On May 25, 1977, George Lucas debuted his insanely successful space opera, Star Wars. The film was retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope after the enormous success of the franchise resulted in multiple films, television series, and other media.
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There are so many things to love about this epic film. Its special effects were insane for its time, and its incredible story is still loved today. However, I want to focus on that next-level soundtrack.
What Made the ‘Star Wars’ Film Score So Legendary?
The score for Star Wars was composed by John Williams. He was already known at the time for his work on Fiddler On The Roof and Jaws.
For this particular film, Williams opted to create a symphonic type of score, complete with music phrases that were custom-designed for each character. Think of the “Imperial March”, which was used when Darth Vader appeared on screen.
This was an incredibly creative and smart musical decision. It made the sonic landscape of the film as important as the actual footage and storytelling. To be honest, there aren’t many non-lyrical songs as easily recognizable (and associated with one fictional character) as “Imperial March”.
And, of course, we can’t forget that insanely good opening song.
The opening theme song is a booming introduction to the film that accompanies that iconic text scroll. The theme plays as the film gives a backstory to the audience, and it’s an incredible experience. However, the song isn’t too distracting; it was the perfect composition to accompany a portion of the film that required the audience to read.
The title theme was performed and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. Unsurprisingly, the song was a huge hit. It made it all the way to no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. Williams would later earn a hefty armful of awards for the soundtrack, including a Grammy Award, Golden Globe, and Academy Award.
That wouldn’t be the end of the score’s success, either. Music producer Meco would later reimagine the theme song as a disco track that same year, which includes an electronic solo from R2-D2. That version would hit no. 1 on the pop charts, and its accompanying album Star Wars And Other Galactic Funk would become certified platinum.
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