There are some movies that are simply unforgettable. There is also some movie theme music that is equally so. For this list, we’re compiling some of those tunes that have become absolutely synonymous with the film they accompanied. After hearing just a couple of notes, you’ll know exactly what movie they come from. These theme songs are every bit as recognizable as the flicks, and have had millions of people vibing since they enhanced memorable scenes.
Never before had a 2-note motif seemed so menacing. Since its debut in 1975, the movie Jaws has left generations of beach-goers somewhat fearful about being in open water. A man by the name of John Williams was the brains behind the score, and he would even go on to win an Oscar for it. He has stated he wanted to keep things simple, but create a theme that would be slowly grind at the listener while being relentless. He succeeded. The movie itself was a big hit, and even Spielberg credits the theme as being responsible for “at least half the success of that movie”.
What better way to begin a film all about magic, than with magical and whimsical sounding theme music? Lovers of the Harry Potter films were first introduced to “Hedwig’s Theme” in the very first movie of the franchise. It was composed by John Williams as well. Yup, the same brilliant guy who composed the theme for Jaws. “Hedwig’s Theme” would go on to be in every Harry Potter film and become synonymous with the wizarding world in general. Tell us you don’t get a little nostalgic when you listen to it!
Even if you’re not a fan of the Star Wars universe, chances are good you are familiar with this insanely recognizable movie theme music. “The Imperial March” was used in the films usually to signify the presence of big bad Darth Vader. Because of this, it is also sometimes referred to as “Darth Vader’s Theme”. But, it was also meant to represent the authoritarian nature of the Galactic Empire as well. The music itself has this powerful and imposing sound, suiting it quite well to its uses in the movie. We’ll bet you can’t guess who composed it. You guessed it, John Williams.
If you have never “sung” this while trying to do something even mildly sneaky, have you even really lived? For this recognizable movie theme music, we have composer Lalo Schifrin to thank. Before the Mission Impossible movies, there was a TV show. It was the show that Schifrin was hired to write the music for. But, he wasn’t even told what the show was going to be about. He was told only to create something that was very inviting and very exciting”. You would think something that is still so recognizable over 50 years later would have taken a long time to write. Nope, it took Schifrin only 3 minutes to write.
