Friday Feature: The 7 Best Film Themes by @destroytheearth

In honour of the upcoming Star Wars concert at the O2, this week our Friday Feature is an homage to the greatest film themes. I could waffle on for hours about how much good theme music can enhance a film, but I'm sure you all know that. Instead, hit the jump to read my picks for the best film themes and see if you agree.

Star Wars

John Williams' iconic Star Wars theme hits you like an orchestral explosion, before catching its breath, and progresses into a grand march that conveys a sense of pomp and circumstance to what could have been a simple space opera. I'm not saying Star Wars wouldn't be as culture-defining as it is without the theme, but imagining that opening refrain preceeding the never-before-seen effects of an Imperial Star Destroyer buzzing the audience's heads will go some way to explaining the film's impact.



Bond

It's campy, it's jazzy, it couldn't be more 60s and it fits the Roger Moore-style prattery to a T. Nonetheless, when the stoney, gravel-voiced, grimmer-than-grim Daniel Craig version spits out that immortal line and that theme kicks in, it has never felt more right.



Psycho




It is the the mother of a thousand cheesy slasher film themes. Those orchestra strikes aping the knife strikes and then the tune kicks in again only to fade out like the blood dripping down the drain. Without it, that scene would simply be another dodgy horror death.



Pirates of The Caribbean

The key word here is "swashbuckling". This rollocking theme is perfect for an all-action adventure film that just doesn't stop, but never even begins to take itself seriously. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!



Star Trek

It opens with that eerie refrain while Shatner waffles on about the vastness of space, setting the scene, before launching into another rousing call to adventure. The campy 60s vocals thankfully disappeared by the time the films appeared, but the remixes provided by each new iteration can't remove from the simplicity of that legendary theme.



Jaws

Close your eyes and you can almost imagine a neatly-presented conductor becoming more and more frantic until he finally descends into raving lunacy screaming: "Look out for the f**cking shark!!!!!!!" Of course, it also mirrors the swimming, naked lovely's panic as the shark stalks her... on later thought, that's probably more appropriate... yeah...



Friday 13th

It may only be a few people whispering the first syllables of the killer's name over and over, it barely qualifies as a theme, but there are few samples as atmospheric as the haunting backing to the Voorhees' killing spree.



So, opinions? Comments? Better ideas? List 'em below...