In Part 1 of this series, we discussed Gustav Holst’s The Planets, a work that has influenced generations of composers scoring for movies and television shows set in outer space. In 1958, at the age of 26, John Towner Williams—then credited as "Johnny Williams"—began scoring music for television and films. During the 1960s, Williams composed music for Irwin Allen’s television series Lost in Space (1965), The Time Tunnel (1966), and Land of the Giants (1968-1969). By 1978, he had already won two Oscars for Best Original Score and would soon receive his third for the iconic Star Wars score, music that bears striking similarities to Holst’s The Planets.

But what is it about the music of Williams, Holst, and others that immediately evokes an association with outer space? These associations are learned through repeated exposure to particular musical themes or styles within specific contexts. For “space music,” such associations likely began with Holst’s groundbreaking orchestral suite, The Planets. This work, named after astrological characters, resonated with a culture immersed in mysticism and spiritualism—just as humanity was beginning to dream of space travel. Over time, music written in the style of The Planets embedded an association with space in the public consciousness.
 

While musicologists can explain what gives music its distinctive character, music lovers can often do the same without the technical vocabulary. Recognizing the unique style of “space music” may not be as difficult as it seems.

Music analysis involves breaking down music into its basic elements: melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and instrumentation. The Planets features melodies and harmonies that were innovative for 1911, often employing a unique scale known as the Lydian mode. A quick experiment can illustrate this: sing the first four notes of “Oh When the Saints” and then the theme from the 1962 TV cartoon The Jetsons. Notice the difference in the third note of each? This difference is due to the “Lydian fourth,” created by raising the fourth note of the familiar major scale by a half-step (sharp). This subtle variation, often used in music about outer space, has become subconsciously associated with planets, stars, and space travel.
 

The Planets also stands out in its use of rhythm. In Mars, the Bringer of War, Holst employs a complex 5-beat meter, alternating groups of three and two beats. This, combined with the pounding timpani and powerful brass, creates an imposing and turbulent rhythm that seems to declare, “Behold the unyielding power of the universe.” The music’s elemental forces evoke a sense of cosmic grandeur. Ask someone unfamiliar with Mars, the Bringer of War, and they might guess it’s from Star Wars—such is the power of association.