Jaws (soundtrack): History and Key Facts

The Jaws soundtrack (officially Jaws: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the music composed and conducted by John Williams and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony for Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws. The soundtrack is particularly notable for the 2-note ostinato which represents the shark, a theme so simple that Spielberg initially thought it was a joke by the composer.

The film score was recorded in March 1975 at 20th Century Fox Studios and Universal. Williams then expanded and rearranged the cues for the commercial release to provide a more cohesive listening experience. The soundtrack album was released on LP by MCA in 1975, reaching number 32 on the Billboard charts in September 1975. There have been several other re-releases, including re-recordings and anniversary expanded editions featuring alternate takes and source material.

The soundtrack was critically well received, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. In addition, it was ranked the sixth greatest score by the American Film Institute. The score has been the subject of scholarly discussion in relation to the tradition of classical Hollywood scoring, and its role in creating space in the film.

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