View source for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (soundtrack)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name        = Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
| type        = [[Soundtrack album]]
| artist      = [[John Williams]]
| cover       = HarrypotterPSsoundtrack.jpg
| alt         =
| caption     =
| released    = 30 October 2001
| recorded    = August – September 2001
| venue       =
| studio      = *[[Air Lyndhurst|AIR Lyndhurst Hall]] (London)
*[[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]] (London)
| genre       =
| length      = {{duration|m=73|s=35}}
| label       = {{flat list|*[[Warner Sunset Records|Warner Sunset]]
*[[Nonesuch Records|Nonesuch]]
*[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]}}
| producer    =
| prev_title  = [[A.I. Artificial Intelligence (album)|A.I. Artificial Intelligence]]
| prev_year   = 2001
| next_title  = [[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (soundtrack)|Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones]]
| next_year   = 2002
| misc        = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Wizarding World]] soundtrack
 | type       = [[Soundtrack album]]
 | prev_title =
 | prev_year  =
 | title      = Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
 | year       = 2001
 | next_title = [[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (soundtrack)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]]
 | next_year  = 2002
}}
}}
The soundtrack to '''''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|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 [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] at the [[74th Academy Awards]]. The film introduces many character-specific themes ([[leitmotif|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 (film)|Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]'' and its sequels, ''[[Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald]]'' and ''[[Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore]]''.

The soundtrack was certified gold in Canada (50,000 units) by the [[Music Canada|Canadian Recording Industry Association]] on 14 December 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cria.ca/gold/1201_g.php |title=Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum - December 2001 |access-date=2007-08-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817031131/http://www.cria.ca/gold/1201_g.php |archive-date=17 August 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It was also certified gold in Japan for 100,000 units by the [[RIAJ]].<ref name="RIAJ-mar2002">{{cite journal |title=GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2002年1月度 |trans-title=Gold Albums, and other certified works. January 2002 Edition |url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2002/200203.pdf |journal=The Record |type=Bulletin |language=ja |location=[[Chūō, Tokyo|Chūō]], Tokyo |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of Japan]] |date=10 March 2002 |volume=508 |page=12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116130742/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2002/200203.pdf |archive-date=16 January 2014 |access-date=22 January 2014}}</ref> In 2002, the soundtrack was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] at the [[74th Academy Awards]] in which Williams took part in conducting the ceremony. However, Williams lost to [[Howard Shore]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (soundtrack)|score]] of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''.

The score was performed by a 102-piece of the London Session Orchestra at [[Air Lyndhurst|AIR Lyndhurst Studios]] and [[Abbey Road Studios]] in London with orchestrations provided by Williams, [[Alexander Courage]], [[Conrad Pope]], John Neufeld, Eddie Karam, Pete Anthony, [[Benjamin Wallfisch]] and Larry Rench. It entered the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] at {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 48 and also charted at {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 2 on the Top Soundtracks Chart.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004130545|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=24 November 2010|access-date=25 November 2010|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc|title=Weekly Chart Notes: Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Beatles}}</ref> In UK, the album charted at number 19. In 2018, the soundtrack was released by La-La-Land Records as a 3-Disc CD set encompassing the complete score of the film as part of a limited edition box set featuring the scores for the first three Harry Potter films.

==Composition==
===Hedwig's Theme===
{{Main|Hedwig's Theme}}
{{Listen
|filename=Harry Potter Soundtrack - Hedwig's Theme.ogg
|title="Hedwig's Theme"
|description=A selection from the iconic "Hedwig's Theme" from the ''Harry Potter'' films
|format=[[Ogg]]}}
"[[Hedwig's Theme]]" is the [[leitmotif]] for the [[Harry Potter (film series)|film series]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Harry Potter soundtrack: 'Hedwig's Theme' and everything to know about the film franchise's magical score |url=https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/film-tv/harry-potter-soundtrack-hedwig-theme-john-williams/ |access-date=28 November 2020 |agency=Classic FM}}</ref> Often labelled as the series's main theme, it first appeared in [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|''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]] and the spin-off [[Fantastic Beasts (film series)|Fantastic Beasts]] scores by [[James Newton Howard]]. 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 listing==
===Original release===
{{tracklist
|total_length =73:28
|title1  =Prologue
|length1 =2:12
|title2  =Harry's Wondrous World
|length2 =5:21
|title3  =The Arrival of Baby Harry
|length3 =4:25
|title4  = Visit to the Zoo and Letters from Hogwarts
|length4 =3:23
|title5  =Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault
|length5 =4:06
|title6  =Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters and The Journey to Hogwarts
|length6 =3:14
|title7  =Entry into the Great Hall and The Banquet
|length7 =3:42
|title8  =Mr. Longbottom Flies
|length8 =3:35
|title9  =Hogwarts Forever! and The Moving Stairs
|length9 =3:47
|title10  =The Norwegian Ridgeback and A Change of Season
|length10 =2:47
|title11  =The Quidditch Match
|length11 =8:29
|title12  =Christmas at Hogwarts
|length12 =2:56
|title13  =The Invisibility Cloak and The Library Scene
|length13 =3:16
|title14  =Fluffy's Harp
|length14 =2:39
|title15  =In the Devil's Snare and The Flying Keys
|length15 =2:21
|title16  =The Chess Game
|length16 =3:49
|title17  =The Face of Voldemort
|length17=6:10
|title18  =Leaving Hogwarts
|length18 =2:14
|title19  =[[Hedwig's Theme]]
|length19 =5:11
}}

===Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 1===
{{tracklist
|headline = The Film Score
|title1  =The Prologue – Privet Drive
|length1 =4:33
|title2  =Visit to the Zoo
|length2 =3:01
|title3 =Don’t Burn My Letter
|length3 =2:08
|title4 =Letters From Hogwarts
|length4 =1:43
|title5 =Harry’s Wish and Hagrid’s Entrance
|length5 =1:24
|title6 =You’re a Wizard, Harry
|length6 =3:34
|title7  =Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault [Extended Version]
|length7 =4:50
|title8 =Harry Gets His Wand
|length8 =2:08
|title9  =Hagrid’s Flashback
|length9 =2:53
|title10  =Platform Nine and Three Quarters
|length10 =2:43
|title11  =Chocolate Frog Escapes
|length11 =0:52
|title12  =The Journey to Hogwarts
|length12 =2:07
|title13  =Through the Doors
|length13 =2:01
|title14  =House Selection
|length14 =3:31
|title15  =Entry Into the Great Hall and The Banquet
|length15 =3:44
|title16  =Lonely First Night
|length16 =1:08
|title17  =The Daily Prophet
|length17 =1:41
|title18  =Mr. Longbottom Flies
|length18 =3:37
|title19  =The Moving Stairs
|length19 =2:01
|title20  =Introduction to Quidditch
|length20 =1:35
|title21  =Hermione’s Feather
|length21 =0:37
|title22  =Fighting the Troll
|length22 =3:49
|title23  =Owl Delivers Nimbus 2000
|length23 =1:16
|title24  =The Quidditch Match
|length24 =8:29
}}

===Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 2===
{{tracklist
|headline = The Film Score (continued)
|title1 = Hagrid’s Christmas Tree
|length1 = 0:59
|title2 = Cast a Christmas Spell
|length2 = 2:41
|title3 = Christmas Morning and The Invisibility Cloak
|length3 = 7:22
|title4 = The Mirror of Erised and A Change of Season
|length4 = 3:35
|title5 = Hermione’s Reading
|length5 = 1:11
|title6 = The Norwegian Ridgeback
|length6 = 1:41
|title7 = Filch’s Fond Remembrance
|length7 = 1:31
|title8 = The Dark Forest
|length8 = 5:17
|title9 = The Stone
|length9 = 3:41
|title10 = Running to McGonagall
|length10 = 2:16
|title11 = Neville Stiffens
|length11 = 0:57
|title12 = Fluffy’s Harp Lullaby
|length12 = 2:30
|title13 = In the Devil’s Snare
|length13 = 2:29
|title14 = The Flying Keys
|length14 = 2:01
|title15 = The Chess Game [Extended Version]
|length15 = 7:27
|title16 = The Face of Voldemort
|length16 = 6:13
|title17 = Love, Harry
|length17 = 1:47
|title18 = Gryffindor Wins the House Cup
|length18 = 2:40
|title19 = Leaving Hogwarts
|length19 = 2:18
|title20 = Harry’s Wondrous World [Extended Version]
|length20 = 5:26
|title21 = Hedwig’s Theme
|length21 = 5:07
}}

===Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 3===
{{tracklist
|headline = Children's Suite for Orchestra
|title1 = Prologue (Hedwig’s Flight)
|length1 = 2:15
|title2 = Hogwarts Forever
|length2 = 1:55
|title3 = Voldemort
|length3 = 2:16
|title4 = Nimbus 2000
|length4 = 2:28
|title5 = Fluffy’s Harp
|length5 = 2:42
|title6 = Quidditch
|length6 = 1:53
|title7 = Family Portrait
|length7 = 3:26
|title8 = Diagon Alley
|length8 = 2:53
|title9 = Harry’s Wondrous World
|length9 = 5:05
}}
{{tracklist
|headline = Additional Music
|title10 = Hagrid’s Flute
|length10 = 0:58
|title11 = The Leaky Cauldron
|length11 = 1:15
|title12 = Hedwig’s Theme for Harp
|length12 = 2:06
|title13 = Teaser
|length13 = 2:34
|title14 = Hogwarts Forever [Vocal Version]
|length14 = 0:48
|title15 = Logo
|length15 = 0:24
|title16 = Owl’s Flight
|length16 = 1:08
|title17 = Television Commercial
|length17 = 1:06
|title18 = Trailer
|length18 = 2:27
}}

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [https://www.allmusic.com/album/harry-potter-and-the-philosphers-stone-original-soundtrack-mw0000015148 AllMusic]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}
| rev2 = [http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/harry_potter.html Filmtracks]
| rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}
| rev3 = [http://www.movie-wave.net/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone/ Movie Wave]
| rev3score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}
| rev4 = [http://www.tracksounds.com/reviews/harry_potter.htm Tracksounds]
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}
}}

Whilst the score received mostly positive reviews from outlets such as [[AllMusic]] and [[Filmtracks]], some reviewers were not impressed; ''[[USA Today]]'' reviewer Claudia Puig stated the "overly insistent score lacks subtlety and bludgeons us with [[crescendo]]s."<ref name="USATodayReview">{{Cite web |last=Puig |first=Claudia |date=16 November 2001 |title=Visually stunning 'Potter' falls short of pure magic |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/2001-11-16-harry-review.htm#more |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119062450/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/2001-11-16-harry-review.htm |archive-date=19 November 2018 |access-date=18 April 2020 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> Kirk Honeycutt of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' deemed the score "a great clanging, banging [[music box]] that simply will not shut up."<ref name="THRReview">{{Cite web |last=Honeycutt |first=Kirk |date=14 November 2016 |title='Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone': THR's 2001 Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/harry-potter-sorcerers-stone-2001-review-946999 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200803013105/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/harry-potter-sorcerers-stone-2001-review-946999 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |access-date=1 August 2020 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

==Behind the scenes==
[[James Horner]] was approached to compose the score for the film but he turned it down.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/r-i-p-james-horner-1798281000|title = R.I.P. James Horner|website = [[The A.V. Club]]| date=23 June 2015 }}</ref>

Track {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 18 is also included in the epilogue of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2]]'' as a tribute to Williams and the series' end.{{cn|date=September 2023}}

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for ''Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone''
! scope="col"| Chart (2025)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Hungarian Physical Albums ([[Association of Hungarian Record Companies|MAHASZ]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 24. hét |url=https://slagerlistak.hu/album-top-40-slagerlista-fizikai-hanghordozok/2025/24 |publisher=[[Association of Hungarian Record Companies|MAHASZ]] |access-date=18 June 2025}}</ref>
| 25
|}

==Certifications and sales==
{{certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title= Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|artist=Soundtrack|type=album|relyear=2002|certyear=2002|region=Australia|award=Gold|access-date=27 December 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Harry Potter}}
{{John Williams}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Soundtrack)}}
[[Category:Music of the Harry Potter films|01]]
[[Category:John Williams soundtracks|Harry Potter 1]]
[[Category:2001 soundtrack albums]]
[[Category:2000s film soundtrack albums]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Drew Struzan]]
[[Category:Nonesuch Records soundtracks]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records soundtracks]]
[[Category:Warner Records soundtracks]]
[[Category:La-La Land Records soundtracks]]
[[Category:Fantasy film soundtracks]]
[[Category:Albums conducted by John Williams]]