My Top 10 Horror Movie Scores

 

There are several details that go into the quality of what makes an effectively chilling horror movie, and for me, one of the most important things to get right is the instrumental music track. Music adds so much to the experience, as it breath’s life into the films atmosphere, heightens the suspense, and submerses us into a spooky films other worldly mood. Granted, there are a lot of classic Horror movie scores to choose from, but I’m aiming for my own personal favorites … some famous … some less famous. With that said, turn up the volume, and get ready for chills with my Top 10 personal favorite Horror movie music tracks.

 

#10 John Williams score for “Jaws” (1975) 

It’s the classic, Oscar-winning score that got people frightened to go swimming. This score is so well known, it’s almost pointless to discuss it in detail. John William’s classic music score is about as classic as horror movie scores get, and it’s definitely one of the films strengths, as it builds suspense, and allows you to feel the sharks presence without showing it on screen. Objectively, this score should probably rank higher, although personally, I feel it’s been overplayed in the media, to the point where it’s lost its original momentum. Still, it’s a classic score, and one of the greats that the genera has to offer.  

 

#9 Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “Poltergeist” (1982) 

The late Jerry Goldsmith is personally my favorite movie music composer, and among his many acolytes were his horror movie scores … so expect more than one on my countdown. On the note of personal favorites, 1982’s “Poltergeist” is my personal favorite classic horror movie, and Jerry Goldsmiths score is one of the films many winning ingredients. It’s one of those rare horror scores that’s just as disturbing as it is peaceful and inviting. This score is punctuated by a children’s quire, which gives the track it’s duel personality. There’s something about kids singing that can sound warm and cheerful at one moment, and eerily creepy the next. This score was so effective, it was Nominated at the Academy Awards for best original music score, which is a rarity for horror movie tracks.   

 

#8 Philip Glass’s score for “Dracula” (1931) 

Aside from the “Swan Lake” music herd during the opening credits, there initially wasn’t a single musicale note herd throughout the rest of the 1931 “Dracula” classic. Some may say that it only adds to the films chilling atmosphere, but I think others would regard it as dull. In 1999, there was a special edition, which added a musical score composed by Phillip Glass. This may spoil some of the subtlety of the chilling quiet moments, but personally, I prefer the special edition, because the music composed by Phillip Glass is nothing short of awesome! Every time I hear those violins, it just gives me chills, and when matched with the imagery, it just makes the film feel more like a haunting spectacle. If you prefer the silent approach, that’s fine, but I just find the atmosphere all the more effective with this captivating score.

 

#7 Danny Elfman’s score for “Sleepy Hollow” (1999) 

Danny Elfman is the main reoccurring musician for Tim Burton’s dark and twisted movies … and with “Sleepy Hollow”, he really got to work his magic with a horror movie score. It’s a track that takes on a variety of spooky personalities … the monster chases are electrified with a rousing score … while the quieter moments are punctuated with a subtle haunting score, one that balances its chilling atmosphere with a sense of wonder … and perhaps even a touch of beauty. It’s hands down one of my favorite joint Burton and Elfman calibrations, as well as one of my favorite horror movie scores.  

 

#6 Jack Nitzsche’s score for “The Exorcist” (1973) 

While those of us familiar with this score associate it with one of cinema’s most terrifying horror movies … it’s really not a traditional scary movie score. Honestly, I feel this music has the personality of a detective cereal, in fact, I could easily picture this score working as the theme music for the “Unsolved Mysteries” series. While this score doesn’t “spook me” in the vain of other classic horror scores, it never the less gives this movie a distinct personality, and is very engaging to listen to.    

 

#5 Popol Vuh’s score for “Nosferatu the Vampyre” (1979) 

It’s one thing to say that a horror score gave me goosebumps … and it’s another to say that a spooky score put me in a hypnotic trance. Paired with the opening credits, you’d swear Popol Vuh’s score for 1979’s “Nosferatu the Vampyre” was for a real documentary on pagan cultures. It’s a subtle yet relentlessly eerie quire you’d imagine hearing from a group gathered in ancient ruins … and it absolutely paralyzes the senses. No joke, it’s a score that somehow relaxes, while also making my hair stand on in … and it takes a snap of the fingers to break the trance … or as featured in the movie, a blood-curdling scream from a woman … that'll snap me out of it.    

 

#4 Michael Abels score for “US” (2019) 

The most recent horror movie score for my countdown, Michael Abels opening track for “US” hooked me from the title card sequence, and kept me bound in a heightened state of anxiety. It’s yet another great example of a score hooking me in from the start, and it continues to leave an impression on repeat viewings. If you haven’t seen 2019’s “US” yet, do check it out … it’s one of the decades best, and I guarantee the score will pull you into the chilling experience from scene one.   

 

#3 Alan Silvestri’s score for “Van Helsing” (2004) 

While more of a summer action movie then a real horror film, “Van Helsing” nevertheless rounds up the classic Universal Monsters, and is boasted by one of my all-time favorite movie scores. Seriously, paired with Alan Silvestri’s track, the classic monsters have never felt more epic or larger than life. The opening scene perfectly sets the adrenaline, with pounding drums in the distance, and a full-on Latin quire singing into the night. It’s about as awesome as a monster movie track could ever sound, and it gets me pumped out of my mind every time. This score also lends to an awesome hero theme that never lets down.   

 

#2 Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “The Omen” (1976) 

My favorite composer Jerry Goldsmith returns to my countdown with a rare horror score that won the Academy Award for Best Original Music. While previous scores have either entranced me or breathed life into the film’s chilling atmosphere … this score actually terrifies me. It is the evilest, most haunting music track I’ve ever heard, and it’s perfectly fitting for a movie revolving around the Anti-Christ. Right from the opening credits, this score putts me in a state of unease, and promises a sinister experience. It’s also a highly effective score during the chase and action scenes, as it excites me to the point where I’m on the edge of my seat. Being honest, while this movie is a classic of the genera, I think this score alone is superior to the whole film ... that’s just how good it is, and one of one-hundred reasons why Jerry Goldsmith remains my favorite composer.    

 

Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are some honorable mentions …

Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “The Mummy”

Elliot Goldenthal’s score for “Pet Semetary”

Bernard Herrmann’s score for “Psycho”

Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “Gremlins”

Wendy Carlos score for “The Shining”

 

#1 John Carpenter’s score for “Halloween” (1978) 

Surprise, surprise … John Carpenters brilliant music score for the 1978 horror classic “Halloween” is personally my favorite horror track of all time. Whenever I hear those music beats, I’m suddenly entranced, and I have goosebumps all through my body. The movie is already great on it’s own, but this score truly enhances the experience, and submerses me into it’s spooky Halloween-night atmosphere. The melody is so simple, yet so effective, and for me it’s the definitive staple of an iconic horror movie track.

Thanks for reading my countdown, and let’s make every day in October feel like Halloween.