When it comes to John Williams, the sheer number speak for themselves: 26 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards out of 54 nominations, seven BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. He is the second-most nominated person, after Walt Disney, and is the oldest Oscar nominee in any category, at 92 years old.

With a career that prolific and widespread, one could argue that this living legend (and going strong!) has provided the soundtrack to our lives more than just about anyone else.

This article is part of a special year-long series of anecdotes, reflections and thoughts about the Academy Awards.