John Williams

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

John Williams (born in 1932) studied at Juilliard and first worked as a jazz and studio pianist in Hollywood. With Jaws (1975) he showed how much tension two alternating notes in the double basses can generate. For Star Wars (1977) he reached back to the big symphony orchestra of the 1930s and 1940s, with leitmotifs for characters as in Wagner and Korngold. That did not fit the fashion for pop soundtracks, but it became an enormous success. Superman (1978) by Richard Donner followed, among others, as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and E.T. (1982), the last two with Steven Spielberg. For Schindler's List (1993) he chose a restrained violin solo. He won five Oscars.

Listening

• 
  Main Title (Theme from "Jaws") · John Williams, 1975
• 
  Main Title · John Williams & London Symphony Orchestra, 1977
• 
  Theme from Schindler's List · John Williams & Itzhak Perlman, 1993
• 
  Main Title · John Williams, 1977
• 
  Hedwig's Theme · John Williams, 2001

Discography

Studio albums

• 1955The John Williams Trio
• 1957Plays Sounds From Screen Spectaculars
• 1957Porgy and Bess (soundtrack)
• 1957The John Towner Touch
• 1957World on a String
• 1960Checkmate (soundtrack)
• 1961Rhythm in Motion
• 1963Diamond Head (soundtrack)
• 1966How to Steal a Million
• 1966How to Steal a Million (soundtrack)
• 1966Not With My Wife, You Don't! (soundtrack)
• 1966Penelope (soundtrack)
• 1967Fitzwilly (soundtrack)
• 1967Valley of the Dolls (soundtrack)
• 1968Heidi (soundtrack)
• 1969The Reivers (soundtrack)
• 1970Williams: Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble / Penderecki: Pittsburgh Overture / Mayuzumi: Music with Sculpture
• 1971Fiddler on the Roof: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording (soundtrack)
• 1971Jane Eyre (soundtrack)
• 1972Images (soundtrack)
• 1973Cinderella Liberty (soundtrack)
• 1973The Cowboys (soundtrack)
• 1973Tom Sawyer (soundtrack)
• 1974Earthquake (soundtrack)
• 1974Music for Cello and Piano
• 1974The Towering Inferno (soundtrack)
• 1975Jaws: Music From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1975Jaws: Original Motion Picture Score
• 1975The Eiger Sanction (soundtrack)
• 1976The Missouri Breaks (soundtrack)
• 1977Close Encounters of the Third Kind (soundtrack)
• 1977Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1977Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1978Jaws 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1978Star Wars
• 1978Superman - The Movie (Original Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 1978The Fury (soundtrack)
• 19791941 (soundtrack)
• 1979Dracula (soundtrack)
• 1980Pops in Space
• 1980Pops on the March
• 1980Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1980Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1980That's Entertainment
• 1981Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 1981Thomas and the King (soundtrack)
• 1982Aisle Seat: Great Film Music
• 1982E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (soundtrack)
• 1982Monsignor (soundtrack)
• 1983Star Wars
• 1983On Stage
• 1983Out of This World
• 1983Pops Around the World
• 1983Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1983Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1983Star Wars
• 1983Violin Concerto / Flute Concerto
• 1984Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (soundtrack)
• 1984Swing, Swing, Swing
• 1984The River (soundtrack)
• 1984With a Song in My Heart
• 1985Digital Premiere Recordings from the films of Alfred Hitchcock
• 1986Bernstein by Boston
• 1986SpaceCamp (soundtrack)
• 1986The Planets
• 1987Digital Jukebox
• 1987Empire of the Sun (soundtrack)
• 1987The Witches of Eastwick (soundtrack)
• 1988The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite
• 1988The Music of America: John Williams
• 1989Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (soundtrack)
• 1989Pops Britannia
• 1989Pops by George
• 1989Salute to Hollywood
• 1989The Accidental Tourist (soundtrack)
• 1989The Story of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• 1990Always (soundtrack)
• 1990Home Alone: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1990Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure (soundtrack)
• 1990Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1990Music of the Night: Pops on Broadway 1990
• 1990Pops à la Russe
• 1990Presumed Innocent (soundtrack)
• 1990Stanley & Iris (soundtrack)
• 1990We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• 1991Hook: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1991I Love a Parade
• 1991JFK (soundtrack)
• 1991Jubilate: Music for the Kings and Queens of England
• 1992Encore Christmas
• 1992Far and Away (soundtrack)
• 1992Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (soundtrack)
• 1992Joy to the World
• 1992Lucky to Be Me
• 1992The 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics (soundtrack)
• 1992The Green Album
• 1993Jurassic Park: Music From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1993Night and Day
• 1993Schindler's List (soundtrack)
• 1993Unforgettable
• 1994It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing!
• 1994Music for Stage and Screen
• 1995Big Screen Adventure
• 1995Nixon (soundtrack)
• 1995Sabrina (soundtrack)
• 1995Williams On Williams (Music from the Films of Steven Spielberg) (soundtrack)
• 1995Williams on Williams: The Classic Spielberg Scores
• 1996Cinema Serenade
• 1996Land of the Giants (soundtrack)
• 1996Lost in Space, Volume One (soundtrack)
• 1996Sleepers (soundtrack)
• 1996Summon the Heroes
• 1996The Time Tunnel (soundtrack)
• 1997Amistad (soundtrack)
• 1997John Williams: The Five Sacred Trees / Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountain
• 1997Lost in Space, Volume Two (soundtrack)
• 1997Romance Classics
• 1997Rosewood (soundtrack)
• 1997Seven Years in Tibet (soundtrack)
• 1997The Hollywood Sound
• 1997The Lost World: Jurassic Park (soundtrack)
• 1998Gershwin Fantasy
• 1998Midway (soundtrack)
• 1998Saving Private Ryan: Music From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 1998Stepmom (soundtrack)
• 1998Superman: The Movie (soundtrack)
• 1999Amazing Stories (soundtrack)
• 1999Angela's Ashes (soundtrack)
• 1999Black Sunday (soundtrack)
• 1999Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age
• 1999Keisuke Wakao Plays Music of John Williams
• 1999Star Wars
• 1999Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 1999Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2000A Guide for the Married Man (soundtrack)
• 2000Lost in Space, Volume Three (soundtrack)
• 2000Michele Zukovsky - LA. Philharmonic
• 2000The Patriot (soundtrack)
• 2001A.I. Artificial Intelligence (soundtrack)
• 2001Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (soundtrack)
• 2001Heartbeeps (soundtrack)
• 2001John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (soundtrack)
• 2001Schindler's List
• 2002Catch Me If You Can (soundtrack)
• 2002Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (soundtrack)
• 2002Minority Report: Original Motion Picture Score (soundtrack)
• 2002Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2002The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (soundtrack)
• 2002Williams: Essay for Strings, Trumpet Concerto / Kaska: Harp Concerto, A Long Way
• 2002Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams
• 2003John Williams - Piano
• 2003John Williams' Tenorama
• 2004Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack)
• 2004Spacecamp / Yes Giorgio
• 2004Star Wars
• 2004The Terminal: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2005Lost in Space: 40th Anniversary Edition (soundtrack)
• 2005Memoirs of a Geisha: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2005Munich (soundtrack)
• 2005Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2005Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2005War of the Worlds: Music From the Motion Picture (soundtrack)
• 2006Checkmate / Rhythm in Motion (soundtrack)
• 2006John Williams
• 2007Movie Masterpieces
• 200820th Century Tuba Concertos
• 2008Duos for Violin and Viola
• 2008Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (soundtrack)
• 2009None But the Brave (soundtrack)
• 2010Family Plot (soundtrack)
• 2010Hable and Reichhardt Play Music of John Williams
• 2010Horn Concerto
• 2010The Poseidon Adventure (soundtrack)
• 2011Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
• 2011Midway (soundtrack)
• 2011The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (soundtrack)
• 2011War Horse (soundtrack)
• 2012Schindler's List
• 2012Lincoln (soundtrack)
• 2012The Long Goodbye (soundtrack)
• 2013Concertos for Trumpet and Orchestra
• 2013Daddy-O (soundtrack)
• 2013The Book Thief (soundtrack)
• 2014Bachelor Flat (soundtrack)
• 2014John Williams: Guitar Magician
• 2014Montage: Great Film Composers and The Piano
• 2014On the Way: Works for Tuba by Duda, Williams, Szentpali
• 2015Gabrieli
• 2015Jurassic Park (Complete Score for 2 Pianos)
• 2015Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2015The Five Sacred Trees
• 2015Williams: Cello Concerto
• 2016The BFG: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2017Chansons françaises des années 60 : John William, Vol. 1
• 2017John Williams Film Spectacular
• 2017Lights, Camera... Music! Six Decades of John Williams
• 2017Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2017Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2017The Post (soundtrack)
• 2017The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration Part III
• 2018John Williams for Two Pianos - Indiana Jones
• 2019Across the Lake
• 2019Across the Stars
• 2019Organ Wars: The Music of John Williams (Arranged for Organ by Fabrizio Castania)
• 2019Star Wars (soundtrack)
• 2020John Williams: Trumpet Concerto
• 2021Bach..to Guitar - Julian Bream, Andrés Segovia, John Williams
• 2021Spotlight on John Williams
• 2022John Williams: A Gathering of Friends
• 2022Obi‐Wan Kenobi: Original Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2022The Fabelmans: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2023Bach / Bologne / Previn / Vivaldi / Williams
• 2023Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2023The Film Music of John Williams
• 2024Award Winning Movie Soundtracks
• 2024John Williams Reimagined
• 2024The Sugarland Express (soundtrack)
• 2024Williams: Violin Concerto no. 1 / Bernstein: Serenade
• 2025American Classical Masterpieces
• 2025Cinema Memories: Works for Violin and Piano
• 2025Images
• 2025My Cinematic Autumn
• 2026"The Art of the Score: John Williams" (soundtrack)
• 2026American Tapestry
• 2026Disclosure Day: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
• 2026John Williams: A Tribute
• 2026Williams: Flute Concerto / Herrmann: Souvenirs de Voyage
• 2026Winter Walking: Soundtracks for Cold Days

Other work

• 1975Jaws
• 1978Superman
• 1981Raiders of the Lost Ark
• 1990Home Alone
• 1991Hook
• 1993Jurassic Park
• 1998Saving Private Ryan
• 2004The Terminal
• 2005Memoirs of a Geisha

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Film Music Map^NL Map
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 2^NL Reader
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 4^NL Reader
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 7^NL Reader
• The Dream Factory: Film Reel 8^NL Reader
• After Hours: Session 1^NL Reader

Mentioned in other articles

• Symphonic revival (Williams era) GenreJohn Williams brought it back.
• Fantasy epic and world-building GenreJohn Williams gave Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) an enchanting theme on the celesta that returns throughout the series.

See also

• Symphonic revival (Williams era)
• Fantasy epic and world-building
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold
• Michael Giacchino