John Williams' 10 Best Themes/Motifs from 2015 onwards?

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

I think we all can agree - from 2015 onwards began a new phase of Williams' career. He has exclusively composed music for his close collaborators o friends (Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Bryant). Dial of Destiny may or may not be his last score. Time to make an assessment with regards to his notable contributions to his monumental body of indelible themes and melodies he has already created. 

 

As a reminder here are the 10 eligible scores from which we can pick themes & motifs - 

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
The BFG (2016)
Dear Basketball (2017)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
The Post (2017)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
The Fabelmans (2022)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

 

For this exercise - your own definition of theme or motif, and for any less familiar one - obscure one - provide a link so that other's can listen in.

 

Here are my picks. 

 

1. Rey's Theme (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

2. March of the Resistance (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

3. Jedi Steps (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

4. Victory Theme (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) - The theme that plays in the beginning of this track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-9reMkxTjw

5. Sophie's Theme (The BFG) - The theme that plays in the beginning of this track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBHovCi4iI4

6. Dear Basketball Theme (Dear Basketball) - Concert suite presentation -ish of theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKMmOqrY3OY

7. Setting the Type Motif (The Post) - Heard at 0:10, 0:54, 1:58 in this concert suits like presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SgX139uZY8

8. The Fabelmans main theme (The Fabelmans) - As heard in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXD5a6C1eVg

9. Rose's Theme (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) - The theme that plays in the beginning of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP0nEO6q8iI

10. Nazi Might Theme (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) - The theme that plays at 1:07 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFioda0kMzw and scores the title card

 

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

1. Rey's Theme

2. Rise of Skywalker (The Rise of Skywalker)

3. The Fabelmans (The Fabelmans)

4. Adventures of Han (Solo)

5. Dear Basketball (Dear Basketball)

6. Kylo Ren's Theme 

7. Mother and Daughter (The Post)

8. The Presses Roll (The Post)

9. The BFG friendship theme (The BFG) (0:56 of Blowing Dreams)

10. The Nazi Suite (prologue from The Dial of Destiny)

[Bounty95 558]

1. Rey's Theme (TFA) 

2. March of the Resistance (TFA) 

3. The friendship theme (TROS) 

4. The victory theme (TROS) 

5. Poe's theme (TFA) 

6. The Adventures of Han (Solo) 

7. Helena's Theme (DOD) 

8. Kylo Ren's Theme (TFA) 

8. Rose's Theme (TLJ) 

9. Anthem of Evil (TROS) 

10. Obi-Wan Kenobi

[Bellosh 3,419]

1. Rey's Theme

2. Helena's Theme

3. The Rise of Skywalker

4. Finn & Poe's reunion in TFA motif (hey it's used twice so it must count). 

 

 

5. The Speeder Chase from TROS - feels like vintage Williams with chase-set piece music

6. Archimedes Theme

7. Battle of Syracuse 

8. Rose's Theme (i've really grown to like this one)

9. The Fabelmans

10. Jedi Steps from the TFA

 

[Tom 4,669]

1) Rey's Theme

2) Of Grit and Glory (not on the list above, but it should be)

3)The Fabelmans

4) Rise of Skywalker--both themes but they work so perfectly together. 

5) Rose's theme, particularly as found in Fathiers

6) Archimedes

7) Obi-Wan

8) Sophie's Theme

9) Dear Basketball

10) Galaxy's Edge (again, not on the list, but it is here anyway)

[Datameister 2,044]

From 2015 onward, the only stuff I know well is Star Wars stuff. But I can at least give you my top 2:

1. Rey's theme
2. Galaxy's Edge

Third place is probably a tie between Poe's theme and March of the Resistance.

[igger6 894]

1. Rey’s Theme
2. The Adventures of Han
3. The Rise of Skywalker
4. Poe’s Theme!!!
5. Sophie’s Theme
6. Dear Basketball
7. The Fabelmans main theme
8. March of the Resistance
9. Rose’s Theme
10. Helena’s Theme

[Trope 527]

1. Friendship/Trio Theme from The Rise of Skywalker (0:53 in "The Rise of Skywalker")

2. Rey's Theme from The Force Awakens

3. Main Theme from The Fabelmans

4. Mitzi's Dance from The Fabelmans

5. Helena's Theme from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

6. Main Theme/Sophie's Theme from The BFG

7. Mother and Daughter from The Post

8. The Presses Roll from The Post

9. Luke's Island Theme from The Last Jedi

10. Escape/Action Motif from The Force Awakens (5:06 in "The Jedi Steps and Finale")

[King Mark 3,631]

I think 2015 onwards gave us some of the best themes and compositions of his career

 

1-The Rise of Skywalker (both themes) .One of the best concert versions of all time

2-Galaxy's Edge. Just amazing stuff.

3- VIENNA BALL FANFARE .Just crappy cell phone snippets and you can tell it's the most regal fanfare he ever wrote

4-Rose's Theme 

5-The Adventures of Han

6-Obi Wan

7-BFG Main Theme (Sophie's Theme )

8-Archimedes Theme

9-Poe's Theme 

10-Jedi Steps

 

Not to mention Dear Basketball, Overture for Oscar, Of Grits and Glory and others

 

He seems to be only limited by human lifespan .I wish he could keep going forever

[p0llux 398]

1. Helena's Theme
2. Rey's Theme
3. Holdo's Resolve
4. Archimedes Theme
5. Jedi Steps
6. Poe's Theme
7. March of the Resistance
8. Dear Basketball
9. The Fathiers
10. The Rise of Skywalker

Honorable mentions: Auction At Hotel L’Atlantique, The Adventures of Han, Kylo Ren's Theme, Battle of Syracuse