Disney's heartwarming documentary tribute to John Williams, Music by John Williams, celebrates the iconic composer's more than 50 years of creating stellar film music. So integral are William's scores to the heart and soul of the movies he writes for, that it's difficult to imagine them without his influence, explaining why John Williams has won so many Oscars. Williams championed orchestral and symphonic music in the 1970s and 1980s when it was considered old-school. Long-term collaborator George Lucas describes Williams' contribution as: "Music is the magic dust of movies. He raised the music to the level of popular art that would stand the test of time."

John Williams' major achievement, whether it was Star Wars, or Indiana Jones, or Jaws, was to create stunning themes and return to them often so that his melodies seeped into the culture and the collective psyche. Many of his themes are so well-known and so ubiquitous that it's often thought he wrote only for blockbusters, but Williams' resume also includes work with other directors other than Lucas or Steven Spielberg. As evidenced by Music by John Williams, his body of work is ongoing, so this top ten list of movies that carry his compositions is not exhaustive, and may yet be bettered.

10 Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Williams Brilliantly Combines Tension And Emotion

Spielberg's World War Two classic is mostly ed for its 20-minute opening, the storming of Omaha Beach. It's astonishingly brutal and harrowing, and there's genius in the fact that Spielberg and Williams eschew any soundtrack over it. It's simply raw, silent emotion. When Williams' score does kick in, it's somber and gentle, accurately reflecting Spielberg's central theme - the debilitating effect of war on the human spirit.

"Hymn to the Fallen" is the film's most memorable musical takeaway, according to classical-music.com. In Music by John Williams, Spielberg insists it remains the most requested military theme. Throughout the film, Williams brilliantly combines tension and pathos, atmospheric cues and emotional weight, and includes his trademark stirring orchestral piece over the final credits in homage to the WW2 fallen. Saving Private Ryan would be higher on this list were it not for the staggering quality of Williams' other work.

9 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Makes Eliott And ET's Friendship Even More Memorable

Williams' score in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is far more esoteric, a subtle blend of the whimsical and the magical. The film's most recognizable "Flying Theme," is the perfect accompaniment to a narrative combining the innocence of youth with the other-worldliness of the extra-terrestrial. It's Williams' gorgeous orchestral textures that make Eliott and ET's friendship so memorable.

Speilberg has suggested that "Without John Williams, bikes don't fly," and it's certainly true that the film's soundtrack plays a huge part in E. T.'s relationship with its audience. It has been said that Spielberg edited the final cut to fit the music, rather than vice versa - a fitting tribute to Williams' score. There are other more instantly recognizable themes on this list, which is the only reason E.T. isn't higher.

8 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The Score Goes Hand In Hand With The Film's Relentless High-Octane Pace

Raiders of the Lost Ark, however, is one of Williams' most immediately recognizable pieces of work. The film, of course, is a barnstorming adventure covering a huge range, geographically as well as emotionally, and Williams conjures up a score to match. The iconic main theme, "Rangers March," perfectly captures the rambunctious spirit of Indiana Jones's character and his heroic exploits.

The score is an object lesson in writing music for action movies, keeping up with the film's relentless high-octane pace, but also complementing the movie's moments of romance and introspection, action and suspense. Recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, Raiders of the Lost Ark deserves its place in Williams' top ten, and might merit a higher spot for some Spielberg illuminati.

7 Superman (1978)

One Of The Most Recognizable Themes In The History Of Film

John Williams' Superman score features the popular "Superman March", a strident piece of orchestration that captures the title character's heroism and hopefulness. The theme is one of the most recognizable in the history of film, bringing together soaring melodies and a rampant brass section that perfectly embodies Superman.

The martial horn that heralds Superman's arrival is iconic and has found its way into orchestral programs all around the world.

The martial horn that heralds Superman's arrival is iconic and has found its way into orchestral programs all around the world. The score was rightly Oscar-nominated and was seen as a nostalgic representation of American values of heroism and optimism at a time when the Cold War with Russia was at its most prevalent.

Superman's Eagle Scout, good versus evil, persona was captured exactly by Christopher Reeve in the title role. The Superman soundtrack would have featured higher on this list were the entire piece of work as effective as the main theme, but it nonetheless merits its place.

6 Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Williams' Big Break At The Start Of His Career

Fiddler on the Roof became John Williams' first Academy Award win, taking the Best Original Song Score in 1972. It was one of his few adaptations, taking Jerry Brock's original Broadway score, and giving it the signature John Williams' luxurious, symphonic treatment for the big screen.

Fiddler on the Roof represented Williams' big break as it brought him to the attention of Steven Spielberg, who then contracted him for the Jaws soundtrack that supercharged Williams' career. But Fiddler on the Roof stands up on its own as a classic score, lushly orchestrated to reflect the deep cultural tapestry of Norman Jewison's story.

Blending traditional Eastern European music with emotional American tones, Williams' arrangements accompany the struggles and mishaps of Tevye and his family. Williams's mastery of both drama and comedy stands out, and it's that variety that ensures Fiddler on the Roof deserves its place on this list.

5 Jurassic Park (1993)

Perfectly Blends Symphonic Splendor With The Underlying Tension Of The Film

No one can put awe and wonder to music quite like John Williams. Spielberg needed a soundtrack that would blend both the majesty of the dinosaurs with the movie's heightened suspense, and Williams delivered. Most notable is the main track "Theme from Jurassic Park," which is instantly recognizable around the world, a grand orchestral statement in the highest traditions of blockbuster cinema.

Astonishingly, the score wasn't nominated for an Oscar but remains etched into movie-goers' collective psyche. It may not quite reach the dizzying heights of Star Wars, but Jurassic Park is a technically superb piece of work that combines symphonic splendor with the film's underlying tension - serving as a perfect accompaniment to Jurassic Park's cinematic scale.

4 Schindler's List (1993)

William's Fifth Oscar For Best Original Score

On the other hand, Williams' work on Schindler's List did win the 1994 Oscar, his fifth, for Best Original Score. Representing a change of pace from the strident orchestral works that came before it, Williams' composition is at once haunting and deeply moving, and somehow manages to encapsulate the deep and profound sorrow of the Holocaust. The Schindler's List soundtrack has left an indelible impact on audiences, as a work of art on its own merit.

The score features heartstring-tugging violin solos by Itzhak Perlman, and it's difficult to conceive of a more poignant score. With his usual humility, Williams relates in Music by John Williams, that when Speilberg first approached him to write the music, he told the director he needed a better composer to do it justice. Spielberg replied: "I know, but they're all dead."

3 Jaws (1975)

It Cemented His Long-Term Relationship With Steven Spielberg

When John Williams first played Steven Spielberg the shark theme for Jaws, Spielberg exclaimed "You can't be serious!" according to classicfm.com. He wasn't impressed by the two-note motif that has since become the stuff of cinematic folklore. Williams borrowed from Dvorak's New World Symphony to create the tension and threat of the underwater demon, and expertly builds the suspense and anticipation each time the beast is about to appear.

The Jaws score is perhaps Williams' most iconic. Williams described it as “grinding away at you, just as a shark would do, instinctual, relentless, unstoppable.” It won him an Oscar in 1975, and cemented his long-term relationship with Spielberg, and was the work that ultimately prompted Spielberg to recommend Williams to George Lucas for the Star Wars project. As such, it merits a place in his top three.

2 Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

An Eerily Simple, Hummable, And Iconic Score

Williams took his use of musical motifs to a new level in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The film itself elevates the music to the role of a central character in the narrative, it being the mode of communication between the extraterrestrials and the humans in the story. As a result, the movie is as much an auditory experience as it is a visual one.

The film itself elevates the music to the role of a central character in the narrative, it being the mode of communication between the extraterrestrials and the humans in the story.

Williams's five-note main theme is eerily simple, hummable, and iconic. It represents connection and communication, and in its full orchestral voicing blends the film's themes of exploration and wonder. It deserves its high spot on this list for its sheer simplicity, and for its starring role in Spielberg's classic, even if it was only nominated for an Academy Award in 1978.

1 Star Wars (1977-2019)

His Work Redefined Cinematic Scores For Generations To Come

Arguably, Williams' work on Star Wars is his most iconic. A searing cinematic experience from the very beginning of the film, its orchestral grandeur, bold brass fanfare and operatic scale redefined cinematic scores for generations to come. Williams' woven-in character themes have followed each character through the franchise's 10+ iterations.

Music by John Williams tells us that Star Wars's soundtrack was as resounding a hit as the film itself. Lucas released a 74-minute double LP in 1977, and by July it had already sold 650,000 copies, grossing a staggering $9 million. It would sell over 4 million copies and become the best-selling symphonic album in history. Those figures alone mark Star Wars as Williams' greatest achievement.

Key Background

• Williams has 177 credits on IMDB as a composer.
• His first professional work as a composer was the promotional film You Are Welcome (1954) at the age of 20.
• He has won five Oscars to date.

SOURCES: classical-music.com, ew.com, classicfm.com