Which composer wrote the famous two-note theme for Spielberg's Jaws?

John Williams wrote the famous two-note theme for Spielberg's Jaws. The alternating notes became one of cinema's most recognizable musical signals for danger and an approaching shark.

Williams composed and conducted the film's score, which was recorded in 1975. The main motif is usually described as alternating E and F, although some musical analyses identify the interval differently depending on the arrangement. Its relentless repetition gives the music a primitive, mechanical quality that mirrors the shark's instinctive movement.

When Williams first played the simple idea for Spielberg on piano, Spielberg reportedly thought he was joking. The director soon recognized its power and approved it. Williams later won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for Jaws, and the score was ranked sixth on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest American film scores.

A common mix-up is confusing Williams's Jaws theme with his later work on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or Jurassic Park. Those films also feature famous motifs, but the ominous two-note shark ostinato belongs to Jaws.