# The 14 Best John Williams Film Scores

> Galaxies far away, soaring adventurers, and spine-tingling menace; few composers shaped modern cinema's sound this completely. Which is the best?

*By YPB Team · Published June 5, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-14-best-john-williams-film-scores*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Raiders of the Lost Ark** — score 1000/1000
   The 1981 adventure score featuring the beloved Indiana Jones march.
2. **Lincoln** — score 1000/1000
   The 2012 historical drama score that earned Williams an Oscar nomination for its stately, hymn-like themes.
3. **Star Wars** — score 898/1000
   The 1977 space opera score that introduced some of the most iconic musical themes in cinema history.
4. **Schindler's List** — score 897/1000
   The 1993 Holocaust drama score featuring a heartbreaking violin theme by Itzhak Perlman.
5. **Jurassic Park** — score 692/1000
   The 1993 adventure score blending wonder and terror as dinosaurs roam the earth again.
6. **The Empire Strikes Back** — score 692/1000
   The 1980 score that introduced the majestic Imperial March and deepened the Star Wars musical universe.
7. **Close Encounters of the Third Kind** — score 538/1000
   The 1977 science fiction score featuring the five-note alien communication motif.
8. **Superman** — score 538/1000
   The 1978 superhero score whose march theme became the gold standard for cinematic heroism.
9. **Harry Potter** — score 1/1000
   The 2001 score for The Sorcerer's Stone featuring 'Hedwig's Theme', which defined an entire franchise.
10. **A.I. Artificial Intelligence** — score 1/1000
   The 2001 Kubrick/Spielberg collaboration scored with ethereal, melancholic precision.
11. **Jaws** — score 1/1000
   The 1975 thriller score whose two-note motif is one of the most recognizable in film history.
12. **E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial** — score 1/1000
   The 1982 magical score with the soaring bicycle-flight theme that captures childlike wonder.
13. **Return of the Jedi** — score 1/1000
   The 1983 score that rounded out the original Star Wars trilogy with Ewok adventures and the Emperor's theme.
14. **Saving Private Ryan** — score 1/1000
   The 1998 war drama score combining solemnity with triumphant patriotism for Spielberg masterpiece.

Tags: movies, music, film score, john williams