50 years ago, Jaws was released in theaters, and people around the world have been nervous about going into the water ever since. The Steven Spielberg film revolutionized the idea of a summer blockbuster and forever changed how humanity views sharks.
The film arrived with a score by John Williams, which is still regarded, half a century later, as one of the greatest of all time. Fans of classical music, movie soundtracks and Williams himself are revisiting his work as they celebrate the movie and its accompanying score, which turns out to be a big commercial success in the United Kingdom at the moment.
Jaws Soundtrack Debuts
The Jaws soundtrack appears on two charts in the country, and it debuts on one of them. Williams earns his sixth career placement as an artist on the Official Album Downloads list as Jaws arrives at No. 64. He has previously landed on that specific tally with a trio of Star Wars projects, the latest Indiana Jones score, and one full-length titled The Guitar Master.
Jaws Returns to the Soundtrack Chart
Jaws swims back onto the Official Soundtrack Albums chart as well, and as it returns, it reaches a new peak position. The film’s score debuted on the ranking of the biggest soundtracks in the U.K. in March 2018, when it opened at No. 35. This time around, it breaks back in at No. 25.
John Williams on the Soundtrack Tally
Williams is far more successful on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart than on the downloads list, which makes sense, given his body of work. He has now sent more than 30 of his releases to that tally, and several have reached No. 1.
Jaws Won John Williams an Academy Award
Williams won his second Academy Award in 1976 for Jaws, which took home Best Original Score. He had already claimed a similar category — one that doesn’t exist anymore — for Fiddler on the Roof, and by that point, he had already lost nine Oscars. The celebrated composer would go on to win his next Academy Award just two years later for the first Star Wars.