Last Updated on 12 April 2026

The following list is a compilation of the 100 best film scores by John Williams.

I found 31 different ranked lists online of “best John Williams scores” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation.  See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 31 lists that were averaged. Below is a checklist you can print out, followed by the full list with links to IMDb.

Best John Williams Scores – Viewing ChecklistDownload
  1. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
  2. Jaws (1975)
  3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  4. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  5. Schindler’s List (1993)
  6. Jurassic Park (1993)
  7. Superman (1978)
  8. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
  10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
  11. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
  12. Home Alone (1990)
  13. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
  14. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
  15. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
  16. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
  17. Hook (1991)
  18. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  19. JFK (1991)
  20. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
  21. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
  22. Empire of the Sun (1987)
  23. The Fabelmans (2022)
  24. Minority Report (2002)
  25. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  26. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
  27. Far and Away (1992)
  28. Lincoln (2012)
  29. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  30. War Horse (2011)
  31. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
  32. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
  33. Amistad (1997)
  34. Munich (2005)
  35. The Book Thief (2013)
  36. The Towering Inferno (1974)
  37. The Patriot (2000)
  38. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
  39. Nixon (1995)
  40. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
  41. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
  42. Angela’s Ashes (1999)
  43. The Long Goodbye (1973)
  44. Images (1972)
  45. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
  46. The Terminal (2004)
  47. War of the Worlds (2005)
  48. Sabrina (1995)
  49. Sleepers (1996)
  50. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
  51. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
  52. Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
  53. The Reivers (1969)
  54. The Fury (1978)
  55. Stepmom (1998)
  56. The Sugarland Express (1974)
  57. 1941 (1979)
  58. The Cowboys (1972)
  59. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
  60. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
  61. Presumed Innocent (1990)
  62. Rosewood (1997)
  63. How to Steal a Million (1966)
  64. The Paper Chase (1973)
  65. The River (1984)
  66. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  67. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
  68. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
  69. The Post (2017)
  70. Cinderella Liberty (1973)
  71. Midway (1976)
  72. Dracula (1979)
  73. The Eiger Sanction (1975)
  74. The Missouri Breaks (1976)
  75. Jaws 2 (1978)
  76. A Guide for the Married Man (1967)
  77. Stanley & Iris (1990)
  78. Earthquake (1974)
  79. SpaceCamp (1986)
  80. Conrack (1974)
  81. The Killers (1964)
  82. Heartbeeps (1981)
  83. Family Plot (1976)
  84. Black Sunday (1977)
  85. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
  86. The BFG (2016)
  87. Fitzwilly (1967)
  88. Heidi (1968)
  89. Jane Eyre (1970)
  90. Always (1989)
  91. Pete ‘n’ Tillie (1972)
  92. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
  93. The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973)
  94. Penelope (1966)
  95. The Rare Breed (1966)
  96. Not with My Wife, You Don’t! (1966)
  97. Valley of the Dolls (1967)
  98. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
  99. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)
  100. Daddy-O (1958)

Loading