I came here just to say Candyman, Phillip Glass fucking killed it. The Intro credits score and visuals went together perfectly and to this day I can't think of another films score that can compare.
the mystery man at the party scene in Lost Highway is the most terrifying scene I've ever witnessed even after hundreds of horror movies and the soundtrack in that movie BANGS
I fell in love with horror scores myself after spontaneously attending the local philharmonic October concert featuring exclusively horror music some 5 years ago. I am still chasing the high from that concert.
Anyways, some of my absolute favourite scores, perhaps not the eeriest, and including both film and TV, are found in:
* Suspiria (2018)
* Drag Me To Hell (2009)
* Saw (2004)
* Dead Silence (2007)
* Cannibal Holocaust (1989)
* Candyman (1992)
* Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
* Hannibal (2013-2015)
* Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
* The Beyond (1981)
And bonus points are given to the video game Outlast (2013), and all TV series by Mike Flanagan. Banger soundtracks.
> Saw (2004)
I had a mate who was a pianist. He worked in a fancy restaurant, playing the background music as people ate. Whenever he god bored, he's slip a few bars of Saw into the middle of a piece of music, then go back to whatever he was playing. It was great seeing some people's heads suddenly lift up, quizzically think, then just carry on assuming they had misheard.
Sometime he'd be playing the "dur duur" part from Jaws down low (I know ALL the music terms) whilst playing something completely different with his other hand. Tubular bells was one he could often slip in to Christmas music during the holiday season too.
It was great fun to observe.
Psycho, music by Bernard Hermann.
Nerve-wracking, tension building, and some beautiful sequences leading to the main theme most viewers remember.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x622m18ut74&ab\_channel=HDFilmTributes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x622m18ut74&ab_channel=HDFilmTributes)
I could go years without watching that movie, but I'll never forget the music. I already commented that I think Suspira is the film most elevated by the score, but that's mainly because I don't think the film would be all that special without the music.
Ravenous, on the other hand, would be a brilliant movie with no music. It just so happens to have one of the best soundtracks ever.
"The cave" is a brilliant track, which goes from quiet to total chaos. Absolutely one of my favorites.
Honorable mentions: Boyd's journey/closing and let's go kill that bastard.
Jaws ain't no fucking horror movie. It's a thriller. Just cuz it scares you doesn't classify it as horror
Edit: disabling inbox replies, you've all been educated, not my fault you wanna call anything that makes you scared an outright horror movie. That's not how it works. Keep complaining, I won't be notified.
I have mixed feelings about the movie itself, but I will die on the hill that the first Insidious has one of the best horror scores. As far as music creating a creepy and off-putting atmosphere, it really is one of the best. Even the opening credits are creepy mainly due to the music. Also, though I can't remember the whole score, and without going into spoilers, the music at the end of Hereditary is just perfect. Somehow both unsettling and regal.
If we're talking memorable scores though, Christopher Young's main themes in Hellraiser and Drag Me to Hell are amazingly underrated.
Insidious took a super festive, light hearted song and turned it into the scariest song ever!!! Tip toe through the window is fucking haunting lol poor tiny tim
I think the original Suspira is the film most elevated by the music. Without the Goblin score, I don't even think it would be all that good a movie. With the score, it's memorising.
I always said that there could never be a Suspiria remake without using the score; although I personally dislike the Thom Yorke whining-portion of the remake score, I was happy to be proven wrong.
The visuals are great, no doubt about it. But there are sequences where characters are just sneaking around and I don't think the colours, the sets or brilliant shots are enough to sustain my interest. But add that music, and suddenly it's gripping.
I agree the visuals make Suspira feel unique and surreal, but for me... it's the music which holds all the tension. I kind of see Suspira as my favourite music video.
Is the Suspira remake worth watching ? I have only watched the original. When I see there is an original and a remake of the movie, I literally Google what is the better one and I only watch that one.
Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond
Lucio Fulci’s The Psychic
Candyman(1992)
Phantasm
Just Before Dawn
The Exorcist II
Ravenous
Dead & Buried
Shock
The Lords of Salem
The theme song to Fear Itself
I also have a special spot for Slaughter High.
And, if it counts, Miracle Mile.
Just Before Dawn is a great one. It’s only officially available (outside of the film itself) as a short suite in a collection of Brad Fiedel’s film music, as far as I know.
The Just Before Dawn score is perfect for a wilderness horror movie. The collection of whistles and synth makes for a lonely and isolating horror setting.
I was just trying to do the whistle the other day.
**God-Tier:**
*Hellraisers I and II*! by Christopher Young.
*Psycho* by Bernard Herrmann.
*Poltergeist* by Jerry Goldsmith.
*Bram Stoker’s Dracula* by Wojeich Kilar
*The Shining* by Wendy Carlos et al
**Borderline God-Tier**
*Nightbreed* by Danny Elfman.
*The Haunting* by Humphrey Searle
*Flatliners* by James Newton Howard
*Halloween I-III* by John Carpenter
*Hannibal* by Hans Zimmer
*The Silence of the Lambs* by Howard Shore
**Pretty Darn Good**
*The Ring* by Hans Zimmer.
*Hellraiser: Bloodline* by Daniel Licht.
*Interview with the Vampire* and *Alien*^^3 by Elliot Goldenthal.
*Alien* by Jerry Goldsmith.
*The People Under the Stairs* and *The Crow* by Graeme Ravell.
*Friday the 13th* by Harry Manfedini.
*The Thing* by Ennio Morricone
*Frankenstein Unbound* by Carl Davis
*Alien: Resurrection* by John Frizzell
Suspiria (Love Thom Yorke, but you just can't beat the 70s Prog Rock mania of the original), Bram Stoker's Dracula (and the Ninth Gate, too, for that matter, both by Wojchiech Kilar.)
Colin Stetson’s Hereditary score should be up there, particularly in those final scenes. Angelo Badalamenti’s Lynch work and his Nightmare of Elm Street 3 score. Morricone’s The Thing, and a lot of the Carpenter stuff as others have mentioned.
Well, most of the truly greats have already been mentioned, and obviously nearly any Simonetti/Goblin would be somewhere on the list, but let me toss out a couple that might fly under the radar because of the age of the films.
Theater of Blood: Michael J Lewis did a few horror scores. The Legacy comes to mind, and The Medusa Touch. But the work he did on the Theater of Blood score is just a pitch perfect marriage of score with film. The theatrical score enhancing a film about a Shakespearean actor taking his revenge on critics is just fantastic. And the main theme is brilliant.
The Dunwich Horror: It's Les Baxter. It's perfect. I mean, there are a ton of Baxter scores you could choose, from decades of work, and plenty of those were for horror films, but The Dunwich Horror main theme is to die for. One of the best main themes in the history of horror.
Tourist Trap. And okay, maybe I love Pino Donaggio more than most. And maybe even most of those who love him would opt for one of his non-horror scores. And even those who wouldn't might choose his work on The Howling or Two Evil Eyes over what he did On Tourist Trap. But I'll argue that the score Donaggio provided for Tourist Trap elevates the movie. Without the Donaggio score over the waltz scene near the end, or the near orchestral screams over the final scene Tourist Trap would be an immeasurably lesser film.
I mean... I pretty much got into horror movies because of my love for the soundtracks... even some of the movies that are not necessarily great have some dope soundtracks. here are some that i love:
Hausu
Vampiros Lesbos
The Thing
Amityville Horror (anything with creepy kids choir vocals)
Halloween
Psycho
Candyman
Gremlins
Friday the 13th (honestly, the soundtrack makes it good)
Jaws
Alien
Aliens
Alien 3
Halloween 3: Season of the Witch
Re-Animator (yes, it is a ripoff of psycho, but it still rules)
Children of the Corn
Zombi
Dawn of the Dead (the original, not the remake)
The Exorcist
Carnival of Souls
Predator
Rosemary's Baby
I could seriously just keep going... music was always the attraction to the films, otherwise i generally like reading horror over watching it. music makes all the difference.
I love to read horror too, I love to listen to music whilst reading. Nothing with words and usually classical, have you ever paired a song with a book and everytime you hear the song its instant nostalgia and being back in the book?
Basically any John Carpenter score.
"Jaws"
"Candyman"
And "The Thing", where Ennio Morricone does such an excellent job of doing a Carpenter-style score you'd think it was Carpenter doing it.
*The Exorcist II: The Heretic* gets a lot of crap for being one of the worst sequels in horror film history but Ennio Morricone's eerie, atmospheric score for the film is a masterpiece.
Halloween, in all of its many flavors. John Carpenter always seems to make it interesting, even with the new movies. Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of Halloween Kills or Halloween Ends, the soundtracks were phenomenal.
Phantasm, Suspiria, The Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are some of my favorite classic ones.
Under the Skin, Ex Machina, Come True and Mandy some of my favorite recent ones
Honorable mention to Abigail because a couple of those pieces where incredible
Original TCM and Halloween are my real answers, but I don’t think I’ve seen Annihilation mentioned yet. I guess it’s not pure horror per se.
The score during the climax of Hereditary is excellent as well
Not quite horror, but Wojciech Kilar’s score for Bram Stoker’s Dracula is fantastic. Imo it was a huge influence on Hans Zimmer’s Chris Nolan scores that are ubiquitous today. Just watch the first scene to get a taste.
Underappreciated: Charlie Clouser's "Dead Silence"...beautifully, creepy & almost perfect!
Most will dismiss it, but Steve Jablonsky's "Nightmare On Elm Street" remake score is probably the BEST thing to come out of that dreadful remake..it's GREAT! Urge folks to give it a listen, even if u blocked out the film from your memory! 🤣
Lastly, Brad Fiedel's "Fright Night" score is a classic around here!
Richard Band’s score for The House on Sorority Row, Charles Bernstein’s score for April Fool’s Day, and John Beal’s score for The Funhouse are three great ones that deserve more attention.
My favorites are:
The Final Conflict and Alien by Jerry Goldshmith
Alien³ and Interview with the Vampire by Elliot Goldenthal
The Fury and Dracula by John Williams
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I would say A Quiet Place. The score did some heavy lifting in that movie.
I don’t think there’s anything as iconic in horror as the Halloween song though.
Yesterday I was listening to Toru Takemitsu’s score for *Kwaidan*. It’s a bunch of electro-acoustic racket, bracketed by silence, that develops into a ghostly drone. 1964, check it out or just watch the movie.
Almost any John Carpenter score (I think Prince of Darkness gets overlooked in that conversation a lot) the score for Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is one of the all time greats imo as well. The Goblin scores for the Argento films of course, and Dawn of the Dead.
I can't believe barely anyone has mentioned Bram Stoker's Dracula. Wojciech Kolar created a masterpiece of music to tell the story. "The Beginning" and "The Storm" are my absolute favorites.
Here is a Top Ten
1. The Shining (Wendy Carlos).
2. Hellraiser (Christopher Young, BUT, the original score by Coil is amazing, as well).
3. Under the Skin (Mica Levi).
4. Bones and All (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross).
5. The Road (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis).
6. Halloween (John Carpenter).
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Charles. Bernstein).
8. The Thing (Ennio Morricone)
9. Candyman 2021 (Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe)
10. Suspiria (Goblin)
Hellraiser 1, 2 and even the reboot have really beautiful orchestral scores (1 abc 2 are by Christopher Young while the reboot score is by Ben Lovett) and I also love the Mandy score by Johan Johansen. Hereditary also has a very memorable score by Colin Stetson.
Franz Waxman's score for the fantasy/horror film, Bride of Frankenstein.
Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner: '39 Son of Frankenstein and '41 The Wolf Man.
Psycho - Herman score is fantastic.
Saw - Hello Zepp is such an iconic and rousing theme at the end of each film.
Halloween - Because of course
The Exorcist - Totally tubular...
My personal favorites :
- Wind Chill (2007)
- Ginger Snaps (2000)
- A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
- Candyman (1992)
- Rest Stop (2006)
- Halloween (any)
It's a tossup between Candyman '92 (Philip Glass) and It Follows (Disasterpeace) for me.
It follows score lives rent-free in my mind, especially around Halloween.
I came here just to say Candyman, Phillip Glass fucking killed it. The Intro credits score and visuals went together perfectly and to this day I can't think of another films score that can compare.
Halloween of course. Almost any David Lynch movie (though they might not count as horror, depending on yoir frame of mind). The original Suspiria.
the mystery man at the party scene in Lost Highway is the most terrifying scene I've ever witnessed even after hundreds of horror movies and the soundtrack in that movie BANGS
The craziest part is that that actor killed his wife in real life à la Lost Highway
wtf I had no idea, that makes it even more haunting now
Goblins!
Phantasm has a great theme
So excited for the Waxwork pressing to drop this year for this one. Such a great score.
I fell in love with horror scores myself after spontaneously attending the local philharmonic October concert featuring exclusively horror music some 5 years ago. I am still chasing the high from that concert. Anyways, some of my absolute favourite scores, perhaps not the eeriest, and including both film and TV, are found in: * Suspiria (2018) * Drag Me To Hell (2009) * Saw (2004) * Dead Silence (2007) * Cannibal Holocaust (1989) * Candyman (1992) * Penny Dreadful (2014-2016) * Hannibal (2013-2015) * Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) * The Beyond (1981) And bonus points are given to the video game Outlast (2013), and all TV series by Mike Flanagan. Banger soundtracks.
Love those spontaneous activities that spark a major obsession!
> Saw (2004) I had a mate who was a pianist. He worked in a fancy restaurant, playing the background music as people ate. Whenever he god bored, he's slip a few bars of Saw into the middle of a piece of music, then go back to whatever he was playing. It was great seeing some people's heads suddenly lift up, quizzically think, then just carry on assuming they had misheard. Sometime he'd be playing the "dur duur" part from Jaws down low (I know ALL the music terms) whilst playing something completely different with his other hand. Tubular bells was one he could often slip in to Christmas music during the holiday season too. It was great fun to observe.
Mad respect for your friend – love that some musical horror motifs are just so recognisable that the general public catch it!
The Dead Silence score slaps. I recently saw something that imitated it, but can't remember what...
Psycho, music by Bernard Hermann. Nerve-wracking, tension building, and some beautiful sequences leading to the main theme most viewers remember. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x622m18ut74&ab\_channel=HDFilmTributes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x622m18ut74&ab_channel=HDFilmTributes)
As ever, the answer is Ravenous
I could go years without watching that movie, but I'll never forget the music. I already commented that I think Suspira is the film most elevated by the score, but that's mainly because I don't think the film would be all that special without the music. Ravenous, on the other hand, would be a brilliant movie with no music. It just so happens to have one of the best soundtracks ever.
"The cave" is a brilliant track, which goes from quiet to total chaos. Absolutely one of my favorites. Honorable mentions: Boyd's journey/closing and let's go kill that bastard.
The Shining.
The Omen Jaws
Damn, jaws is a good one. That's lived rent free in my head my whole life!
I was about to explode if I didn’t see “Jaws”.
Jaws ain't no fucking horror movie. It's a thriller. Just cuz it scares you doesn't classify it as horror Edit: disabling inbox replies, you've all been educated, not my fault you wanna call anything that makes you scared an outright horror movie. That's not how it works. Keep complaining, I won't be notified.
No ones messaging you, stop lying it ain't that deep
Jaws is a quintessential horror movie what are you TALKING about lol
Steven Spielberg considers Jaws a horror movie in some aspects so get the sand out of your vagina about this
I have mixed feelings about the movie itself, but I will die on the hill that the first Insidious has one of the best horror scores. As far as music creating a creepy and off-putting atmosphere, it really is one of the best. Even the opening credits are creepy mainly due to the music. Also, though I can't remember the whole score, and without going into spoilers, the music at the end of Hereditary is just perfect. Somehow both unsettling and regal. If we're talking memorable scores though, Christopher Young's main themes in Hellraiser and Drag Me to Hell are amazingly underrated.
Insidious took a super festive, light hearted song and turned it into the scariest song ever!!! Tip toe through the window is fucking haunting lol poor tiny tim
The Sinister score gets mentioned on Reddit often. The first time a lot of people hear it, it makes them feel uncomfortable.
This answer should be much, much higher. First time I wanted to add music from a movie score to my playlist. It's so unsettling and I love it.
Can’t believe this isn’t higher. Truly unsettling. Absolutely nails everything it is trying to do!
I mentioned Not Saved by Ulver being an absolute gem of a song. He killed it on Sinister.
The Excorcist is good. Also the early Halloween movies are good as well.
This is such a classic - always forget that score comes from this movie.
I think the original Suspira is the film most elevated by the music. Without the Goblin score, I don't even think it would be all that good a movie. With the score, it's memorising.
I love it when they get the score just so perfectly right that it wouldn't be the same movie without it
when i used to work at a record store we loved to play this album in store around halloween lol
I always said that there could never be a Suspiria remake without using the score; although I personally dislike the Thom Yorke whining-portion of the remake score, I was happy to be proven wrong.
Without the music you’d still have the visuals Without both then yeah it’s nothing special
The visuals are great, no doubt about it. But there are sequences where characters are just sneaking around and I don't think the colours, the sets or brilliant shots are enough to sustain my interest. But add that music, and suddenly it's gripping. I agree the visuals make Suspira feel unique and surreal, but for me... it's the music which holds all the tension. I kind of see Suspira as my favourite music video.
Is the Suspira remake worth watching ? I have only watched the original. When I see there is an original and a remake of the movie, I literally Google what is the better one and I only watch that one.
Tastes are subjective, of course, but the 2018 Suspira is one of my favourite films. I'd easily have it in my top 20 horror movies of all time.
i love both the original and the remake!
Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond Lucio Fulci’s The Psychic Candyman(1992) Phantasm Just Before Dawn The Exorcist II Ravenous Dead & Buried Shock The Lords of Salem The theme song to Fear Itself I also have a special spot for Slaughter High. And, if it counts, Miracle Mile.
Just Before Dawn is a great one. It’s only officially available (outside of the film itself) as a short suite in a collection of Brad Fiedel’s film music, as far as I know.
The Just Before Dawn score is perfect for a wilderness horror movie. The collection of whistles and synth makes for a lonely and isolating horror setting. I was just trying to do the whistle the other day.
**God-Tier:** *Hellraisers I and II*! by Christopher Young. *Psycho* by Bernard Herrmann. *Poltergeist* by Jerry Goldsmith. *Bram Stoker’s Dracula* by Wojeich Kilar *The Shining* by Wendy Carlos et al **Borderline God-Tier** *Nightbreed* by Danny Elfman. *The Haunting* by Humphrey Searle *Flatliners* by James Newton Howard *Halloween I-III* by John Carpenter *Hannibal* by Hans Zimmer *The Silence of the Lambs* by Howard Shore **Pretty Darn Good** *The Ring* by Hans Zimmer. *Hellraiser: Bloodline* by Daniel Licht. *Interview with the Vampire* and *Alien*^^3 by Elliot Goldenthal. *Alien* by Jerry Goldsmith. *The People Under the Stairs* and *The Crow* by Graeme Ravell. *Friday the 13th* by Harry Manfedini. *The Thing* by Ennio Morricone *Frankenstein Unbound* by Carl Davis *Alien: Resurrection* by John Frizzell
Suspiria (Love Thom Yorke, but you just can't beat the 70s Prog Rock mania of the original), Bram Stoker's Dracula (and the Ninth Gate, too, for that matter, both by Wojchiech Kilar.)
The Thing, 28 Days Later
> 28 Days Later Every time I rewatch that movie I end up listening to the score for the next few days. It's so good!
That acoustic guitar tune in 28 weeks later is *chefs kiss*
Recently, the first omen has great score. Its such an effective use to enhance the dreaded feeling of the movie.
Nightbreed’s by Danny Elfman was always a favorite.
My favorites are The Mist, The Thing (1982) and Event Horizon.
Yes, Requiem for a Dream haunted me
Great score but not a horror film...
Silent Hill is nice
Interview with the Vampire. I generally have no interest in classical music, but the score is so good I bought the physical CD.
Hellraiser King Kong '76
Possession 1981 
Candyman (both versions), It Follows, Mandy, The Thing
Colin Stetson’s Hereditary score should be up there, particularly in those final scenes. Angelo Badalamenti’s Lynch work and his Nightmare of Elm Street 3 score. Morricone’s The Thing, and a lot of the Carpenter stuff as others have mentioned.
Well, most of the truly greats have already been mentioned, and obviously nearly any Simonetti/Goblin would be somewhere on the list, but let me toss out a couple that might fly under the radar because of the age of the films. Theater of Blood: Michael J Lewis did a few horror scores. The Legacy comes to mind, and The Medusa Touch. But the work he did on the Theater of Blood score is just a pitch perfect marriage of score with film. The theatrical score enhancing a film about a Shakespearean actor taking his revenge on critics is just fantastic. And the main theme is brilliant. The Dunwich Horror: It's Les Baxter. It's perfect. I mean, there are a ton of Baxter scores you could choose, from decades of work, and plenty of those were for horror films, but The Dunwich Horror main theme is to die for. One of the best main themes in the history of horror. Tourist Trap. And okay, maybe I love Pino Donaggio more than most. And maybe even most of those who love him would opt for one of his non-horror scores. And even those who wouldn't might choose his work on The Howling or Two Evil Eyes over what he did On Tourist Trap. But I'll argue that the score Donaggio provided for Tourist Trap elevates the movie. Without the Donaggio score over the waltz scene near the end, or the near orchestral screams over the final scene Tourist Trap would be an immeasurably lesser film.
Sinister
Midsommar has a great score
Halloween 1978
Halloween has the most iconic horror film score of all time
I mean... I pretty much got into horror movies because of my love for the soundtracks... even some of the movies that are not necessarily great have some dope soundtracks. here are some that i love: Hausu Vampiros Lesbos The Thing Amityville Horror (anything with creepy kids choir vocals) Halloween Psycho Candyman Gremlins Friday the 13th (honestly, the soundtrack makes it good) Jaws Alien Aliens Alien 3 Halloween 3: Season of the Witch Re-Animator (yes, it is a ripoff of psycho, but it still rules) Children of the Corn Zombi Dawn of the Dead (the original, not the remake) The Exorcist Carnival of Souls Predator Rosemary's Baby I could seriously just keep going... music was always the attraction to the films, otherwise i generally like reading horror over watching it. music makes all the difference.
I love to read horror too, I love to listen to music whilst reading. Nothing with words and usually classical, have you ever paired a song with a book and everytime you hear the song its instant nostalgia and being back in the book?
oh yeah
That's probs one of my favourite feelings. Books are a different kind of magic!
The original Hellraiser & Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
Halloween Hellraiser Bram Stoker’s Dracula Alien 3
Basically any John Carpenter score. "Jaws" "Candyman" And "The Thing", where Ennio Morricone does such an excellent job of doing a Carpenter-style score you'd think it was Carpenter doing it.
Came here to mention Candyman.
I thought it WAS Carpenter doing it! Well damn.
Absolute best is Blood Machines by Carpenter Brut. Full Soundtrack is available on YT. I ended up buying the album.
*The Exorcist II: The Heretic* gets a lot of crap for being one of the worst sequels in horror film history but Ennio Morricone's eerie, atmospheric score for the film is a masterpiece.
Halloween, in all of its many flavors. John Carpenter always seems to make it interesting, even with the new movies. Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of Halloween Kills or Halloween Ends, the soundtracks were phenomenal.
The Innocents (1961) Score by George Auric and The Haunting (1963), score by Humphrey Searle.
Alien
Everything from Christoper Young and Jerry Goldsmith.
The theme song to Nekromantik is surprisingly pretty
Try these: The Beyond Cannibal Holocaust Rosemary's Baby Psycho Poltergeist Carrie Orca (morricone) Deep Red
Phantasm, Suspiria, The Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are some of my favorite classic ones. Under the Skin, Ex Machina, Come True and Mandy some of my favorite recent ones Honorable mention to Abigail because a couple of those pieces where incredible
Under the Skin is a masterpiece.
Bram Stokers Dracula. The Francis ford Coppola one
Candyman, Candyman, Candyman…you get it.
28 Days Later 
Suspiria, The Omen, The Shining
Original TCM and Halloween are my real answers, but I don’t think I’ve seen Annihilation mentioned yet. I guess it’s not pure horror per se. The score during the climax of Hereditary is excellent as well
Themes are all good but soundtracks as a whole I go to. Jaws Halloween Psycho Gojira for individual themes The Exorcist Candyman Hellraiser
10/10 is probably the best, but like you can never go wrong with 9/10 or 8/10 either. Ok but really Silence of the Lambs is a winner
Not quite horror, but Wojciech Kilar’s score for Bram Stoker’s Dracula is fantastic. Imo it was a huge influence on Hans Zimmer’s Chris Nolan scores that are ubiquitous today. Just watch the first scene to get a taste.
Puppet Master, The Omen, Subspecies, Re-Animator, Hellraiser, Candyman.
The Thing, The Cell, Alien, Hereditary, Midsommar, The Silence of the Lambs, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Mothman Prophecies...
Return of the living dead 1985
Event Horizon- The musical/visual intro still "captures" me to this day.
You can never go wrong with goblin, suspiria and dawn of the dead have great soundtracks.
A Few Good Men OST is weirdly played like a horror movie.
……yeeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh…..no.
I really love the theme for The Ring (2002) https://youtu.be/ARANSQ15Vrk?si=ObLV8SyfTjjAaRjF
Underappreciated: Charlie Clouser's "Dead Silence"...beautifully, creepy & almost perfect! Most will dismiss it, but Steve Jablonsky's "Nightmare On Elm Street" remake score is probably the BEST thing to come out of that dreadful remake..it's GREAT! Urge folks to give it a listen, even if u blocked out the film from your memory! 🤣 Lastly, Brad Fiedel's "Fright Night" score is a classic around here!
John Carpenter is amazing !! Halloween, SAW 🎃🎃🙂
Insidious, Smile, The Shining Just to name a few
The Sixth Sense. Penny Dreadful (not a film but still) It Fellows. Fright Night (original). Lost Highway
Jaws
Alien for me.
Smile has one of best horror scores I’ve heard in a while
It Follows is great, as well as Pearl (2022) Timothy Williams knocked it out of the park
Alien, Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman
28 days later and 28 weeks later has simple amazing score.
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, really long thread, Angel’s Egg
Richard Band’s score for The House on Sorority Row, Charles Bernstein’s score for April Fool’s Day, and John Beal’s score for The Funhouse are three great ones that deserve more attention.
Cannibal Holocaust
Oddly, I really like ***The Brain*** by Paul Zaza.
Silent hill
My favorites are: The Final Conflict and Alien by Jerry Goldshmith Alien³ and Interview with the Vampire by Elliot Goldenthal The Fury and Dracula by John Williams
Hello Zepp from Saw is my personal favorite. PERFECT plot twist music
Psycho’s score was so good that they used it again for the re-animator title sequence lol
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Halloween and It Follows are my absolute favorites. I will just put them on as background noise when driving or doing tasks.
The Devil’s Rejects.
I would say A Quiet Place. The score did some heavy lifting in that movie. I don’t think there’s anything as iconic in horror as the Halloween song though.
A quiet place is a great one - I frickin love those movies
Pandorum.
It Follows
Halloween and the Thing! John Carpenter :)
The exorcist
Yesterday I was listening to Toru Takemitsu’s score for *Kwaidan*. It’s a bunch of electro-acoustic racket, bracketed by silence, that develops into a ghostly drone. 1964, check it out or just watch the movie.
Candyman Saw
Danny Elfman’s ‘The wolfman’ is the first to come to mind even though it’s more action than horror
From Halloween 2018, I liked the score that played when Allyson came face to face with Michael when he impaled Oscar on the metal gate
Almost any John Carpenter score (I think Prince of Darkness gets overlooked in that conversation a lot) the score for Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is one of the all time greats imo as well. The Goblin scores for the Argento films of course, and Dawn of the Dead.
Anything John Carpenter Candyman ‘92 Bram Stoker’s Dracula
I think that The Fog’s score is super under-appreciated. It might be my favorite from John Carpenter.
28 Days Later — all the music
Resident Evil had a killer score
Demons It’s one of the few (that’s not a carpenter film) that will actually listen to.
Pearl has a wonderful score as does The Ritual and Late Night With the Devil.
for me, Hereditary’s score is so so haunting
I have always been fond of Hellraiser’s score
I can't believe barely anyone has mentioned Bram Stoker's Dracula. Wojciech Kolar created a masterpiece of music to tell the story. "The Beginning" and "The Storm" are my absolute favorites.
Here is a Top Ten 1. The Shining (Wendy Carlos). 2. Hellraiser (Christopher Young, BUT, the original score by Coil is amazing, as well). 3. Under the Skin (Mica Levi). 4. Bones and All (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). 5. The Road (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis). 6. Halloween (John Carpenter). 7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Charles. Bernstein). 8. The Thing (Ennio Morricone) 9. Candyman 2021 (Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe) 10. Suspiria (Goblin)
The Nighthouse
Sauna has a terrifying score. Fits the movie so perfectly
Hellraiser 1, 2 and even the reboot have really beautiful orchestral scores (1 abc 2 are by Christopher Young while the reboot score is by Ben Lovett) and I also love the Mandy score by Johan Johansen. Hereditary also has a very memorable score by Colin Stetson.
Probably already mentioned but I loooove the Poltergeist score. Also really like the one from Twilight Zone the Movie.
Exorcist
If we count it as a horror movie, “we’re all going to the worlds fair”
Halloween and Psycho
Franz Waxman's score for the fantasy/horror film, Bride of Frankenstein. Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner: '39 Son of Frankenstein and '41 The Wolf Man.
No shit? Jack Brooks Monster Slayer.
Psycho - Herman score is fantastic. Saw - Hello Zepp is such an iconic and rousing theme at the end of each film. Halloween - Because of course The Exorcist - Totally tubular...
The Neon Demon
Jaws, Candyman, Halloween,
The introduction to sleepy hollow by Danny Elfman
The keep.
deep red 1975 has a different types of fun score in tension and murder scenes
Under the Skin (2014)
Nobody appreciates Ghost Ship’s score? I love this soundtrack! John Frizzell..Mudvayne. I mean, perfectly placed in the movie!
Smile was pretty good. But I’ll say that it’s nope by Jordan peele.
Mandy and OG Suspiria
The thing.
Was that hard gay as the ref? Hoooooo
My personal favorites : - Wind Chill (2007) - Ginger Snaps (2000) - A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) - Candyman (1992) - Rest Stop (2006) - Halloween (any)
I hated It Follows, but man do I love that score.