Can You Name These 10 Classic Movie Theme Songs From the 1970s?

Play three notes of a famous movie theme and most people can tell you what’s coming. The 1970s gave cinema some of its most recognizable music, and much of it still turns up in stadiums, ringtones and playlists.

Here are ten themes from that decade, each with a few clues. Try to name the film before you read the answer, then check how much you knew about the music behind it.

Funk, Strings and a Private Detective

Start with a hi-hat that sounds like it’s walking down a New York street. Wah guitar and swirling strings follow, and then a deep voice enters. The film is a 1971 crime story about a tough private investigator.

The answer is Shaft, with a theme by Isaac Hayes. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the ceremony held in 1972, and Hayes became the first Black composer to win in that category. It also helped bring soul and funk into mainstream film scoring.

Two Notes That Changed Beach Days

This one barely counts as a melody. Two low notes, slow at first, then faster and faster, suggest something circling below the surface. You may have hummed it as a joke at a swimming pool.

That’s Jaws from 1975, scored by John Williams. The music won him the Academy Award for Best Original Score, and many critics credit it with a large part of the film’s tension. Audiences felt fear before the shark was properly seen on screen.

A Fanfare From a Galaxy Far Away

Brass blares, the text crawls upward and the orchestra sounds enormous. Few film openings are this instantly familiar. It’s hard to separate the sound from the image.

This is Star Wars, released in 1977, with music again by John Williams. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for it, and he performed the music with the London Symphony Orchestra. The old fashioned, symphonic approach was a deliberate choice that gave a space fantasy a classic feel.

A Quiet Waltz of Family and Power

Picture a solo trumpet, soft and mournful, over a slow waltz. The tune sounds almost tender, which makes the film’s violence feel even stranger. It belongs to a 1972 gangster epic.

The film is The Godfather, with music by Nino Rota. His score was withdrawn from Oscar contention because he had reused a theme from an earlier Italian film. Rota later won the Academy Award for The Godfather Part II, shared with Carmine Coppola.

Horns, Drums and a Run Up the Steps

This one practically makes you want to jog. A bright brass fanfare opens, then a driving beat and a rising chorus of encouragement. You can easily picture a boxer in a gray sweatsuit.

The title is Rocky, from 1976, and the song is “Gonna Fly Now” by Bill Conti. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and it also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. Few movie songs have crossed so completely into sports culture.

Falsetto Harmony on a Disco Floor

A steady, tight beat and a trio of high voices set the pace. The track suggests a strut, though the lyrics are about survival. It comes from a 1977 film about a Brooklyn dancer.

That’s Saturday Night Fever and “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. The soundtrack became one of the best selling albums of its era, and it pushed disco far beyond the clubs. Many listeners still know the tune before they know the movie plot.

A Doo-Wop Title Song for a Summer Musical

This clue is about nostalgia built for a modern audience. Think of a 1950s high school setting, with polished harmonies and a catchy hook. The song was a hit in its own right and was sung by a singer already famous for his falsetto.

The film is Grease, released in 1978, and the title track was performed by Frankie Valli. Barry Gibb wrote it, so the Bee Gees connection continues from the previous entry. The film’s soundtrack also gave John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John duets that audiences still request.

A Piano Theme for a Winter Romance

Gentle piano, soft strings and a feeling of winter chill. This theme became shorthand for a certain type of tearful romance. It arrived in theaters at the very start of the decade.

That’s Love Story from 1970, with music by Francis Lai. The score earned the Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 1971 ceremony. Its melody was widely recorded as an instrumental and as a vocal song.

Five Beats to the Bar and a Masked Stalker

A simple piano figure repeats, nervous and unsteady. Its rhythm doesn’t feel quite like the music you usually tap your foot to. Together with a modest budget, it created one of horror’s most lasting sounds.

The film is Halloween, from 1978, and John Carpenter composed the score himself. The main theme uses a five beat meter, which gives it the lopsided feel that makes it so unsettling. The film was made on a small budget, so the music had to do a lot of work.

A Bond Theme With Rock Energy

Begin with a quiet piano, then wait for the sudden shift into orchestral drama and electric guitar. The tune moves between sections the way a chase scene might. It marked a new era for the spy franchise.

That’s “Live and Let Die” from the 1973 James Bond film of the same name, performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. George Martin, known for his work with the Beatles, provided the orchestration.

Final Score

If you named seven or more, you know your 1970s cinema well. The list covers soul, symphonic scores, disco, rock and horror minimalism, which shows how varied the decade was.

Several of these themes won or were nominated for Academy Awards, and many are still performed in concerts and used in modern media. Whatever your total, the music is still easy to find and worth another listen.