In a movie series filled with so many icons, the music of Star Wars may stand above them all. John Williams’ score may be on of the most recognizable pieces of music of all time. Sitting in the theater and watching The Force Awakens, I was immediately transported back to that galaxy far, far away as soon as the main title kicked in. The best music makes us feel something, and John Williams’ work for Star Wars has been making me feel something since I first heard it 32 years ago.
John Williams isn’t scoring Rogue One, but that responsibility has fallen to the very capable hands of Michael Giacchino. Alexandre Desplat was supposed to score the film, but because Rogue One’s reshoots pushed the schedule back Desplat wasn’t able to write the music. I love Giacchino’s work, especially with the rebooted Star Trek movies. I’m excited to finally hear his work as part of my first nerdy love.
Here are some of my other favorite nerdy scores not composed by John Williams.
The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element is one of my favorite movies ever; it probably cracks my top 10. The soundtrack, while not as heralded as that of Star Wars, is pretty solid. The score was composed by Éric Serra and included all sorts of different types of music. The score’s greatest accomplishment is the song sung by Diva Plavalaguna; it’s an otherworldly song that fits perfectly within Luc Besson’s science fiction epic. Unfortunately the soundtrack isn’t available digitally and I don’t want to spend $40 to get it on Amazon.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
While not as iconic as the music of Star Wars, Star Trek doesn’t do too poorly for itself when it comes to music. The original series definitely has an iconic theme that, in my mind, is surpassed by Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from The Motion Picture that was reapportioned for Star Trek: The Next Generation. James Horner’s score for The Wrath of Khan is one of my favorite Star Trek musical experiences. Whenever I listen to the soundtrack, which is often, I can’t help but think of the Enterprise leaving Spacedock and meeting the Reliant. It’s fitting that one of the best Star Trek movies has one of the best scores.
Battlestar Galactica
If I had more time I would definitely watch Battlestar Galactica again. I sort of plowed through the first three seasons and watched the final season as it unfolded week-to-week. I didn’t dislike the finale, but I think I would get a lot more out of the series a second time through. While I haven’t watched the show more than once, I’ve definitely listened to the soundtrack multiple times. I love the throwback to the original series in the second season, but there are a lot of great original tracks as well. The soundtrack carries the same character of the show, in that it’s a little dark and brooding with few moments of levity. Even though it’s a heavy soundtrack, it’s still enjoyable.
Watching a movie without its score is a terrible experience. The music adds so much to a film and, in some cases, can linger longer than the film itself. I’m excited for Rogue One and hope that Michael Giacchino’s score can at least stand up to John Williams’ score and not get crushed by the original’s legacy.
What are some of your favorite nerdy scores?
Giacchino’s scores for JOHN CARTER and TOMORROWLAND are also both outstanding. Horner’s ROCKETEER score is fabulous (and very reminiscent of ST II at parts, but, hey, that’s ok).