material, appended his concert suites and called it a day (barring that nice alternate ending to Across the Stars).

 

At least all the OT and ST suites were written and recorded specifically for the credits, and not just repeated material from elsewhere on the OST (and there's at least one alternate suite that was entirely unused -- hopefully that turns up on an expansion someday).

 

It would be nice to get the unedited TROS credits eventually too, even if it's just more ANH material.

Have to agree with the first comment, certainly in regards to TPM and AOTC, whereby the main theme is just wound down to a long note so it links into the concert arrangements. I remember being hugely disappointed by the finale and credits for TPM, with the awful Augie's Municipal Band (surely one of the most cringe worthy things he's ever written) followed by cut and paste end credits. I'm sure he could have woven Duel of the Fates and Anakin's Themes together effectively. For my TPM playlist to try and  pull together the best of the original and complete TPM releases, I just use the concert suites at the end as the actual end credits track adds virtually nothing.

 

The AOTC finale is considerably better (albeit a slightly choppy montage sequence, but that's the fault of the film as much as anything), but the end credits is another edit. ROTS is much better, except for the one dreadful segue (which I've mentioned previously) between the reprise of the Throne Room and the main theme where he just stops with a couple of brass notes and then starts the main theme again... why not use the existing Throne Room to main theme segue here instead?! It's a really odd choice and sounds pretty naff. A double shame as the segue from Leia's Theme to Battle of the Heroes at the peak of the Leia melody is absolutely terrific, indeed one of my favourite moments from any of the end credits.

 

I guess, I'd have to put all of the original three finales and credits more down as equally effective for me. However, I'll go with Star Wars overall since it has easily the best celebratory finale (Walton on steroids), the best segue to the credits (I've always much preferred the original's lithe strings and woodwind segue than the brassier version used from Empire onwards) plus the perfectly pulled off segues between the main theme and Leia's theme, thus setting the template (and expectations) for all subsequent Star Wars scores. Having said, the all of the originals have excellent finales (even allowing for the fact that the re-written Jedi finale doesn't fit with the end credits... I mean... why write something that ended in a way that wouldn't fit with what was already there?! Weird) that deftly weave the new themes together for a very satisfying conclusion.

 

I enjoy all of the end credits to the sequels and like that he not only wrote something specific, but also decided to go for a different style of ending too. I guess they aren't quite as slick as the originals and bounce around all the ideas a bit too much to be quite as satisfying. With the originals you get enough of each new theme to feel satisfied whereas the sequels keep you wanting just a bit more.

 

Honourable mention. Solo, yeah it's a cut and paste, but at least it's not quite so obviously a cut and paste (mostly) and is a nicely high octane finale to the score. Plus the performance of the main theme is absolutely gangbusters, makes the sequel performances of the same feel quite timid in comparison.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

Solo and Rogue One.

[oierem 151]

The "Duel of the Fates" segment of the TPM End Credits is not a copy&paste of the concert version. It's the other way around. 

Williams composed a "end credits" version of the duel theme used in the score. Then he edited it and presented it as its own track on the OST.

[bored 306]

Gotta go with Revenge of the Sith. Yeah, Battle of the Heroes sounds exactly as it does in-film, but I love the remasters and uses of Leia's theme, and the full throne room suite from 77'. Both transition into the original trilogy, while also reminding you that the prequels are over (as both Luke and Leia's themes were part of "Across the Stars"). The entire sound and feel of those end credits in general feel like the true finale of Star Wars, and the throne room suite lead in to the final section of the end credits just flowed so well into a triumphant send-off. 

[Datameister 2,037]

44 minutes ago, oierem said:

The "Duel of the Fates" segment of the TPM End Credits is not a copy&paste of the concert version. It's the other way around. 

Williams composed a "end credits" version of the duel theme used in the score. Then he edited it and presented it as its own track on the OST.

 

Stole the words right out of my...keyboard. Still plenty of room for debate about the merits of the writing-end-credit-suites-that-can-double-as-album-concert-suites approach. But these don't seem to have been last-minute decisions to just shoehorn them into the credits.

[oierem 151]

30 minutes ago, Datameister said:

 

Stole the words right out of my...keyboard. Still plenty of room for debate about the merits of the writing-end-credit-suites-that-can-double-as-album-concert-suites approach. But these don't seem to have been last-minute decisions to just shoehorn them into the credits.

 

I mean, if you forget about the OST albums and just go by the films, the end credits of both TPM and AOTC feel like perfectly earned developments of the main themes. 

Just like the Raiders end credits feature an original full rendition of the Raider's theme (once again, if you forget about the OST album track).

Or the "Window to the Past" segment of the Harry Potter 3 End Credits, which many people criticised for considering a copy&paste job.

 

My understanding is that, most of the times, concert suites are composed at the very end of the process, and are based on the end credits (which feature the fullest renditions of the themes), and not the other way around.

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

21 hours ago, Datameister said:

 

Stole the words right out of my...keyboard. Still plenty of room for debate about the merits of the writing-end-credit-suites-that-can-double-as-album-concert-suites approach. But these don't seem to have been last-minute decisions to just shoehorn them into the credits.

I don't think I explained myself very well! Sorry about that. I don't have any issue with the concert arrangements themselves, they are both terrific and use the materials from the score superbly well, as Williams pretty well always does. I just felt it was disappointing that they were not meaningfully joined together with specially written musical segues like the credits for the original movies and the sequels... it's just a some pedal notes. I can even imagine how you might write a segue that transposed the descending string figure into the main driving Duel of Fates string figure. Duel of the Fates to Anakin's theme would be harder as they are very different tempos and styles, but sure it's doable. I just enjoy the cohesion and musical ingenuity of weaving themes together in an end credits suite, and I think Williams is probably the best there's ever been at that!

[Loert 2,510]

Each have their highs and lows, but I have a soft spot for ROTS.

[Falstaft 2,132]

ESB for me, followed by ANH, and not a particularly hard decision. Pinnacles of the form, both of them.

 

Worst, hands down, is ROTS -- a disjointed and frustrating send-off, if a well-performed one. The transition b/t Battle of the Heroes and the Throne Room is one of my least favorite moments in all of JW.  The Prequels are all a mixed bag, to be honest. AOTC at least offers that wonderful ending, with the harp/harpsichord statement of ATS, a hint of Anakin's Theme (one of only 3 times its heard out of TPM!) and a great merger of ATS and Vader's Theme. And TPM is, as @oierem and @Datameisternote, the proper origination of the Duel of the Fates concert arrangement, so hard to fault it there.

 

All three Sequel end credits are varying degrees of excellent. TFA is obviously a barn-burner, not least of all because it gives us that little intermingling of Poe's and Finn's/Pursuit leitmotifs. TLJ is weirdly underappreciated here, as a cool experiment in melding concert and more action/underscore material together. Though it suffers from a ham-fisted insertion of Yoda's Theme, and the variant of Leia's Theme is all too brief. (It's also worth remembering there are multiple quite substantially different versions of the TLJ credits; a lot of eyes will be opened if that ever is released...)

 

As for TROS, it's a mix of the best and worst aspects of Williams Star Wars end credits: a phenomenal and unique rendition of Anthem of Evil, plus good new treatments of Friendship and Victory Themes, but with copy/paste jobs of Imperial March and the Main Title. At least I'm not as bothered by the performance of the Imperial March as some folks here, and even feel like it's quite a thrilling transition from the Anthem.

 

[King Mark 3,626]

ESB is far ahead of all the other ones of course

[Datameister 2,037]

None of them do what ESB does better than ESB does it. It's a grandly bittersweet finale, followed by a brisk and exciting summation of all of the score's new major themes, all with minimal redundancy of material in the album setting. It's a powerhouse and I love it.

 

But if you're looking for the fairytale-in-space feel, you can't beat ANH. It just feels like the perfect conclusion of what could have easily been a fun standalone space fantasy film. It's not super long, and the credits completely omit two of the score's most important themes, but boy, is it charming.

[BrotherSound 2,242]

3 hours ago, Falstaft said:

The transition b/t Battle of the Heroes and the Throne Room is one of my least favorite moments in all of JW.

That’s harsh!

Though, I’d argue the next transition is even worse, about as convincing as a sudden lurch into another key in the final bars of Beethoven’s 5th symphony would be.

 

3 hours ago, Falstaft said:

TLJ is weirdly underappreciated here, as a cool experiment in melding concert and more action/underscore material together.

Agreed. And the major-key Rey chimes in the final bars are just magic!

 

3 hours ago, Falstaft said:

Though it suffers from a ham-fisted insertion of Yoda's Theme, and the variant of Leia's Theme is all too brief.

A good reason to stick with the Yoda-less FYC version, though then you miss out on ‘Holdo’s Resolve’.

[DrTenma 116]

For me is almost a tie between ESB and TFA. I end up voting for the latter, I love how well it condenses many of the themes and sub themes in the movie.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

10 minutes ago, DrTenma said:

For me is almost a tie between ESB and TFA. I end up voting for the latter, I love how well it condenses many of the themes and sub themes in the movie.

 

It's a great one, and befitting for his last SW score... until it wasn't.