Ranking the Harry Potter movies by soundtrack

Movies are undeniably enhanced when they have a good musical score. Many of us can't imagine E.T. without John Williams' epic flying theme or watch Gettysburg without hearing the fife and drum music by Randy Edelman. The Harry Potter movies featured scores by John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat. As a life-long musician and avid film-lover, here is how I rank the soundtracks for the Harry Potter franchise.

8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

There are many wonderful things about the second film scored by Hollywood legend John Williams, but it reminds me of another one of his projects. In 1977's Star Wars, a sinister brass fanfare sounded as soon as we saw someone from the evil Empire. It told us how to feel in shorthand and this is how Voldemort's theme sounds in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. There is no mystery to who the villain is because we are reminded of his leitmotif so often. On the other hand, Fawkes' theme is gentle and powerful while Gilderoy Lockhart is scored like the vain idiot that he is.

Favorite tracks:

"Dueling the Basilisk"

"Fawkes the Phoenix"

"The Spiders"

"Dobby the House Elf"

7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

There is quite a lot of contemplation and understated tension in this movie, since a great deal of it is set in classrooms or a Pensieve. That's all right; this is the film before the storm. On the other hand, the score by Nicholas Hooper feels less dynamic. This does create a strong contrast for the high-tension moments of the sixth installment and creates a sense of emotional intimacy that is one of the film's strengths.

Favorite tracks:

"In Noctem"

"The Killing of Dumbledore"

"The Weasley Stomp"

"Slughorn's Confession"

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

John Williams' first score for the series is iconic. I have a friend who got to hear the premiere of "Hedwig's Theme" at Tanglewood and it impressed her so much that she wrote me a postcard. The celeste theme that begins the prologue is a classic and the music for Voldemort and Diagon Alley are some of my favorite parts. Nevertheless, the music feels episodic and lacks a through-line. The books grow up with the readers and this one is not my favorite for its less mature content.

Favorite Tracks:

"Harry's Wonderful World"

"The Chess Game"

"Hedwig's Theme"

"The Quidditch Match"

5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

This film introduces some incredibly dark elements. We see the Dementors for the first time. The finale includes child endangerment and dark creatures. Harry feels driven by rage and is haunted by his worst memories. Yet the score is, in a word, madcap. It's a great foray into Williams' versatility with a flying theme comparable to that of E.T. and jazzy themes playing off each other on the Knight Bus, but it never really settles into the gravitas of some of the source material. "Double Trouble" could be portentious, but instead, it's a lovely performance by the new school choir,

Favorite tracks:

"Aunt Marge's Waltz"

"Buckbeak's Flight"

"Quidditch, Third Year"

"The Patronus Light"

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This is a personal favorite for the contrasts that have been brought up as negative before. We have the habitual Hogwarts March that plays on, even when a dead body is the center of attention. There are wonderful songs for the Yule Ball and a beautiful theme entitled "Hogwarts Hymn" that captures the melancholy of this film. Doyle brings joviality to the Quidditch World Cup and utter dread to his own Voldemort theme.

Favorite tracks:

"Hogwarts Hymn"

"Neville's Waltz"

"Foreign Visitors Arrive"

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

If nothing else, the music depicting the battle of wits between the students and Professor Umbridge makes this soundtrack worth listening to. It also has the tracks with fitting titles like "Possession" and "Darkness Takes Over." This is the film in which consequences are a dominant force and a matter of life and death and this is reflected in the sinister and skittering moments of tension.

Favorite tracks:

"Professor Umbridge"

"FIreworks"

"The Hall of Prophecies"

"Dumbledore's Army"

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

This is the most haunting and haunted of the soundtracks and it would be my favorite if not for the absolute phenomenon of its sequel. The music by Desplat that strives to carry on at times is part of the conversations on screen and gives the impression that Mrs. Weasley's clock has all hands at "mortal peril" again. For a good, emotional experience, remember what "Obliviate" and "Godric's Hollow Graveyard" accompany.

Favorite tracks:

"Ron's Speech"

"Obliviate"

"Harry and Ginny"

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

I could just list the "Favorite tracks" and be done with it. All of the tracks have a sense of purpose and the music is often minimalist. Rather than sounding like a sketch of the emotional landscape, this soundtrack deals in bigger pictures. And it closes with a callback to the first movie that is bittersweet.

Favorite tracks:

"Lily's Theme"

"Harry Surrenders"

"Statues"

"A New Beginning"

Let us know your favorite tracks and which movie tops your list.