It was May 1977. Nobody knew what a Wookiee was. Most people thought a "Death Star" sounded like a bad B-movie prop. Then the needle dropped on the Star Wars album 1977 double LP, and the world basically shifted on its axis.
People forget. They really do. They think Star Wars was always this inevitable juggernaut, a brand that sells pajamas and oranges. But before the toys, before the prequels, and way before the streaming shows, there was the music. John Williams didn't just write a score; he resurrected the entire concept of the symphonic soundtrack at a time when disco and pop-rock were king.
Actually, it’s kinda wild to think about. 20th Century Fox didn't even want to release the soundtrack at first. They thought it wouldn't sell. Boy, were they wrong.
The gamble that changed movie music forever
The original Star Wars album 1977 wasn't just a recording; it was a sensory experience for kids who couldn't go back to the theater every day. Remember, there was no VHS in May '77. No DVD. No Disney+. If you wanted to relive the dogfight over the Death Star or that weirdly tense moment in the cantina, you had to put on the record.
You sat on your bedroom floor, stared at the gatefold art, and let the London Symphony Orchestra take you back to Tatooine.
John Williams was a bit of an outlier here. In the mid-70s, film scores were moving toward "hip" sounds. Think Shaft or The Graduate. Gritty, urban, synthesizer-heavy, or folk-driven. George Lucas, however, wanted "old-fashioned." He wanted Wagner. He wanted Holst. He wanted a sound that felt ancient and grand.
By hiring Williams, Lucas ensured that the Star Wars album 1977 release would sound like something from the Golden Age of Hollywood, yet feel entirely new. It was a massive 12-track double album. Most soundtracks back then were lucky to get a single disc with thirty minutes of music. This was eighty-eight minutes of pure, unadulterated orchestral power.
Why the 1977 vinyl is different from everything that came after
If you go buy a digital remaster today, it sounds "perfect." It’s clean. The hiss is gone. But for the purists, the original Star Wars album 1977 vinyl has a specific grit and warmth that you just can't replicate.
There’s a legendary story about the recording sessions at Anvil Studios in Denham, England. The room was cramped. The brass was loud. You can almost feel the physical effort of the London Symphony Orchestra musicians trying to keep up with Williams’ frantic tempo during "The Last Battle." It's visceral.
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The track listing on the original LP was also out of order. Honestly, it drives some people crazy. It wasn't chronological. "Main Title" was first, obviously, but then it jumped around to serve the listening experience of a four-sided record.
- Side One: Main Title, Imperial Attack, Princess Leia's Theme, The Desert and the Robot Auction.
- Side Two: The Return Home, Inner City, Mouse Robot and Blasting Off, The Rescue of the Princess, The Inner City, Ben Kenobi’s Death and TIE Fighter Attack.
- Side Three: The Land of the Sandpeople, Mouse Robot, The Princess Appears, The Last Battle.
- Side Four: The Throne Room and End Title.
Wait, did you notice that? "The Inner City" and "Mouse Robot" appeared in different forms across sides. It was edited for "flow," not for the movie’s timeline. It was designed as a standalone musical journey.
The Meco Factor: When disco met the Force
You can't talk about the Star Wars album 1977 craze without mentioning the weirdest thing to happen to music that year: Meco.
While the official John Williams score was selling millions, a musician named Meco Monardo released a disco version of the theme. It's called "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band." It hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100. Let that sink in. A disco track based on a space opera score beat out actual pop songs.
It stayed at the top for two weeks in October 1977.
Some critics hated it. They thought it cheapened the "art" of Williams' work. But Lucas reportedly loved it. It was another way the film permeated every corner of the culture. If you were alive in '77, you couldn't escape the beep-boop-beep of the disco droids.
The inserts and the art: Why collectors go nuts
If you find an original Star Wars album 1977 copy at a garage sale, check inside. Don't just look at the discs.
The original release came with a gorgeous color poster of the Chaykin art or the movie's main theatrical poster. It also had an insert with a message from George Lucas and a breakdown of the "Leitmotif" system Williams used.
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A Leitmotif is basically a musical "tag" for a character. Leia has one. Luke has one (which we now know as the Main Theme). Ben Kenobi has the Force Theme.
The insert explained this to the general public. It taught a generation of kids how to listen to classical music structure without them even realizing they were being "educated." It was brilliant marketing disguised as liner notes.
The gatefold itself was a masterpiece. It featured production stills that, at the time, were the only way to see the movie's details up close without being in a darkened theater. You'd see the grime on the X-wings, the texture of the Stormtrooper armor, and the weird alien masks in the background.
The technical mastery of the 1977 recording
The recording was handled by Eric Tomlinson. He was a legend. He captured a "wide" soundstage that made the LSO sound massive.
When you listen to the Star Wars album 1977 on a high-end system, you can hear the placement of the violins versus the cellos. The brass is centered and aggressive. The percussion—those deep timpani hits—rumbles in a way that modern, overly-compressed soundtracks often miss.
One of the most impressive things about the '77 album is the "The Cantina Band" track. Williams actually wrote it for a specific set of instruments to sound like "space jazz." He used a Caribbean influence, some 1930s swing, and filtered the whole thing to sound like it was coming through a tinny speaker. On the original vinyl, that track sounds remarkably distinct from the heavy orchestral movements surrounding it. It’s a palate cleanser.
Misconceptions about the 1977 release
A lot of people think the "Imperial March" (Darth Vader's Theme) is on the Star Wars album 1977.
It isn't.
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Vader didn't get his iconic theme until The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. In the 1977 score, Vader is mostly represented by low, dissonant brass and minor-key variations of the general Imperial motifs. It’s actually fascinating to hear the '77 version of the Empire's music because it feels more "military" and less "operatic villain" than it did later on.
Another common mistake? Thinking the LSO was the only choice. Williams actually considered using a smaller ensemble for some parts, but the scale of the film demanded the full 80-plus pieces of the London Symphony. It was an expensive, risky move for a movie that many thought would flop.
What to look for if you’re buying one today
Thinking of hunting down an original Star Wars album 1977 vinyl?
- Check the Catalog Number: Look for 2T-541. That’s the original 20th Century Records pressing.
- The Poster: If it has the original poster intact, the value skyrockets. Most kids ripped them out and taped them to their walls in 1977, so finding one "un-tacked" is rare.
- The "Blue" Label: Early pressings have the 20th Century Records "Twin Planets" or "Blue" label. Later ones changed as the record company was sold or rebranded.
- Condition of the Gatefold: Because it was a double album, the spine often cracked. Look for a clean spine with legible text.
Honestly, even if it’s a bit scratchy, it’s worth owning. There’s something about the pop and crackle of a 1977 pressing that fits the "used universe" aesthetic George Lucas was going for.
Actionable steps for the modern collector
If you’re ready to dive into the world of 70s film scores, don’t just stop at Star Wars.
First, go find a copy of the Star Wars album 1977 on Discogs or at your local record shop. Don't pay more than 30 bucks for a standard copy unless it’s mint with the poster. They pressed millions of these, so they aren't "rare," just highly sought after.
Next, compare it. Listen to the 1977 original and then listen to the 1997 "Special Edition" digital reconstruction. You’ll notice the '97 version has more music (including tracks that were cut), but the '77 version has a better "mix" for casual listening.
Finally, look for the "Story of Star Wars" record. It’s a different 1977 release that features dialogue and sound effects narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne. It’s basically a 45-minute radio play of the movie. It’s the perfect companion piece to the musical score.
The Star Wars album 1977 changed how we hear movies. It proved that people wanted to take the "sound" of a film home with them. It turned John Williams into a household name and saved the symphonic score from extinction. Not bad for a bunch of musicians in a cramped studio in England.
Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual listener, that 1977 double LP is a piece of history. Put it on, turn it up, and wait for those first three trumpet blasts. It still hits just as hard as it did forty-something years ago.