For the past 50 years, composer John Williams has arguably been the defining sound of cinema. Although he began composing music for TV and film in the 1950s, it wouldn’t be until the 1970s that he broke big, thanks to that iconic soundtrack to Stephen Spielberg’s Jaws. From there he would go on to provide the music for a slew of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, and most poignant films, as well as recognizable anthems for pop-culture mainstays like the Olympic Games and NBC Nightly News. John Williams is an American icon, and a definitive creator in film and music. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate as we attempt to name the Best John Williams Film Score. 

Scores discussed: Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hook, Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, Jurassic Park, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Home Alone, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Schindler’s List, Superman

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and panelists Amma Marfo, Derek Mekita, and Kate Racculia as they discuss and debate 16 of the most recognizable film scores of all time.

Play along at home by finding the listener bracket here. Make a copy for yourself, fill it out, and see if your picks match up with ours!

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Host: Eric Rezsnyak

Panelists: Amma Marfo, Derek Mekita, Kate Racculia

Producer: Bob Erlenback

Editor: John Higgins

Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch

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