# What's Your Favorite Piece of Music Associated With Sci-Fi/Fantasy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547 "2013-04-23T22:45:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/1 "2013-04-23T22:45:41Z")
Fairly straightforward. John Williams’ score for _Star Wars_, especially the main title, the Darth Vader march, and the “Acid Klezmer” Cantina Band are all iconic. For lesser, I’ll go with the bluegrassy goodness of [Ballad of Serenit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB3aJoZugg8)y (the theme to Serenity for anyone not familiar). What are some of your sci-fi/fantasy faves musically speaking? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/2 "2013-04-23T22:49:13Z")
“Also sprach Zarathustra” for 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/3 "2013-04-23T22:59:31Z")
Seconded ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/4 "2013-04-23T23:01:09Z")
Williams has done so many good ones. I’m partial to the Jurassic Park theme. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/5 "2013-04-23T23:02:03Z")
Not being a major sci-fi fan, I can only add the _Blade Runner_ soundtrack by Vangelis and the theme to _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_ by John Williams. Long ago, the theremin sounds in _The Day The Earth Stood Still_ were great to hear. And I’ve always been a sucker for the original _Star Trek_ theme by Alexander Courage. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/6 "2013-04-23T23:02:06Z")
Nothing beats John Williams’ work on **Star Wars**. Second place goes to “All Along the Watchtower” from **BSG**. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/7 "2013-04-23T23:04:16Z")
My husband (Andy L) and I jokingly considered having the _Doctor Who_ theme for our wedding march. I really like the new music from _Doctor Who_–not the theme, but the “the Doctor is doing something awesome” music. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/8 "2013-04-23T23:17:40Z")
What? No mention yet of the closing music to [Silent Running](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ0JGjKYVdU)? Excuse me while I wipe away a tear… ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/9 "2013-04-23T23:19:42Z")
The [theme from the orignal Battlestar Galactica](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHD1uPVkyk0) (The music starts at 0:36, after the voiceover). Just simply stirring music. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/10 "2013-04-23T23:20:52Z")
Third mission of the RTS game _Homeword_ uses Barber’s _Adagio for Strings sung_ to Agnus Dei. [youtube link of the cutscene.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvYZXUT5Bk) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/11 "2013-04-23T23:24:18Z")
The entire score to Conan the Barbarian. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/12 "2013-04-23T23:40:35Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > What? No mention yet of the closing music to [Silent Running](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ0JGjKYVdU)? > > Excuse me while I wipe away a tear… Good one! (I am such a sucker for that movie) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/13 "2013-04-23T23:43:36Z")
I’m going to go ahead and nominate the Eagles’ [Journey of the Sorceror](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbhAf62wfgE), which any true sci-fi fan should recognize as the theme song of a certain TV series. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/14 "2013-04-23T23:48:46Z")
[Benson, Arizona](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j-MzxDad2c) from **Dark Star**. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/15 "2013-04-23T23:57:31Z")
“The Creation” from _Bride of Frankenstein_ “Opening Titles/Outer Space/Radar” from _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ “The Conversation” from _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_ “The Asteroid Field” from _The Empire Strikes Back_ “Theology/Civilization” from _Conan the Barbarian_ “Battle in the Mutara Nebula” from _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan_ ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/16 "2013-04-23T23:57:54Z")
[Children of Dune, Inama Nushif, Cleansing of the House montage - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHy-OxoT7zU) Inama Nushif from the Children of Dune miniseries, easily. Absolutely haunting. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/17 "2013-04-24T00:10:35Z")
No contest. The music Grieg wrote for _Peer Gynt_. It’s all good, including stuff you don’t know you know, like “Hall of the Mountain King,” but it includes [possibly the single most beautiful short piece of music ever written.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vntAKXIuRUI) ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/18 "2013-04-24T00:17:49Z")
> [@Feyrat](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHy-OxoT7zU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHy-OxoT7zU) Inama Nushif from the Children of Dune miniseries, easily. Absolutely haunting. How did I not know there was a CoD miniseries? Is it worth buying? ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/19 "2013-04-24T01:19:28Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > How did I not know there was a CoD miniseries? Is it worth buying? I like the Dune one that precedes it and COD, though you’ll definitely find fans who’ll debate the merits of both. The COD miniseries basically combines the Dune Messiah and Children of Dune books, with obviously a lot of cutting and reworking. Personally, I think it works, most of the acting is good, and I own both series 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547/20 "2013-04-24T02:01:45Z")
Pretty much all of _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. Elfman’s theme from _Batman_ is great, too. _Star Wars_ and _Jurassic Park_ have been mentioned, but I’ll go with John Williams’ _[Superman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9vrfEoc8_g)_ theme. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-piece-of-music-associated-with-sci-fi-fantasy/656547.md?page=2)