# What is the best John Williams film score?

> John Williams is the most celebrated film composer in history, having scored everything from Star Wars to Schindler's List. Which of his legendary soundtracks deserves the crown?

*By YPB Team · Published June 4, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-john-williams-film-score*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Star Wars: A New Hope** — score 1000/1000
   The 1977 space opera score that single-handedly revived the orchestral film score tradition.
2. **Schindler's List** — score 809/1000
   The 1993 Academy Award-winning score, its plaintive violin solo among the most moving in cinema.
3. **Memoirs of a Geisha** — score 726/1000
   The 2005 Oscar-winning score weaving Japanese shamisen with sweeping Western strings.
4. **Superman** — score 533/1000
   The 1978 superhero score whose brass fanfare remains the definitive superhero theme.
5. **Jaws** — score 436/1000
   The 1975 thriller score famous for its two-note motif that became synonymous with dread.
6. **Lincoln** — score 339/1000
   The 2012 historically resonant score of restrained grandeur reflecting a nation at its crossroads.
7. **Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone** — score 339/1000
   The 2001 fantasy score whose 'Hedwig's Theme' instantly defined the wizarding world.
8. **The Empire Strikes Back** — score 218/1000
   The 1980 score introducing The Imperial March, arguably the most famous villain theme ever composed.
9. **Close Encounters of the Third Kind** — score 218/1000
   The 1977 sci-fi score built around five unforgettable notes used to communicate with aliens.
10. **Hook** — score 218/1000
   The 1991 fantasy score that brought Neverland to life with childlike wonder and soaring themes.
11. **E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial** — score 218/1000
   The 1982 fantasy score whose bike-flight finale is one of the most euphoric in film history.
12. **Catch Me If You Can** — score 218/1000
   The 2002 jazz-infused score capturing the playful cat-and-mouse of the con artist story.
13. **Saving Private Ryan** — score 218/1000
   The 1998 war film score that mixes solemn hymns with harrowing battlefield tension.
14. **Jurassic Park** — score 62/1000
   The 1993 adventure score blending wonder and terror across sweeping orchestral vistas.
15. **Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark** — score 1/1000
   The 1981 adventure score featuring the swashbuckling Raiders March that defined the franchise.

Tags: film score, movie music, soundtracks, john williams