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Light of the Seven
Light of the Seven
Light of the Seven
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"Light of the Seven"
Song by Ramin Djawadi
from the album Game of Thrones: Season 6
ReleasedJune 24, 2016
Recorded2016
GenreSoundtrack
Length9:49
LabelWaterTower Music
SongwriterRamin Djawadi
ProducerRamin Djawadi

"Light of the Seven" is an orchestral piano piece in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, the television series adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. It first played during the show's season six finale and was composed by Ramin Djawadi in 2016. "Light of the Seven" is the first time piano is used in the music for Game of Thrones.[1] It was nominated by the International Film Music Critics Association for Film Music Composition of the Year.

Background

[edit]

In an interview, Djawadi spoke about "Light of the Seven", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series.[2] Djawadi stated, "The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about the 'Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the Game of Thrones score."[2] Djawadi had tried other instruments, including playing the whole tune with harp, but none of them sounded right, eventually he settled on the colder sound of the piano.[3]

Djawadi said: "It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction."[2] Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, "The Rains of Castamere", in order to create more of a mystery.[2] The piece also featured vocals from two young boys singing in unison, and Djawadi instructed the boys to sing in such a way that it is "not out of tune, but you get that feeling of something’s wrong."[3] Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying "The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately — the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well."[2]

In another interview, Djawadi talked about the process, saying, "That was the big guidance for me, in how I wanted to build this piece, It's a different instrument, and I put it in an upper register, but the idea is that it's building something that stays the same but changes over time. Of course, now that I say that, people might be like, 'No, it's not really that.' And it's not staying true to the form. Obviously the picture is guiding me, so I have to pull back and break away from it. I couldn't keep it as a passacaglia all the way through. But there are definitely moments where it defaults to that."[4]

Composition

[edit]

"Light of the Seven" has a duration of approximately ten minutes. When Djawadi originally composed the piece, he intended at first to make it a passacaglia.[4] The instrumentation of "Light of the Seven" consists of piano, organ, strings and two boy soloists.[4] On why he decided to use two young soloists instead of a full choir, Djawadi said, "I felt that two of them were more haunting than using a full choir, because it's a smaller environment, when they're running around in the catacombs."[4]

Reception

[edit]

The piece received universal praise from critics and fans, with Lili Loofbourow of The Week calling it the "real winner" of the season finale.[5] Djawadi responded to the universal praise the composition got, saying, "I never would have thought that would happen, it's so exciting because it's such a special finale."[4]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2016 International Film Music Critics Association Film Music Composition of the Year Ramin Djawadi Nominated [6]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Personnel adapted from the album liner notes.[7]

Live performances

[edit]
Djawadi performing "Light of the Seven" at the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience.

Djawadi has performed the piece with a live orchestra at the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, which consisted of 24 dates in cities across the United States and Canada.[8]

Aftermath

[edit]

A remixed version of "Light of the Seven" was used in a season 7 trailer.[9] The final motif from this piece is used in the season 6 track "Hear Me Roar", and is also used from season 7 onwards in tracks involving Cersei Lannister and her machinations, such as "The Long Farewell" or "No One Walks Away from Me", acting as an alternate theme to "The Rains of Castamere" for her character. Part of the song also appeared in the song that played during Cersei's death, "For Cersei" (as well as a variation of "Rains of Castamere")

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2016) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[10] 32
Hungary (Single Top 40)[11] 9

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Light of the Seven

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"Light of the Seven" is a haunting instrumental composition by for the fantasy series , marking the first significant use of in the show's score.
The nearly ten-minute track premiered in the season 6 finale episode, "," where it accompanies an extended, dialogue-free opening sequence depicting the trial at the Great Sept of Baelor and its catastrophic destruction by , a pivotal event orchestrated by .
Composed specifically for this sequence in collaboration with showrunners and and director , the piece builds tension through a gentle melody in mixed keys, evolving with dynamic swells in organ and strings, and ethereal boys' vocals inspired by the episode's "little birds" spies. Djawadi developed "Light of the Seven" over several weeks, experimenting with instruments like before settling on for its unique attack and decay, which provided the emotional depth needed for the scene's unpredictability and horror.
The composer's choice to forgo themes allowed the music to serve as a standalone "journey," enhancing the narrative surprise without spoilers, and it was refined through precise timing feedback from the creative team.
Released on the Game of Thrones: Season 6 soundtrack album in June 2016, the track has become one of Djawadi's most iconic works, praised for its innovative structure and contribution to the series' reputation for groundbreaking television scoring.

Creation

Background

"Light of the Seven" was developed in 2016 during the scoring process for the season 6 finale of , titled "," as composer collaborated closely with showrunners and , along with director . The piece was conceived early in the season's production specifically for the episode's opening sequence, which depicts the destruction of the Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, a pivotal moment orchestrated by . Djawadi aimed to craft a score that would underscore the scene's escalating drama without relying on familiar character motifs, thereby preserving the element of surprise inherent to the series' narrative twists. A key innovation in the track's creation was the decision to incorporate , marking its debut in the Game of Thrones after six seasons of orchestral dominance. Sapochnik proposed the to evoke a unique, cold, and anticipatory atmosphere, distinguishing it from the show's typical instrumentation like harps, which Djawadi deemed insufficient for the desired haunting effect. The instrument's inherent decay and allowed for a sense of vulnerability and inevitability, aligning with the scene's portrayal of impending catastrophe. The nearly ten-minute sequence features minimal dialogue, placing heavy emphasis on the music to sustain tension and propel the visual storytelling. Djawadi intentionally layered sparse elements, including subtle vocal contributions from two boys to heighten the eerie foreboding, evoking a palpable sense of doom as the plot unfolds toward the Sept's explosive demise. This approach not only amplified the scene's emotional weight but also represented a bold departure in the series' auditory landscape, prioritizing atmospheric immersion over traditional scoring techniques.

Composition

"Light of the Seven" is structured as a passacaglia-like form, featuring variations over a repeating bass theme to gradually build tension and reach a climactic resolution, adapted to align with the visual pacing of its scene. The piece lasts approximately 9:49 minutes. A key innovation in the Game of Thrones score, it marks the first use of , which composer introduced to evoke a sense of intimacy and unease, combined with organ, strings, and two boy soloists to create a haunting, choral-like effect reminiscent of a church or atmosphere. The composition employs a layering technique, beginning with sparse solo motifs that slowly incorporate the organ and swelling strings, heightening dramatic tension through and evolving without abrupt shifts. The piece introduces Cersei's theme, evoking a sense of impending doom.

Release and Commercial Performance

Release Details

"Light of the Seven" was officially released on June 24, 2016, as the third track on the soundtrack album Game of Thrones: Season 6 (Music from the HBO Series), composed by Ramin Djawadi. The album, featuring 26 tracks of original score from the sixth season of HBO's Game of Thrones, marked the first inclusion of piano-driven music in the series' soundtracks. WaterTower Music handled the distribution, initially offering the soundtrack as a digital download with a physical CD edition released later on July 29, 2016. The track debuted in the season 6 finale episode, "The Winds of Winter," which premiered on HBO on June 26, 2016. Shortly after the episode's airing, "Light of the Seven" became widely available for streaming on major platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, allowing audiences immediate access to the piece outside of the television broadcast.

Chart Performance

"Light of the Seven" experienced significant commercial success as a standalone track from the Game of Thrones: Season 6 soundtrack, released in 2016. The accompanying album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Albums chart and reached No. 27 on the Billboard 200, marking strong initial sales and digital performance in the United States. The track quickly gained viral traction, topping Billboard's Spotify Viral 50 chart shortly after its debut, reflecting its rapid spread among streaming listeners globally. In France, "Light of the Seven" achieved Gold certification from SNEP for 15 million equivalent streams, awarded on February 22, 2024, after over seven years on the market. As of late 2024, the track had surpassed 149 million streams on Spotify, underscoring its lasting appeal and contribution to the soundtrack's overall popularity.

Reception

Critical Response

Critics widely praised "Light of the Seven" for its masterful contribution to the tension-building sequence in the season 6 finale of Game of Thrones, "The Winds of Winter," with The Week declaring the accompanying score the "real winner" of the episode's opening 15 minutes due to its incremental escalation from subtle piano motifs to a full orchestral climax that heightened the dread of the impending wildfire explosion. The piece's structure, featuring repeating bass lines and layered variations, effectively mirrored the scene's slow-burn suspense, drawing parallels to classical forms like the passacaglia, as composer Ramin Djawadi revealed he initially envisioned it in that style, inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, though it ultimately adapted to the visual pacing with deviations for dramatic effect. The Hollywood Reporter described the composition as "haunting" and innovative, emphasizing how its predominant use of piano—uncommon in the series up to that point—created a deceptively serene atmosphere that misled audience expectations of a religious ceremony, only to underscore the shocking destruction with swelling organ and strings. Djawadi himself noted the score's emotional depth and memorability, stating it was designed to linger in viewers' minds long after the episode. A 2019 analysis highlighted "Light of the Seven" as a pivotal element in elevating the series' musical legacy, crediting it for demonstrating Djawadi's ability to achieve "something special" in narrative integration, as reflected in discussions of key score moments.

Accolades

"Light of the Seven" received a nomination from the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) in 2016 for Film Music Composition of the Year, recognizing its standout role in the finale of Game of Thrones Season 6; however, it did not win, with Michael Giacchino's "Night on the Yorktown" from Star Trek Beyond taking the award. The composition's innovative blend of choral elements and contributed to the broader acclaim of Ramin Djawadi's scoring for , which earned him Emmy Award nominations and wins in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) category for episodes in 2018 ("") and 2019 ("The Long Night"). Indirectly, "Light of the Seven" featured as part of the acclaimed soundtracks, with Djawadi receiving Grammy Award nominations for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for the Season 7 album in 2018 and the Season 8 album in 2020. As of 2025, no additional awards have been bestowed specifically on "Light of the Seven," though Djawadi received a 2021 nomination at the for Best Original Score - Video Game for .

Performances and Legacy

Live Performances

The live performances of "Light of the Seven" primarily occurred as part of the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience tour, led by composer with a full orchestra and choir. The piece debuted during the tour's inaugural North American leg, which comprised 24 dates across the and from November 2017 to February 2018, where it served as a highlight in the setlist accompanying visuals from the series. In 2018, the tour extended to with additional North American dates, totaling over 40 performances, during which "Light of the Seven" was regularly featured for its dramatic and string arrangements synchronized to key scenes from season 6. A notable rendition took place on May 12, 2018, at the AccorHotels Arena in as part of this international extension. The tour resumed for a third North American run in 2019, spanning 28 dates from September to October and concluding at the , with "Light of the Seven" remaining a staple piece performed live by Djawadi on alongside the . Following the 2019 tour, "Light of the Seven" appeared in Djawadi's solo concerts, though performances were limited due to the and shifts in touring schedules; no major full-scale tours occurred from 2020 to 2022 or in 2024–2025, but the piece was included in select events such as the one-night revival of the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience at the on May 13, 2023, a 2024 performance at the panel for , and a 2025 solo orchestral concert in .

Cultural Impact

"Light of the Seven" has been remixed for promotional use, notably in the official trailer for Game of Thrones season 7 in 2017, where an edited version heightened anticipation for the upcoming plot developments. Motifs from the piece were subsequently reused in later tracks, such as "Hear Me Roar" from season 6 and "For Cersei" from season 8, evolving Cersei Lannister's theme to underscore her character's ascent to power. The composition's enduring popularity is evident in its frequent inclusion in retrospectives of the best television scores, praised for its innovative blend of and organ that marked a departure from the series' traditional sound. As of November 2025, it had amassed over 400 million streams across major platforms, reflecting sustained listener engagement long after the series' conclusion. In , "Light of the Seven" has permeated fan communities through memes, video edits, and numerous covers by musicians and orchestras, often repurposed to evoke dramatic tension in non-canon contexts. Its influence extends to subsequent fantasy series, inspiring tension-building scores in starting in 2022, where composer reintroduced piano elements reminiscent of the original to foreshadow conflict and emotional depth. As a symbol of masterful plot twists in television discourse, the track's slow-building structure has become a benchmark for scoring pivotal revelations, with Djawadi himself referencing it in 2022 interviews as a career-defining work that pushed the boundaries of episodic music.

References

  1. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/game-of-thrones-composer-ramin-djawadi-interview/
  2. https://www.yourclassical.org/story/2016/07/01/composer-ramin-djawadi-and-the-game-of-thrones-season-finale
  3. https://winteriscoming.net/2016/06/30/ramin-djawadi-talks-the-light-of-the-seven/
  4. https://www.vulture.com/2016/07/game-of-thrones-composer-ramin-djawadi-key-musical-elements.html
  5. https://open.spotify.com/track/6iLzFJhs4ATwJn7P1utZIJ
  6. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/game-thrones-finale-composer-light-907084/
  7. https://filmmusicreporter.com/2016/06/01/watertower-music-to-release-game-of-thrones-season-6-soundtrack/
  8. https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/game-of-thrones-season-6-finale-longer-extended-1201791536/
  9. https://open.spotify.com/album/2Ia3TzAjzWw0Tdspy9Fwgg
  10. https://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Season-Music-HBO/dp/B01FL6LB6E
  11. https://www.grammy.com/news/game-thrones-season-7-soundtrack-release-date-set
  12. https://twitter.com/snep/status/1762143886946820354
  13. https://open.spotify.com/track/0aq5qgkzBeoY4tYd8k5pZa
  14. https://winteriscoming.net/2021/07/19/game-of-thrones-soundtrack-streamed-over-billion-times/
  15. https://theweek.com/articles/632709/why-real-winner-game-thrones-season-finale-music
  16. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/game-thrones-ramin-djawadi-score-explained-1199740/
  17. https://filmmusiccritics.org/awards-archive/2016-ifmca-awards/
  18. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014697/awards/
  19. https://www.grammy.com/artists/ramin-djawadi/2992
  20. https://www.hmmawards.com/2021-music-in-visual-media-nominations/
  21. https://grammy.com/news/game-thrones-live-concert-experience-set-return-fall
  22. https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/game-thrones-2018-world-concert/
  23. https://soundtrackfest.com/en/news/game-of-thrones-live-concert-experience-2019-with-ramin-djawadi/
  24. https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-live-concert-2023-return/
  25. https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/ramin-djawadi-house-of-the-dragon-sdcc-2024
  26. https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/ramin-djawadi
  27. https://chartmetric.com/track/spotify/6iLzFJhs4ATwJn7P1utZIJ
  28. https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/house-of-the-dragon-music-ramin-djawadi-1234756932/
  29. https://www.avclub.com/house-of-the-dragon-composer-ramin-djawadi-interview-1849559767
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