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John Williams Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

There’s an old industry saying about how a movie is actually created three times: When it’s written, when it’s shot, and when it’s edited. But there is the fourth factor, that last line of effort and creation that unites the movie in a way unseen but is felt stirring the soul: When the music is composed.

For well over half a century, the musical scores of John Williams has ensured that our memories of the greatest moments in American cinema include sight and sound. Immediately, we can collectively recall the menace of a stubborn and malfunctioning shark, the uplift of an airborne moonlit bike ride with our favorite alien friend, and the trampling force of an evil marching empire. Or from the inspiring awe and terror on an island getaway where once-extinct beasts have returned to life, to children coming of age at a hidden school for wizards, and then the theme to all adventures, whether exploring the neighborhood woods or seeking treasure buried deep in a sun-scorched desert.

In our guide to movies scored by Williams with Certified Fresh films featured first, take a look at all his collaborations with directors and within franchises, including Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), George Lucas (Star Wars), Richard Donner (Superman), Robert Altman (The Long Goodbye, Images), Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter), Oliver Stone (Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon), and even Alfred Hitchcock (Family Plot).