Horror Movie Music

Twin Peaks soundtrack (the original series) is all time favourite soundtrack for me. The jazz elements that start smooth then turn sinister, Julee Cruise, those deep dum-dum notes in the theme… everything works for me.

I know the series isn’t pure horror but anything by Lynch counts in my books.

It Follows had music that stood out to me a lot when watching.

It's quite a rarity but something that is chilling but equally beautiful. Philip Glass' "Candyman" theme is the one that hits this mark for me, I get goosebumps everytime I hear it ❤️

John Murphy - In the House-In a Heartbeat

The theme to Halloween.

The Goblin score from Suspiria '77, It's perfect.

The opening to the Shining.

Phantasm theme and any john carpenter synth music

SINISTER

Jerry Goldsmith’s work on The Omen (1976) is great.

Anything by the band Goblin, but especially Profondo Rosso (1975) and Suspiria (1977)

For something more modern, The Greasy Strangler (2016) score by Andrew Hung.

Death Dies - Deep Red

Dragula - Haunt

My First Lover - The Strangers

People are Strange - The Lost Boys

The Franz Waxman score for Bride of Frankenstein is excellent. Many of the music cues were used in the Flash Gordon serials. The Hans Salter/Frank Skinner scores for Son of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man are wonderful, and music cues from these films were used over and over again in the many Universal films that followed.

The Max Steiner score for King Kong is legendary.

For a classic, I'd have to go with Charles Bernstein's work on NOES, especially the Main Title but for something more modern I'd have to go with Trauma Loop from the Smile soundtrack it's fantastic. Honorable mention for damn near any Christopher Young soundtrack lol

The main theme to The Burning is pretty cool and eerie, and you also have an old time piano melody thrown in there too.

Friday the 13th - so bombastic and over the top, but iconic.

When a Stranger Calls - scary and discordant. Whenever I think of perfect horror movie music, it's this score. You also hear what sounds like the precursor to the THX theme in there.

I also love a good synth score.

I really enjoy Pino Donaggio’s score for Carrie, especially the theme when she’s fighting her mother at the end.

Ravenous soundtrack

• Halloween (all the franchise scores, all John Carpenter scores)
• When a Stranger Calls
• Candyman
• A Nightmare on Elm Street ('84)
• Friday the 13th (1-8)
• Alien, Aliens, especially Alien 3
• Hellraiser (1 & 2)
• Psycho (full score not just the shower scene)
• It Follows
• Creepshow
• Bram Stoker's Dracula
• The Return of the Living Dead (song soundtrack)

Maybe a bit cliche, but I love soundtracks that heavily feature organ music as a key element - such as the original Carnival of Souls and (of course) The Abominable Dr. Phibes…classic and creepy!

Also - any with children singing (NOES, Poltergeist) give me goosebumps in the best possible way!

I think Smile has the best horror soundtrack of all time. So unnatural. It's fantastic.

I love the Weirdo creepy Goblin music in Susperia. Also John Carpenters synth music in Halloween. And Badalamentis Twin Peaks music.

The theme to Lucio Fulci's Zombie, Anything by Goblin in a Dario Argento film. I'm a sucker for horror synth.