Julio is a Senior Author for Collider. He studied History and International Relations at university, but found his calling in cultural journalism. When he isn't writing, Julio also teaches English at a nearby school. He has lived in São Paulo most of his life, where he covers CCXP and other big events. Having loved movies, music, and TV from an early age, he prides himself in knowing every minute detail about the things he loves. When he is older, he dreams of owning a movie theater in a small countryside town.
Whenever we think about Star Wars, the iconic John Williams theme immediately starts playing in our minds. It's only natural, his score for every single movie in the Skywalker Saga is pretty much perfect. However, Star Wars music isn't limited only to score, and also uses diegetic music to perfection — that's every piece of music playing inside the movie itself, that the characters also hear and react to. As a franchise set in a galaxy far, far away, but artistically inspired by the real world, there's a wide variety of genres, from jazz to EDM, all of which are used in-universe to create unique genres. Some of these tracks have become iconic in their own right, so here are the ten best and more otherworldly pieces of diegetic music in Star Wars.
10
"The Mod Parlour"
The Book of Boba Fett
Image via Lucasfilm
Star Wars TV often features multiple cameos, but, for music fans, none has been as surprising as Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner appearing in The Book of Boba Fett as the Mos Espa mod parlor owner in Episode 4, "The Gathering Storm." The legendary bassist plays on the background track, "The Mod Parlour," which he wrote with Joseph Shirley and Ludwig Göransson. Thundercat gives it just enough of an otherworldly feel to make it perfect for Tatooine mods and audience members alike.
9
"Sugaan Essena"
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Image via Respawn Entertainment
In the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order opening sequence, protagonist Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan) listens to loud music to dull the noise of the junkyard planet Bracca. That song, "Sugaan Essena," became an instant fan-favorite, combining throat singing and heavy metal. Mongolian rockers The Hu wrote the lyrics in an original language to fit in with the game's setting, with its title translating to "The Black Thunder," while drawing inspiration from the traditional Mongolian creed of the Eternal Blue Sky.
"Chicken in the Pot" isn't something that most people would expect to ever hear in Star Wars, but that's an excellent track in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It plays in the background when Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) first enters Dryden Vos' (Paul Bettany) yacht. In the lyrics, a couple talks about what they are going to eat, hence the name. It was written by Solo's composer, John Powell, who was inspired by early concept art from one of the song's in-universe performers, Luleo Primoc, as a chicken-like creature.
The fast-paced punk rock song Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) listens to while tearing through Lothal's highways in the Ahsoka series premiere is "Igyah Kah," performed in real life by singer Sarah Tudzin, from the Illuminati Hotties. It features lyrics in Huttese and was written by Star Wars composers Kevin Kiner and his daughter Deana Kiner with Ludwig Göransson and Noah Gorelick. Tudzin and Deana Kiner are long-time friends and collaborators, so, when Kiner called her, it was a no-brainer, Huttese lyrics and all.
4
"Yub Nub"
Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi
Image via Lucasfilm
Many things changed between the Original Trilogy's first release in theaters and the 1997 Special Editions, including certain songs. At the end of Return of the Jedi, the Ewok celebration song "Yub Nub" was replaced by "Victory Celebration." Both are excellent and completely diegetic, but "Yub Nub" has a more "tribal" and spontaneous feel for the occasion as the Rebels celebrate with the Ewoks. Composed by John Williams, it features lyrics in Galactic Basic (how English is known in-universe) by his son, Joseph Williams, and Ewok translation by Ben Burtt.
3
"Lapti Nek"
Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi
Image via Lucasfilm
Another song that was replaced in the Special Editions, "Lapti Nek" is what the Max Rebo Band plays at Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi. The band is composed of Max Rebo, Sy Snootles, and Droopy McCool — all among the coolest names ever. Once again composed by John Williams and his son, Joseph (lead singer from Toto, by the way), who wrote the Huttese lyrics. The song title translates to "Fancy Man," which sounds about right. Unfortunately, "Lapti Nek" was replaced by "Jedi Rocks" in the Special Editions; it's a good song, but "Lapti Nek" has more swag.
2
"Niamos!"
Andor
Image via Lucasfilm
This absolute banger is first heard in Andor in the Season 1 episode "Announcement," when Cassian (Diego Luna) goes to the resort planet Niamos, where he is arrested. Nicholas Britellcomposed two other versions of "Niamos!" in the first season, including a lo-fi one that plays at Mon Mothma's (Genevieve O'Reilly) soirée on Coruscant. The undeniable best, however, comes in the Season 2 episode "Harvest." It's a remix by Britell and Brandon Roberts that plays as Mon completely unravels on the dance floor of her daughter's wedding after learning that her childhood friend, Tay Kolma (Ben Miles), has to die to protect the Rebellion's secrets. "Niamos!" is a true galactic summer hit, but it's also the ultimate anthem to decadence.
1
"Cantina Band"
Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope
Image via Lucasfilm
One of Star Wars' most unmistakable songs, "Cantina Band" is playing at the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope when Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) arrive. It's performed by the band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, all of whom are aliens of the Bith species. In-universe, "Cantina Band" is known as "Mad About Me" and is considered a jizz classic — that's the actual name of the musical genre. In real life, it was composed by John Williams to cater to George Lucas' wish of having something similar to Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller playing in the cantina. Now, it's one of the franchise's most iconic songs, as well as its most important diegetic song.
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Respawn Entertainment
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
Image via Lucasfilm
English (US) ·