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John Williams: Star Wars - EdexcelThe impact of John Williams

John Williams is one of the most successful and sought-after film composers, writing for many blockbuster films and winning many awards. The Star Wars score is one of his most memorable pieces of work, becoming as iconic as the 1977 film itself.

Part of MusicMusic for stage and screen

The impact of John Williams

The Star Wars has gone on to be one of the most successful of all time. It includes multiple films and television series, and is often referenced in popular culture. John Williams’ Star Wars score has had a major part in the success of the film.

A large-scale orchestra, and very strong bold melodies were all first heard within one entity. This is now common practice among other composers such as Hans Zimmer in Pirates of the Caribbean, and Danny Elfman in Batman.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi film premiere.
Image caption,
The cast of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with John Williams at the film premiere in 2017

Thanks to the success of Star Wars and other John Williams scores, film music is now a genre in itself. released on albums and films such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Jurassic Park are shown on big screens in theatres and arenas accompanied by a live orchestra.

The Star Wars soundtrack won the Oscar and Golden Globe awards for Best Original Score when first released, as well as BAFTAs and Grammy awards. The score was selected as the greatest American film score of all time by the American Film Institute in 2005.

John Williams has been nominated for a total of 51 Oscars - only the Walt Disney Corporation has been nominated for more.