Hedwig's Theme
First heard in: Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (2001)

The greatest piece of music ever written to describe a postal delivery service, Hedwig the Owl's theme was composed before the body of the score, Williams writing it for the trailer and then premiering it in a concert at Tanglewood. "I remember first hearing Hedwig's theme," recalled Potter producer David Heyman. "It was so clear that this was it — majestic and magical." As much as it refers to Harry's feathered friend, the use of the theme, especially in its gossamer light celesta arrangements, suggests a broader motif for the creative and capricious nature of magic in the series — it also serves as a kind of unofficial theme for the entire franchise. Williams composed the first three Potter pics but the original remains the best, a memorable mix of whimsy, mischief, adventure and menace topped with a touch of pomp and circumstance that is one of the composer's best from the noughties.

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It's a classic movie moment. Three men work together to build something to kill a beast. In this case, Quint (Robert Shaw), Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Brody (Roy Scheider) construct the anti-shark cage (or "Ant-eye shark cage" as Robert Shaw pronounces it) for Hooper to descend into the depths of the ocean. It's a dramatic scene and Williams reprises a secondary theme he has been using throughout the strive aquatic but in its most rigorous dramatic statement yet, layering instruments over a building violin structure that culminates in a shattering climax. Unlike Hooper, Williams' tune has got lots of spit.

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Yoda's Theme
First heard in: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Full of delicate orchestration and sensitive playing, Yoda's theme represents one of the few optimistic passages in a mostly downbeat sequel score, particularly in its playful pizzicato rendition as the Jedi master puts Luke through his paces. The theme gets a whimsical reprise in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial when the alien passes a kid in Yoda fancy dress at Halloween — when Spielberg showed the film to George Lucas, he didn't pre-warn him about the homage and elicited a delighted reaction from the Star Wars creator.

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Williams' music for George Miller's devilish comedy contains one of his most insidious ear worms. To represent the machinations of the three housewives (Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, Cher) who conjure up the Devil himself (Jack) the composer creates a whirling dervish of tune, a wicked waltz utilising violins, woodwinds and harpsichord. It works in a light-hearted spritely iteration but can also be amped up for flash and thunder dramatics when needs be. Like much of Williams work, you can listen to it just once and it stays in your head for days.

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It is the musical highlight of the Temple Of Doom score. A brutal relentless march symbolizing Indy's rescue of the slave children that starts on a military snare drum augmented with metallic chain percussion and takes off into something victorious. It holds a melodramatic version as Short Round becomes a slave and carries an Eastern arrangement that hints at the film's locale but at it's most rousing, it is the musical embodiment of fortune and glory.

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