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The Imperial March

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This page was made Song of the Month for September 2019.


"The Imperial March", also known as "Darth Vader's Theme" or "Glory to the Empire" in-universe, is an instrumental theme composed by John Williams and performed by The London Symphony Orchestra, first appearing in The Empire Strikes Back and being featured in all Star Wars films except for A New Hope. It serves as a recurring theme for Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire. The song was also used as a recurring motif for the foreshadowing of Anakin Skywalker's eventual transformation into the Sith Lord in the prequel trilogy.

Other Appearances[]

  • The song was featured in the following films:
    • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
    • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
    • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
    • Solo: A Star Wars Story
    • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
    • Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
    • Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
    • Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
    • Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
    • Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
  • The song was featured on many Star Wars soundtracks, including for all of the films (with the exception of A New Hope), as well as on the albums John Williams Conducts John Willaims: the Star Wars Trilogy, Halloween: 17 Spooky Songs, and the soundtrack Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.
  • The song was featured in the following television series:
    • Star Wars: The Clone Wars
    • Star Wars Rebels
    • Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures
    • Obi-Wan Kenobi
    • Ahsoka
    • Robot Chicken, usually in Star Wars parodies.
    • Family Guy, in the episode "Blue Harvest", which satirizes Star Wars.
    • The Simpsons, occasionally when introducing Mr. Burns.
    • The Big Bang Theory; once where Raj plays "The Imperial March" while entering a comic-book store in the episode "The Excelsior Acquisition", and again in "The Cooper/Kripke Inversion" as Sheldon's "I'm unhappy and about to destroy the planet" music.
    • Before being replaced with a new theme around mid-2010, "The Imperial March" was the opening theme song (played at the "top of the hour") for The Alex Jones Show.
    • The U.S. version of the television game show Deal or No Deal devoted a special episode to Star Wars, due to the two contestants being lifelong fans of the franchise. Darth Vader acted as the banker and, for one round, upon his orders to the Stormtroopers to bring out the 26 cases, the march played as they brought them out.
  • The song was featured in the following video games:
    • Star Wars: The Old Republic
    • Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
    • Star Wars: Republic Commando
    • LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
    • LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
    • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
    • Star Wars: Empire at War
    • Star Wars: X-Wing
    • Star Wars: TIE Fighter
    • Star Wars: Rebellion
    • Star Wars: Battlefront
    • Star Wars: Battlefront II
    • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
    • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
    • Star Wars: Force Commander
    • Star Wars Galaxies
    • Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
    • Angry Birds Star Wars
    • Soulcalibur IV
    • Disney Emoji Blitz
  • The song was featured in the following short films:
    • LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick
    • LEGO Star Wars: Bombad Bounty
    • LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
  • The song has even made its way into comics and literature, being referenced as the Empire's anthem in the books Shadows of the Empire, The Paradise Snare, and the Servants of the Empire series; it was also hummed by Leonis Murthé in the comic book Boba Fett: Agent of Doom.
  • The song can be heard on the Disney Parks attraction Star Tours.
  • The Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ships of the Disney Cruise Line can play the opening notes of Imperial March on their whistles during select cruise itineraries.
  • The song has been used by several sports companies, including:
    • The New York Yankees play the theme when presenting players from the opposing team when at Yankee Stadium.
    • The Montreal Canadians Hockey team play "The Imperial March" whenever they have a power play at games.
    • In January 2003, during Super Bowl XXXVII, ABC Sports took to using "The Imperial March" as a leitmotif for the Oakland Raiders.
    • The song was played by the Georgetown band when John Thompson led the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team onto the floor.
    • The song was used to introduce Roger Federer during the 2007 US Open.
    • Three-time World Professional Darts Champion John Part uses the theme as entrance for his matches.
      • Ryan Bader has used a remixed version of the theme as his entrance music at UFC 144.
  • In 2012, Volkswagen teased a Super Bowl commercial where a chorus of dogs barked the march, each dressed up as different characters in the films.
  • In 2007, the Band of the Welsh Guards notoriously played "The Imperial March" to greet Saudi Arabian King Abdullah when he visited the UK on a controversial state visit.

Gallery[]

Images[]

Videos[]

Official[]

Covers[]

Trivia[]

  • Together with "Yoda's Theme", "The Imperial March" was premiered on April 29, 1980, three weeks before the opening of the film, on the occasion of John Williams' first concert as official conductor-in-residence of the Boston Pops Orchestra.
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