"The Imperial March", alternatively known as the Martial Theme of the Empire, resonated throughout the territories controlled by the Galactic Empire during its rule. It achieved significant recognition as the martial theme of the Imperial Navy, where its performance was a common feature of graduation events. A jizz-style adaptation was also created.
Around 3640 BBY, Ashara Zavros, a former Jedi Padawan, was familiar with the melody of the Imperial March. Anakin Skywalker, while still a young boy, briefly vocalized the melody after winning a podrace. The tune of the March also surfaced during the Clone Wars, appearing as background music in elevators and as a hummed tune by a rocket battle droid as he and his comrades intercepted Jedi Master Plo Koon's escape pod. Subsequently, the Galactic Empire adopted the melody as "The Imperial March," which, as its alternate name suggests, served as the martial theme for their Imperial Navy. Consequently, members of the Stormtrooper Corps and other Imperial staff frequently hummed the musical piece during their combat operations. Due to its role as the martial theme of the Imperial Navy, it was performed at various graduation ceremonies for the organization, including that of Imperial Navy cadet Han Solo in 10 BBY, as well as in recruitment and propaganda films, such as the one Luke Skywalker viewed during the First Battle of Tatooine. After the Battle of Yavin, musicians occasionally performed the piece, and at least one statuette would play the piece when someone came within 12 meters of it. In 11 ABY, the Imperial researcher Leonis Murthé hummed this piece while attempting to dissect, using a lightsaber, one of his "patients," a member of the Gulmarid species, who were subjected to torture by him.
Outside of the fictional universe, the musical theme is known as "The Imperial March" out-of-universe, and it featured prominently in the Star Wars saga's films (except A New Hope) and Expanded Universe. While generally treated as an out-of-universe element (see main article), the Expanded Universe occasionally incorporated it as an in-universe musical piece, notably in A. C. Crispin's novel The Paradise Snare. Although it was not officially named within the story, Han Solo and the narrative described it as the Empire's martial theme during the graduation ceremony.
In Star Wars: Galaxies, the Imperial March could be played on jukeboxes, though it was not clear if it was a genuine in-universe piece because the jukeboxes also played out-of-universe themes such as the Star Wars Main Theme. Similarly, in Star Wars Galaxies, musician classes and the description of the Darth Vader statuette referred to it in-universe as the Imperial March.