Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#46 Jaws Theme by John Williams)

I'm sure I might get some flack for this one. If this list was purely about the most influential and most recognized movie themes of all time, the Jaws theme probably is #1. John Williams' brilliant piece of music is actually a character in the movie representing the unseen shark for the majority of the movie. When you hear those few up tempo notes, you know the shark is on the war path and something bad is about to happen. It took me 32 years to finally see the movie and understand how great this theme is, but I simply can't put it higher on the list because it's really only a few alternating notes with no real melody upon first listen. After hearing it many times since seeing the movie, I realized there is a little more to the song other than those infamous notes, which is why it's on the list at #46.

When Director Stephen Spielberg first heard the song, he laughed and thought it was a joke. When the movie was completed, he recognized that the movie would only be half successful if not for the imaginative score from John Williams. Many critics feel that the score from Jaws was the one that truly put John Williams on the map and jump started his career. The Jaws theme earned John Williams his first Oscar in 1975. More importantly it's probably the most recognized movie theme of all time. You can't tell me that you never hummed it under your breath as a good rib when your friends or family members were about to enter the ocean?!