Top 10 Star Wars soundtracks
If you say Star Wars, you have to say John Williams as well as lightsaber, Darth Vader and Utinni(!). In hardly any other franchise spanning decades is the music such an integral part of the brand's identity. Even today, I get goosebumps when the title crawl starts and the fanfares ring out, heralding adventures in a galaxy far, far away. The typical Star Wars soundtrack is not only to be found in the movies or when streaming at home, but also in the video games.
If you've read my top 10 list of the best sci-fi scores from last year, the following section may sound familiar. That's because the franchise came in at number ... Like I'm going to spoil it here. My reasoning at the time was that its greatest strength, the recognizable music, was also its greatest weakness in this respect. While other brands and game series were constantly experimenting with new composers and melodies, for a long time Star Wars games simply played the music from the movies over the game. Of course, this creates an atmosphere like in the motion picture, but you rarely hear anything genuinely new; unfortunately, because a few of the soundtracks impressively illustrate what is possible with the brand, the motifs and the actual universe. And that's what this list is all about.
As I always take the stubborn approach in my rankings that the number of top-rated tracks determines the position, this is the first time I've been in a bit of a pickle with this list. In fact, only eight scores have at least one 5-star track, which means that 10th and 9th place fall somewhat out of the rankings. However, this is not to diminish their quality, but illustrates the error-prone nature of my ranking system, as, for example, a Empire at War: Forces of Corruption An X with just one top track is pushing past them. Anyway, in the end I just want to show you a few cool songs that I think are currently well worth listening to. So without further ado, here is my top 10 list of the best Star Wars-scores. Enjoy!
Number 10-7
Battlefront 2, that is, the spin-off without the colon before the Star Wars, from 2019, is a good game and a really good Star Wars-game when it comes to conjuring up the childlike fantasies of this universe in breathtaking beauty on the screen. While the 2015 predecessor lacked a single-player campaign, the second installment featured one revolving around the fanatical Imperial Iden Versio and the events following the destruction of the Death Star. Not a milestone in storytelling, but reason enough for composer Gordy Haab to develop his own motifs, which borrow heavily from Williams' style and adapting it. Although there is no real hit track, the overall composition is definitely worth listening to.
Although you could also hop in the cockpits of X-Wings, TIE and sorts in Battlefront 2 , if you were looking for thrilling space battles, the 2020 released Squadronswas your hit. To set the scene musically, Gordy Haarb was once again in charge, who in these tracks naturally drifts towards the fast and action-oriented motifs by Williams that we hear in the various space battles of the original trilogy. Snappy strings, imposing brass and the feeling of speed, as if we were flying through the trenches of the Death Star, are the result. A score in which once again no track particularly stands out, but which also has no reason to be ashamed of itself, earning a well-deserved 9th place, although it could be much higher up the list with just one 5-star-track.
AS a fan of the Knights of the Old Republic-games, you could imagine my excitement when the first trailer for The Old Republic were realeased. And how massively disappointed I was when it was announced that it was going to be an MMORPG. Be that as it may, even if it wasn't something I could relate to in terms of gameplay, it did deliver in terms of music. The Old Republic offered enough epochal music for me to get my money's worth. Once again Gordy Haab makes an appearance, this time in combination with Mark Griskey, whom we will also meet again below. Together with other composers, they created a soundtrack with its own identity, which not only quotes Williams' well-known motifs, but adapts them.
Best example and my personal favorite of the score it Peace, the Jedi Consular. It starts off with the famous Force Theme from Episode IV and then gradually transforms into something of its own. It takes the restraint, the caution out of the piece, which narratively suits the young Luke, who is just looking into an uncertain future, and gives him something more dominant, more self-assured, which one would rather attribute to a Jedi guard in the prime of his Force abilities. This is not just fanservice, this is Star Wars thought ahead. By the way, you can find a few impressions of the development process in this doucmentation form GameSpot.
7
Star Wars: Empires at War – Forces of Corruption
Year: 2006
Composer(s): Frank Klepacki
5 star tracks: 1
Since in the expansion Forces of Corruption for the real time strategy game Empires at War a totally new faction, the Zann Consortium, made its debut, there was no option here, unlike in the main game, to simply piece together the best-known tracks from the films to lend some atmosphere to the skirmishes. Instead, Frank Klepacki, who is best known from his work for the Command and Conquer-series, was tasked with delivering something that would forge an identity.
He delivered and we got a more rugged version of Star Wars, which still sounds like it would fit in with wars of the stars, but Klepacki's nature, who is not exactly known for his subtle tracks, shines through. I like it, but I understand anyone who would put this minor departure closer to the bottom of the list.
Number 6-4
As with The Old Republic Mark Griskey tries with the score for The Force Unleashed 2 to bluntly copy Williams, but incorporates his motifs into his tracks in order to create his own versions. An example of this is Assault on Kamino, which begins with Williams' legendary imperial march for story-related reasons. This is stretched out by a bridge without becoming repetitive. Griskey's adaptations also make you look forward to the continuation of the motif instead of being annoyed that someone has tampered with the best villain theme in film history.
I also appreciate the continuation of established themes from the previous game, such as the Juno Eclipse-theme. Nevertheless, for me, the score falls behind that of The Force Unleashed because of a track.
General Kota / The Control Room Duel is the one track that stands out for me from The Force Unleashed-series because it perfectly captures the quintessence of Williams' composition and fuses it into a best-of. This deliberate, uneasy, but then again brute and dominant song. Triumph and despair are so close together here, this waltz-like march, the back and forth. This track is the sole reason why, among the scores with the same rating The Force Unleashed pushes to the top - and the rest of the game's soundtrack is excellent too! Griskey knows how to pay the brand Star Wars respect without having to give up his own touch. And that he manages to do this without resorting to Williams' compositions is something he will prove again later... but more on that below.
My oppinion on Jedi: Fallen Order I did already give in the respective game review whilst I dissected the soundtrack in the music-review. Among other things, I criticize the lack of originality of the score and the fact that it sounds too much like background noise to me. As you can see, my rating system now puts the album in 4th place in this list, which puts me in the position of having to convince the reader of the correctness of this past verdict.
I could argue that I wrote the review on a bad day or in a fit of Star Wars-fatigue, and that I'm not actually that critical of the composition by Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab. But the fact remains that it lacks a defining theme - the track that you would play to your child and say: "Do you hear son? That's what Jedi: Fallen Order" sounds like. This may be a valid argument for me, but it can easily be applied to other games from the Star Wars universe.
And I understand everyone who argues that the soundtrack is Star Wars in its purest form and that I cannot now dispute the competence of Haab, whom I highlighted so positively above. I am not going to, in fact I completely agree. Nevertheless, one thing is certain for me: the score itself is good, the score is Star Wars, but I'm missing that certain something. Thus, in a non-empirical list, I would put Fallen Order rather at the end of the spectrum.
Number 3-1
Republic Commando on the other hand is a soundtrack that absolutely deserves to be on the podium of this list. It was composed by Jesse Harlin, who was unfortunately only involved in this score along with the theme to the first The Force Unleashed as a composer in the Star Wars-cosmos. Thankfully, the musical backdrop for the adventures of an elite squad of clone troopers does not rely on the orchestral, grandiose timbre of John Williams' compositions, but instead goes its own way.
What we hear in Republic Commando , is more warlike, simpler, more propulsive. Drums, didgeridoos and male choirs resound, while images of dirty jungles and the harsh reality of the battlefield emerge in our imagination. While in the films we as the audience sit in the commentary booth far above the action, the music of Republic Commando takes us down through the mud and exposes us to the dirtiness, the wildness of this fantastic universe without it becoming a strange element.
Harlin perfectly captures the spirit of the story musically, and the decision to take a cultural approach to Australian/New Zealand sound culture was spot on. Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it's due to the fact that the clones in the films are played by New Zealander Temuera Morrison, who has Māori ancestry. The revitalizing breath that Republic Commando brings to the uniform mash called Star Wars , is refreshing and absolutely worth listening to.
2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords
Year: 2004
Composer(s): Mark Griskey
5 star tracks: 11
The music of Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords sounds like role-playing meets sci-fi; which is good, because that's what it's all about. But it also sounds like sci-fi leaning towards Star Wars and makes use of things like instrumentalization, tonality and rhythm. The result is an interesting mixture that stands on its own two feet away from John Williams' works and yet somehow belongs to them at the same time. It may sound absolutely schizophrenic, but I think that this detachment from the film motifs serves the score well.
It's like a mince casserole that has always been made like that and now you realize that you can create a similar taste experience with other ingredients or without meat. You can like both and call both a casserole, even if they are fundamentally different. A far-fetched analogy, I know, but I can't think of a better way to describe it. And for me, it sums up quite well why the constant reference to Williams' compositions is both a curse and a blessing. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
If you look at the soundtrack without regarding the Star Wars-context, it is still a very good album. The action tracks are rousing, the quiet and sometimes creepy pieces are effective and compositions such as Rebuilt Jedi Enclave are emotional highlights that are moving and fun. Consequently Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords takes the second place and is only beaten by one score, which I thought was the best game of all time for a long time. So now it's nostalgia galore.
How could it be any different? Of course, there could be no other game at the end of this list than Knights of the Old Republic, my very first Star Wars-game and a milestone in the history of role-playing games. It not only owes this to its fantastic game world, excellent characters and thrilling story, but also to a soundtrack that is second to none. I don't really want to write too much here because the music review is very high up on my to-do list, but I have to. I have to talk about what Jeremy Soule has created here.
Like Mark Griskey, Soule uses John Williams' well-known motifs only sporadically, instead giving the Star Wars-universe its own touch. Of course, this is 99% nostalgia-blinded, 11-year-old Mattis speaking, who played 'the fuck' out of this game as the youngsters. And in doing so discovered his love for video game soundtracks while listening to the music at full volume from the clattering speakers.
The fighting tracks that have driven every confrontation. The atmospheric tracks that breathed soul into even inconspicuous places. And these themes, which are so gorgeous: The Old Republic, Bastila Shan or Dantooine Outback. I could listen to them for hours without getting bored. But why use the subjunctive? I already have! And I will continue to do so. For me, as of today, June 19, 2022, there is only this one score that could end up at number 1 on this list. And I recommend that anyone who doesn't know it already should listen to it at least once. It's worth it!
| Title | Artist(s) | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Peace, the Jedi Consular | Mark Griskey; Lennie Moore; Wilbert Roget, II | Star Wars: The Old Republic |
 | Zann Consortium | Frank Klepacki | Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption |
 | Assault on Kamino | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II |
 | General Kota / The Control Room Duel | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed |
 | Dueling Destinies - A Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Suite | KEKO | Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order |
| Memories of Days Past | Stephen Barton; Gordy Haab | Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order |
| Eno Cordova's Theme | Stephen Barton; Gordy Haab | Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order |
 | Vode An (Brothers All) | Jesse Harlin | Star Wars: Republic Commando |
| Gra'tua Cuun (Our Vengeance) | Jesse Harlin | Star Wars: Republic Commando |
| Dha Werda Verda (Rage of the Shadow Warriors) | Jesse Harlin | Star Wars: Republic Commando |
| Make Their Eyes Water | Jesse Harlin | Star Wars: Republic Commando |
 | Battle Stations! | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Battle the Monster | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Battle 4 | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Final Battle | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Rebuilt Jedi Enclave | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Onderon Battle | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Battle on the Ebon Hawk | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
| Stealing the Shuttle | Mark Griskey | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords |
 | Korriban Sith Academy | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Startup Screen | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| The Old Republic | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Sith Guard Encounter | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Rakghoul Attack | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Bastila Shan | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Inside the Sith Base | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Dantooine Outback | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Mandalorian Battle | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Kinrath Cave | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Ahto City | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Darth Malak | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| The Sith | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| The Last Confrontation | Jeremy Soule | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
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