Credit: Inside the MagicMay the 4th is upon us once again, and whatever your plans are for the big day, whether it’s throwing a little Star Wars-themed party or bingeing a ton of content from the faraway galaxy on Disney+, no May the 4th is complete without a Star Wars music playlist.
For a franchise that was born back in 1977, it’s no surprise that there are countless Star Wars parody songs on the Internet. But we’ve hand-picked the best of the best — as well as, of course, some actual Star Wars music and songs from our own galaxy, for good measure.
You don’t need the Max Rebo Band — here’s our ultimate Star Wars May the 4th playlist.
1. “Star Wars Main Title” — John Williams
The best way to kick off any Star Wars playlist is, of course, with “Star Wars Main Title” by John Williams, the iconic theme that accompanies the opening text crawl at the beginning of every single one of the nine films in the “Skywalker Saga”.
It’s the perfect way to start your May the 4th celebrations (or any Star Wars celebration, for that matter).
Related: All 15 ‘Star Wars’ Movies Ranked From Worst To Best
2. “Seagulls (Stop It Now)!” — Bad Lip Reading
“Seagulls (Stop It Now)!” by the popular YouTube channel Bad Lip Reading is one of many Star Wars parody songs (the channel pokes fun at pretty much any franchise you can think of). But it’s one of the very best, alongside another that shows up on this playlist.
Utilizing footage of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Yoda (Frank Oz) on Dagobah in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) , the song dubs over their dialogue in exchange for hilarious antics about Yoda’s stick and his fear of seagulls. One word: genius.
3. “The Imperial March” (“Darth Vader’s Theme”) — John Williams
We can’t let the good guys have all the fun on May the 4th, which is why it’s important to add “The Imperial March” (“Darth Vader’s Theme”) by John Williams to your Star Wars playlist, which might just be the best Star Wars theme second to the main one.
This is especially perfect if you’re doing some fancy dress on May the 4th that finds you either as a storm trooper or Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) himself. In fact, you could even repurpose May the 4th into “Empire Day”. The Force is strong in this track.
Related: ‘Star Wars’: The 6 Greatest Lightsaber Duels
4. “Ridin’ Solo” — Jason Derulo / “I’m Han Solo”
This is the only song on this playlist that’s in no way related to Star Wars, but we think you’re probably smart enough to figure out why we’ve included it. “Ridin’ Solo” by superstar Jason Derulo will likely have you thinking of Solo — as in Han Solo.
In fact, there’s a hilarious re-edit of the ending to Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), where someone has added “Ridin’ Solo” over the last scene in which Han (Alden Ehrenreich) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) prepare to launch the Millennium Falcon into hyperspace.
There’s also “I’m Han Solo” (from Star Wars Kinect), an actual reinterpretation of the song with new lyrics and the works, for all those smooth-grooving nerf herders out there.
5. “Not the Future” — Bad Lip Reading
“Not the Future” is the second best Star Wars parody from Bad Lip Reading, and though it is indeed a parody, somehow, it feels like anything but, which really works in its favor. Sure, there’s a lot of humor, but overall, this is a genuinely solid Star Wars song.
The lyrics are just as genius as “Seagulls (Stop It Now)!”. In this song, they mostly center around how Star Wars appears to be futuristic, but is actually set in the past. The tune is also incredibly catchy, so much that you’ll wish it actually featured in one of the films.
The bit with the Ewoks is particularly brilliant.
Related: Do the Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ TV Shows Have the Same Problem as the Sequel Trilogy?
6. “Natalie’s Rap 2.0” — Natalie Portman
You might want to play this track when all the Padawans and Younglings are in bed, because this is the only one on this playlist that’s littered with profanity. “Natalie’s Rap 2.0” is the follow-up to “Natalie’s Rap”, a Saturday Night Live skit with Natalie Portman on the mic.
It’s performed with the band Lonely Island, and though it’s not a Star Wars song by any means, Natalie Portman dresses up as Padmé Amidala in the video, while hilariously defending the prequels and Jar Jar Binks against criticism (with a gun, we might add).
“Natalie’s Rap 2.0” is a must-have for your Star Wars playlist, but do be warned.
7. “Rey’s Theme” — John Williams
It’s no mystery that the sequel trilogy is widely hated by Star Wars fans, but if there’s one film out of the three that’s nowhere near as controversial as the other two, it’s the very first entry, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015), directed by J.J. Abrams.
There are so many things to love about The Force Awakens, even if all that promise is quickly squandered by its two sequels. One of them is “Rey’s Theme” by John Williams, the beautiful, hair-raising theme, of course, for Rey (Daisy Ridley), the trilogy’s lead Jedi.
This is Star Wars music at its finest; charming, romantic, epic, and with a dose of whimsy.
Related: 8 ‘Star Wars’ Characters Whose Deaths Gave Us The Feels!
8. “Duel of the Fates” — John Williams
Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999) was a mixed bag when it arrived in theaters in 1999, and despite the fact many fans have come to appreciate the prequel trilogy, the film is still widely considered to be one of the most boring entries in the franchise.
But The Phantom Menace has many great things going for it, whether it’s Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Darth Maul (Ray Park), or the epic score “Duel of the Fates” by John Williams, which became as instantly iconic as the main Star Wars theme did in 1977.
9. “The Cantina Song” — The Cantina Band
If you’ve visited any Star Wars-centric comic convention, or even Disneyland Paris during the “Legends of the Force” season, you’ve probably seen the real-life version of The Cantina Band performing “The Cantina Song”, along with many other hits, both real and fictitious.
If not, then you’ll probably be familiar anyway, because they’re best known for appearing in the very first movie in the franchise, Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), in the Cantina in Tatooine’s Mos Eisley.
You can’t go wrong with “The Cantina Song” — it’s quirky, cheeky, vintage Star Wars.
Related: Here’s Why Jar Jar Binks Should Get His Own Disney+ Series
10. “The Mandalorian Theme” — Ludwig Göransson
Like many Star Wars themes, “The Mandalorian Theme” by Ludwig Göransson was another instant classic, and it’s plain to see why. Sure, it’s not as upbeat as the main Star Wars theme, but it will have you feeling like a bounty hunter in no time.
Adding this to your Star Wars playlist “is the way”. We have spoken.
Related: 5 ‘Star Wars’ Characters Who Don’t Deserve All the Hate
11. “Burying the Dead” — Kevin Kiner
We all end up feeling a little blue as May the 4th winds to a close, which is the perfect time to embrace the melancholy with Kevin Kiner’s “Burying the Dead” from Star Wars: The Clone Wars‘ final episode “Victory and Death”.
After crash-landing on a desolate moon, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) and Captain Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) bury all the clones who died on impact. The music is tragic, haunting, and, strangely, quite life-affirming, and you can practically feel The Clone Wars draw its final breath. What a journey. This track will add a beautiful flourish to your Star Wars playlist.
12. Star Wars Lofi
We wouldn’t want you to end May the 4th on such a depressing note, though, which is why we highly recommend Star Wars Lofi on YouTube. There are several videos available, but keep an eye out for the one in which Ahsoka Tano is studying in her Coruscant apartment.
You’ll get to enjoy everything from the “Star Wars Main Title” to “Duel of the Fates”, all reinterpreted as chilled-out ambient beats.
Until next year, May the 4th be with you.
Will you be adding these songs to your Star Wars playlist on May the 4th? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!