John Williams: A Composer’s Legacy

from Twenty Thousand Hertz Hosted by Dallas Taylor

In our last episode, we followed composer John Williams from his childhood to his 1970s run with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Now, we pick up the story as John enters an era of seemingly impossible success… from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and beyond. In this episode, we explore how John revived the grand orchestral score, conquered the classical music world, and crafted melodies that millions of people can instantly recognize. Along the way, journalist Tim Greiving reveals the habits, quirks, and creative brilliance of this living legend. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by ⁠⁠⁠Defacto Sound⁠⁠⁠. Support the show and get ad-free episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠20k.org/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see our video series. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mystery.20k.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow Dallas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find out how you can get the iPhone 17 Pro at no cost with an eligible trade in at ⁠⁠att.com/iphone⁠⁠, or by visiting an AT&T store. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quo.com/20k⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% of your first 6 months of business phone software. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month Shopify trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shopify.com/20k⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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John Williams: A Composer’s Legacy

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How long is this episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz?

This episode is 36 minutes long.

When was this Twenty Thousand Hertz episode published?

This episode was published on June 15, 2026.

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