These themes from a list of the top 25 film scores in American cinema were unveiled by the American Film Institute in 2005.  Please remember that the following tracks are representative of entire scores, each deserving of your attention.

John Williams has the most scores in the top 25, with three: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, and the top choice, Star Wars. Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, and Max Steiner each have two scores listed.

Played in chronological order, the James Bond film themes offer a longitudinal study in the evolution of pop culture: