TOP TEN Horror Movie Themes

Published on October 24, 2011 by Dave Sutton   ·   9 Comments

Horror and metal have long gone hand in hand. Countless horror films feature metal and rock songs which then usually go on to be released as the film’s soundtrack, though often these feel like little more than glorified compilation album money-spinners for the film company, whilst being a convenient way for the bands to reach a new audience. Still, when looking for artists to fill such a soundtrack, metal and hard rock seems to be the genre of choice.

Metal bands have even been known to appear in horror movies. Classic heavy metal band W.A.S.P. made an appearance in the 1984 low-budget effort The Dungeonmaster where, during a night club sequence, they performed the track Tormentor from their debut album. Similarly, industrial aggressors Bile can be seen in the 1998 slasher Strangeland, also during a night club scene, performing their song In League, which appeared two years later on their album Sex Reflex. The villain of that film was played by Dee Snider, frontman of heavy metal band Twisted Sister. Snider also wrote and co-produced the movie as well as providing the opening song for the soundtrack, which features songs from many great hard rock bands such as Pantera, Megadeth, Marilyn Manson and Soulfly.

There are many other examples of rock stars turning to acting, such as punk rock legend Jello Biafra who has acted in several b-movies such as 2008′s not-so-PC zombie film Retardead and also played the part of Satan in the 1999 horror/comedy The Widower.

Some rock musicians have also turned to composing film scores. Marilyn Manson provided music for Resident Evil (2002) and in 2004, Charlie Clouser, formerly of Nine Inch Nails, composed the score for Saw and has since gone on to work on the sequels to that franchise as well as making music for the 2007 films Dead Silence and Resident Evil: Extinction. Clint Mansell, formerly of rock band Pop Will Eat Itself, is now well-established in the field of film scoring and has provided music for several horror films such as The Hole (2001), Murder By Numbers (2002), Wind Chill (2007) and Blood: The Last Vampire (2009).

Nowadays, metal icon Rob Zombie is becoming just as well-known as a director as he is as a musician and has now directed (and written) five films (all horror), including re-booting John Carpenter’s legendary Halloween franchise, so far making two such movies. His next release, The Lords of Salem is scheduled for sometime in 2012.

So, with Halloween approaching and the rotting stench of death filling the air (or maybe that’s just me), here are some marvellously macabre and spectacularly spooky slices of horror movie music to get you in the mood.

10. SPIDER BABY OR, THE MADDEST STORY EVER TOLD
Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told (1968), was, as the title suggests, somewhat of an odd film which combined horror and comedy with a plot centring around three children who suffer from a disease which causes them to mentally regress. The film’s opening song (sung by the film’s star Lon Chaney Jr.) is wonderfully weird and creepy and, to be honest, it’s the highlight of the whole movie. Continuing the link between horror films and metal, this song has been covered by metalcore band The Accused and also appears on Fantomas’ 2001 album of movie theme covers The Director’s Cut, which also includes covers of other horror movie themes such as The Omen and Rosemary’s Baby.

9. CASTLE OF THE WALKING DEAD
The 1967 film from director Harald Reini, featuring Christopher Lee, Castle of the Walking Dead (also known as, among other titles, The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism), is a wonderfully stylised, visual feast where the sets, props and lighting outshine the actors and make the questionable storyline a moot point. Although this movie doesn’t have a theme tune as such, it does feature a fine soundtrack from the German composer Peter Thomas. The best piece – and main reason for inclusion here – is in the scene where the heroes of the film are travelling by night through a dark forest and the cab driver is somewhat alarmed by what he sees hanging from the trees… the music manages to complement the visual splendour on-screen whilst also providing a fittingly eerie mood.

8. THE OMEN
This 1976 classic about a young boy, who, no doubt to the disappointment of his adoptee parents, turns out to be the Antichrist, the very embodiment of evil, wouldn’t deliver half the chills if it wasn’t for the superb (and Oscar-winning) soundtrack from Jerry Goldsmith. The main theme, Ave Santani, proving once and for all that choirs are scary, features the lyrics “We drink the blood, we eat the flesh, we raise the body of Satan”, albeit sung in Latin. Catchy.

7. SUSPIRIA
Dario Argento’s cult classic Suspiria from 1977 ties in nicely with our theme of linking horror movies to rock music given that the soundtrack was composed and performed by the Italian progressive rock band Goblin. There are also at least two rock bands who have taken the name of this movie as their own as well as several who have named an album after it. The Smashing Pumpkins used the theme as the introductory music on their 2007 tour. Most of the music in the main theme casts darkness and trepidation upon the listener, but the reason this isn’t higher up the list is that the middle section just seems to slip too much into typical rock territory and the ominous atmosphere gets lost. Goblin also provided the music for another Dario Argento horror, Deep Red, although that lacks the atmosphere that their Suspiria theme (mostly) manages to create.

6. JAWS
Even without the movie, the theme for the 1975 horror hit Jaws is a dramatic and brooding composition. And, for anyone who has seen the Steven Spielberg classic it’s hard, even when on dry land, not to be on guard for a gigantic great white shark when you hear this music.

5. SLEEPY HOLLOW
Sleepy Hollow, the 1999 film from Tim Burton, inspired by Washington Irving’s 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, might not be the scariest movie in our top 10, but the theme music composed by Danny Elfman does a wonderful job of imposing a sense of dread and suspense. The music has an almost synaesthetic quality to it, perfectly capturing the mood of wandering, lost, through a dark, fog-enshrouded woodland.

4. THE SHINING
Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 psychological horror film has rightly (if arguably belatedly) gone down as a cinema classic. Jack Nicholson gives an excellent performance as a man driven crazy by the evil presence that permeates the isolated hotel in which he and his family are stranded. The understated theme music provided by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind makes good use of the philosophy “less is more”, it’s minimalistic presence able to induce more chills than many more complicated compositions.

3. THE THING
Not the only John Carpenter-directed movie to be featured in this list, his 1989 sci-fi horror, The Thing, is a masterpiece of suspense, making great use of the classic scenario in which a small group of people are isolated and have to deal with a terror situation. The element of trust plays a a key part and you sense that that is the foundation on which this superb story was built. The score by Ennio Morricone – which manages to sound similar in style to earlier John Carpenter themes – works perfectly, adding to the tension and shocks on the screen. A classic piece of composition which can deliver suspense even when taken separately from the film it was made for.

2. CREEPSHOW
Written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, this anthology from 1982 doesn’t quite live up to expectations. It tries to mix horror with comedy and only partially succeeds at either. The score, though, by John Harrison fits perfectly with proceedings, providing a soundtrack that manages to be both sinister and fun and a theme that should be heard every Halloween.

1. HALLOWEEN
Somehow in his theme music to his 1978 slasher film Halloween, John Carpenter has managed to capture the noise of the tingling chill that runs up your spine as well as the brooding menace of the unknown terrors that stalk from the shadows. This classic composition has been re-used in almost every sequel to the 1978 original, being re-hashed and re-invented along the way, but always maintaining that core element, the minimalism and repetitiveness that makes it work so well and allows it to get under your skin. In recent years the theme has been covered by rock artists such as Celldweller and remains infamous and instantly recognisable today, over 30 years after film’s release. You can only hope that if one day you’re being chased by a knife-wielding serial killer they at least have the courtesy to play this music as they hunt you down. The definitive horror movie theme music.

Many scores and themes were considered for this list and it was difficult to reduce it to just ten. A few others that seem worthy of mention are:
- Marilyn Manson‘s theme for Resident Evil (2002) (which seems to echo some of the style of John Carpenter’s infamous Halloween theme, albeit with an updated, industrial style) is an excellent piece of music but its industrial leanings do take away from any real sense of fear it might have created.
- The theme from Poltergeist (1982) could easily be the theme for a Disney animation, but given the context in which it’s used it actually holds a surprisingly menacing air.
- Children of the Corn (1984) has a delightfully creepy theme, which very, very nearly made the top ten. Great to listen to if you’re alone on a dark and stormy night.
- The Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho (1960) is a masterpiece in suspense but ultimately it’s just the beginning of this theme that holds any real menace and, although it could be said that it’s a good piece of music, it really lacks the haunting qualities of the ones that made the top ten. Better suited as something to hum in the shower.

Other horror movie themes that came close to the top ten included A Nighmare on Elm Street (1984), Aliens (1986), Dawn of the Dead (1978), The Devil Rides Out (1968) and Hellraiser (1987).

Many others were also considered and this list just reflects the opinion of one person. Feel free to discuss your favourites and any that weren’t mentioned above using the comments section below.

See larger image Halloween: 20th Anniversary Edition - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD) List Price: $16.98 USD New From: $13.99 In Stock Used from: $6.96 In Stock Release date September 22, 1998.