Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Editors’ Notes The Force is as strong as ever in John Williams’ writing for orchestra. His mix of classical influences hasn’t changed—why mess with film-scoring perfection?—but he’s found new ways to make the melange sing. The marching aggression of brass instruments during “Attack on the Jakku Village” has an appropriately Mahlerian grandeur, while a Debussy-like flute cavorts intriguingly through “The Scavenger.” And when it comes to choreographing battles in space, as with “Scherzo for X-Wings,” Williams’ talent remains unmatched.