The soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States) was released on 30 October 2001. The film's score was composed and conducted by John Williams. The soundtrack was nominated for Best Original Score at the 74th Academy Awards. The film introduces many character-specific themes (leitmotifs) that are used in at least one sequel as well, although most of the themes are only used again in Chamber of Secrets. These themes include two themes for Voldemort, two themes for Hogwarts, a Diagon Alley theme, a Quidditch theme, a flying theme, two friendship themes, and the main theme ("Hedwig's Theme"). This main theme was reprised and developed in all eight of the main Harry Potter films, as well as the spinoff films Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald.
The soundtrack was performed at Air Lyndhurst Studios and Abbey Road Studios in London. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 48 and also charted at No. 2 on the Top Soundtracks Chart.[3] In UK, the album charted at number 19.
Track listing
Original Release
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Prologue"
2:12
2.
"Harry's Wondrous World"
5:21
3.
"The Arrival of Baby Harry"
4:25
4.
"Visit to the Zoo and Letters from Hogwarts"
3:23
5.
"Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Vault"
4:06
6.
"Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters and the Journey to Hogwarts"
3:14
7.
"Entry into the Great Hall and the Banquet"
3:42
8.
"Mr. Longbottom Flies"
3:35
9.
"Hogwarts Forever! and the Moving Stairs"
3:47
10.
"The Norwegian Ridgeback and a Change of Season"
2:47
11.
"The Quidditch Match"
8:29
12.
"Christmas at Hogwarts"
2:56
13.
"The Invisibility Cloak and the Library Scene"
3:16
14.
"Fluffy's Harp"
2:39
15.
"In the Devil's Snare and the Flying Keys"
2:21
16.
"The Chess Game"
3:49
17.
"The Face of Voldemort"
6:10
18.
"Leaving Hogwarts"
2:14
19.
"Hedwig's Theme"
5:11
Total length:
73:28
Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 1
The Film Score
No.
Title
Length
1.
"The Prologue – Privet Drive"
4:33
2.
"Visit to the Zoo"
3:01
3.
"Don’t Burn My Letter"
2:08
4.
"Letters From Hogwarts"
1:43
5.
"Harry’s Wish and Hagrid’s Entrance"
1:24
6.
"You’re a Wizard, Harry"
3:34
7.
"Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault [Extended Version]"
4:50
8.
"Harry Gets His Wand"
2:08
9.
"Hagrid’s Flashback"
2:53
10.
"Platform Nine and Three Quarters"
2:43
11.
"Chocolate Frog Escapes"
0:52
12.
"The Journey to Hogwarts"
2:07
13.
"Through the Doors"
2:01
14.
"House Selection"
3:31
15.
"Entry Into the Great Hall and The Banquet"
3:44
16.
"Lonely First Night"
1:08
17.
"The Daily Prophet"
1:41
18.
"Mr. Longbottom Flies"
3:37
19.
"The Moving Stairs"
2:01
20.
"Introduction to Quidditch"
1:35
21.
"Hermione’s Feather"
0:37
22.
"Fighting the Troll"
3:49
23.
"Owl Delivers Nimbus 2000"
1:16
24.
"The Quidditch Match"
8:29
Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 2
The Film Score (continued)
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Hagrid’s Christmas Tree"
0:59
2.
"Cast a Christmas Spell"
2:41
3.
"Christmas Morning and The Invisibility Cloak"
7:22
4.
"The Mirror of Erised and A Change of Season"
3:35
5.
"Hermione’s Reading"
1:11
6.
"The Norwegian Ridgeback"
1:41
7.
"Filch’s Fond Remembrance"
1:31
8.
"The Dark Forest"
5:17
9.
"The Stone"
3:41
10.
"Running to McGonagall"
2:16
11.
"Neville Stiffens"
0:57
12.
"Fluffy’s Harp Lullaby"
2:30
13.
"In the Devil’s Snare"
2:29
14.
"The Flying Keys"
2:01
15.
"The Chess Game [Extended Version]"
7:27
16.
"The Face of Voldemort"
6:13
17.
"Love, Harry"
1:47
18.
"Gryffindor Wins the House Cup"
2:40
19.
"Leaving Hogwarts"
2:18
20.
"Harry’s Wondrous World [Extended Version]"
5:26
21.
"Hedwig’s Theme"
5:07
Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 3
Children's Suite for Orchestra
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Prologue (Hedwig’s Flight)"
2:15
2.
"Hogwarts Forever"
1:55
3.
"Voldemort"
2:16
4.
"Nimbus 2000"
2:28
5.
"Fluffy’s Harp"
2:42
6.
"Quidditch"
1:53
7.
"Family Portrait"
3:26
8.
"Diagon Alley"
2:53
9.
"Harry’s Wondrous World"
5:05
Additional Music
No.
Title
Length
10.
"Hagrid’s Flute"
0:58
11.
"The Leaky Cauldron"
1:15
12.
"Hedwig’s Theme for Harp"
2:06
13.
"Teaser"
2:34
14.
"Hogwarts Forever [Vocal Version]"
0:48
15.
"Logo"
0:24
16.
"Owl’s Flight"
1:08
17.
"Television Commercial"
1:06
18.
"Trailer"
2:27
Critical reception
Critical reactions to the soundtrack were almost universally positive, praising the score's central themes. However, some critics felt that the score lacked originality and repeated its themes excessively.
"Hedwig's Theme" is the leitmotif for the film series.[4] Often labelled as the series's main theme, it first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the track "Prologue". A concert arrangement of the same name is included in the end credits. "Hedwig's Theme" has been interpolated in the fourth through eighth Harry Potter film scores, including in those by Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat. It also appears in the scores to the last four Harry Potter video games, all composed by James Hannigan. "Hedwig's Theme" has achieved significant pop culture status, being featured as ring tones, trailer music, and other forms of multimedia.
Track No. 10 concludes with "A Change of Season," although in the film, the season's change had occurred before the Norwegian Ridgeback had hatched.
