Introducing the top 10 horror movie soundtracks

Charso Press: There’s no rule that a horror soundtrack has to be as good as the movie itself, but a memorable, eerie, or haunting score goes a long way toward making the movie better. Of course, horror films aim to frighten viewers through stories and visual elements, but sound is just as important and often works to evoke emotions on a more subtle or even subconscious level. As a result, those horror movies that have more effective music deserve attention and praise.

The films mentioned in this article are all classics of the horror genre and are admired for their music. Most of these films are old and show that horror music was more daring in previous decades, or maybe it’s the time that makes a music iconic and stuck in the minds of many. Either way, these are great movies with great music that are considered the best of the horror genre.

10. The music of the horror movie “Psycho” conveys the feeling of anxiety to the viewer

• the product: 1960
• Director: Alfred Hitchcock
• Music: Bernard Herrmann

It’s hard to imagine “Psycho,” one of the biggest and boldest films of the 1960s, without Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score. Of course, Alfred Hitchcock’s acclaimed direction and surprising (for its time) story about a woman who walks into a strange motel is brilliant in its own right, but everything is oddly more remarkable with Herman’s score, especially when it comes to the setting. Marion takes a shower.

But even before that, the soundtrack to “Psycho,” heard over the opening credits, sets the tone perfectly and injects a significant amount of anxiety into the film before the story begins. The shrill, screeching sound of the stringed instruments used in the music is so iconic that even those who have yet to see “Psycho” will likely recognize the music. This is surely the only proof that the composer has done his job properly.

9. The music of the horror film “The Exorcist” was not originally composed for this film

• the product: 1981
• Director: William Friedkin
• Music: Mike Oldfield

The Tubular Bells score and its use in The Exorcist is an interesting case in point, because while it wasn’t written for the 1973 film at all, it fit well. After listening to this piece, it is easy to imagine that the opening theme music of “pipe bells” is an unofficial theme for the “Exorcist” series, and even in the latest installment of the franchise, “The Exorcist: Believer” (The Exorcist: Believer). used.

Mike Oldfield’s famous album Pipe Bells reached a surprising level of popularity thanks to a small part of it being featured in this famous horror film. Perhaps it wasn’t expected to become a soundtrack, nor did a progressive rock/instrumental album seem capable of becoming a hit. But the track’s popularity and longevity shows just how important and successful the film was in 1973, to the point where millions of copies of the album were sold worldwide. The part used in The Exorcist is undeniably creepy and fits perfectly with the overall tone of the film.

8. The soundtrack of the horror movie “Halloween” was created by the director himself

• the product: 1981
• Director: John Carpenter
• Music: John Carpenter

John Carpenter is a filmmaker as well as a composer and has composed music for his own films many times. His most famous work is probably the soundtrack he made for “Halloween”, which happens to be one of his most famous films. The film, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Plains, introduces a terrifying and mysterious killer named Michael Myers, who commits heartbreaking murders in the fictional town of Haddonfield on Halloween.

The original score in the movie “Halloween” is wonderful because of its simplicity and has the kind of melody that you never forget when you hear it. The score fits the simple premise of the film, which is all about surviving a seemingly unstoppable killer, and the sustained notes played by the piano fit well with the unstoppable nature of Michael Myers as the antagonist. It may not be flashy, but it’s certainly memorable and complements the film well.

7. Saw

• the product: 2004
• Director: James Vaughn
• Music: Charlie Klauser

Saw, which was made in 2004 with a very low budget and mostly on location, was a surprise success. The first film sought to challenge a few people with a series of painful and insane tasks (read games) by a mysterious character called Jigsaw, and the subsequent films used the same premise to drive their stories. In each episode the traps and challenges became more painful and annoying, and the amount of blood and mutilated limbs increased significantly.

The “Saw” sequels differ from the original in terms of the intensity of the torture and the type of games, but one common element throughout the episodes is the iconic score known as “Hello Zepp” by musician/composer Charlie Klauser. This music is truly ominous and has been used in each of the “Saw” movies with changes to this day. The “Hello Zepp” score, often used near the end of each film, usually complements the signature twist endings that the franchise is known for. When this familiar motif begins, we know that things are going to end either surprisingly or wonderfully stupid.

6. The Thing

• the product: 1982
• Director: John Carpenter
• Music: Ennio Morricone

With The Creature, John Carpenter made another iconic horror film just four years after Halloween, though this time he had no involvement with the soundtrack. Ennio Morricone designed the score for this film in a way that was different from his other notable works (especially the lush, epic and emotional scores he composed for Sergio Leone’s films). Morricone made a song that was very similar to John Carpenter’s music, but not in a different way.

No other piece could match the feel of this sci-fi horror film, so it’s safe to say that Ennio Morricone did his job perfectly. The film’s main theme is subtle and sparse, to the point where it might not be compelling to listen to in isolation from the film itself. But if you hear it in the right context, next to the desolate, cold and eerily isolated landscapes in which the film’s characters are trapped, it’s basically flawless.

5. Jaws

• the product: 1981
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Music: John Williams

John Williams’ “Jaws” soundtrack is so iconic that even without the lyrics, almost anyone can hum it. It may be the only horror movie score to rival the Psychic soundtrack in terms of notoriety, to the point where it might be hard to find someone who doesn’t know it.

The soundtrack is a good reason why “Jaws” is considered one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies and probably his best thriller. The most iconic part of the music plays as the shark approaches each time and even replaces this creature in many scenes; It means knowing that the shark is not far away, even if it cannot be seen. By now, everyone knows that there were many problems in making a scary shark for this film, but in the end, even the best special effects that could be offered in 1975 could not be as scary as John Williams’ iconic score.

4. The Omen

• the product: 1976
• Director: Richard Donner
• Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Although Jerry Goldsmith composed the music for the first three films of the “Horoscope” series, none of his music in the second and third films had the impact of the main theme of the 1976 “Horoscope”. “Ave Satani” is the first thing you hear when you watch the movie as it plays over the opening credits and describes everything perfectly. In fact, the music is so dramatic, powerful and haunting that some may feel the film is not as scary as the music.

Nevertheless, the story is still very interesting and revolves around a couple who can’t have children of their own and end up adopting a boy who might be the Antichrist. “Tala Nehs” is a disturbing horror film at its best, and that makes the music of “Ave Satani” all the more terrifying. The piece is translated into Latin as “Hail the Devil” and is made to sound like a diabolical version of a Gregorian chant (which no doubt succeeds).

3. The Shining

• the product: 1980
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Music: Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind

“The Shining” is one of the classic films that needs no introduction, as it is perhaps the best supernatural thriller of all time. This film showed what Stanley Kubrick was capable of when working in the horror genre. At its core, The Shining is about a mysterious, seemingly haunted hotel that wreaks havoc on the lives of the family staying there, but this psychological horror film is an incredibly eerie work because of the way it’s made.

Considering The Shining is such a great horror movie, it shouldn’t be too surprising to find that music plays a big part in making things scary. Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind performed some of the film’s most notable scores, including the haunting and eerie main theme, which is actually an electronic interpretation of part of the “Symphonie Fantastique,” a 19th-century piece by Hector Berlioz. Carlos significantly altered the pre-existing score electronically for Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, and the results were effective and haunting there as well.

2. Cannibal Holocaust

• the product: 1980
• Director: Roger Deodato
• Music: Ritz Ortolani

While most R-rated horror films can be extreme in their own right, Cannibal Island goes one step further and makes many other horror films aimed at adult audiences look like a joke by comparison. At times, the conflict in this film’s story can seem over the top, but Cannibal Island is really notorious for it in the worst possible way. Cannibals Island is an early and groundbreaking pseudo-documentary, but it is notorious for its shocking violence, sexual content, and graphic animal cruelty.

It’s a horror film that features countless unsettling scenes, but it’s also backed by some very beautiful music, especially Ritz Ortolani’s original score. It’s a popular horror song that contrasts the story and visuals of Cannibals Island in a really interesting way, and may also be effective in giving the viewer a false sense of security at the beginning of the film, as the music itself is very quiet and It is pleasant. It’s an interesting and memorable choice for a movie like Cannibals Island.

1. Suspiria

• the product: 1977
• Director: Dario Argento
• Music: Dario Argento, Goblin

Whenever it’s time to watch a movie directed by Dario Argento, you can be sure to see stylish, colorful visuals and a memorable and unique soundtrack. You’ll find both in the 1977 supernatural horror classic Susperia, but it’s the music that deserves the most attention. The soundtrack was composed by a progressive rock band called Goblin, and although they’ve done other scores for Argento and also worked with other horror film legends like George E. Romero, their best work can be heard on Suspria.

Susperia’s original soundtrack provides the perfect backdrop to this strange and breath-taking horror film. “Susperia” is an assault on all the viewer’s senses in a good way; The colors are eye-catching, the camera movement throughout is as good as it gets, and the Goblin soundtrack is raucous and a good reason for the film’s excellent performance.

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