The very nature of a horror film is to elicit fear, to evoke literal nightmares and terror. A film’s score is an integral aspect of the medium that shapes its mood, emotion, and atmosphere all without uttering a single word; for horror, it’s perhaps more important than all other genres. Horror’s sound and score is just as essential to spooking the audience as the on-screen kills, monsters, maniacs, and scares.

A theme song is a signature tune that becomes associated with the film itself, and a go-to representation of the score. We wanted to dig into the genre’s best original theme songs, those memorable music numbers that are talked about time and time again; the songs that have become iconic in their own right. Some even changed the way film scores were made.

These are horror’s top 75 theme songs.

Dracula (1931)

The most recognizable piece from Universal’s Dracula is actually an excerpt from Act II of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Around the time of the film’s original release, the cost of adding an original score was insanely high, hence the familiarity. Universal reused the same piece the following year for The Mummy. So, this isn’t an original, but it is a theme that is easily associated with the early horror of Universal’s Classic Monsters. It wasn’t until 1998 that the film would get an original score, via composer Phillip Glass.

The Keep

It’s near impossible to talk about ‘80s soundtracks and scores without German electronic band Tangerine Dream coming up at least once. In terms of horror, they scored Firestarter and Near Dark, but it’s with the underseen The Keep that they did their best work in the genre. The up-tempo percussions evoke a sense of turmoil from the get go, but it eventually becomes bone-chilling with the bizarre, chant-like sound.

Hereditary

Colin Stetson’s main goal when composing the score for Ari Aster’s bold debut was twofold; aim for sounding “evil,” and try not to draw attention to the music so that the story and characters remain at the forefront. So, when you do actually hear his score kick in, shit has really hit the proverbial fan. Theme piece “Reborn” plays loudest and most prominently of all, cueing a momentous turning point in the film. Stetson obscures the clarinet in creative ways, giving an ominous sound to the film.

Under the Skin

Body horror meets Kubrickian sci-fi alien weirdness in Jonathan Glazer’s film. Enter Mica Levi’s theme, an ethereal, surreal symphony that’s equal parts otherworldly and sexy. Violins and synth have never sounded so harmoniously eerie as they do here.

Beyond the Black Rainbow

Before Panos Cosmatos melted faces with the 1983 set heavy metal epic Mandy, there was his 1983 set sci-fi horror film Beyond the Black Rainbow. Music by Sinoia Caves, the solo project of Black Mountain keyboardist Jeremy Schmidt, it draws influence from Tangerine Dreams, John Carpenter, and even The Shining. The analogue synth sound evokes both the era and the detached coldness of the laboratory setting.

The Witch

Writer/director Robert Eggers had very specific instructions for composter Mark Korven; no electronic instruments or any traditional melody. Wanting to keep the tone tense and discordant while adhering to Egger’s instructions, Korven used atypical instruments like a waterphone and nyckelharpa. More astoundingly, Korven actually created and commissioned a freaky instrument he dubbed The Apprehension Engine, which gave a nightmarish, inhuman sound layer to the score.

The House by the Cemetery

Surprise, a Lucio Fulci film not scored by Fabio Frizzi. This time Fulci turned to Walter Rizzati. Rizzati draws major influence from Ennio Morricone, and follows the Frizzi blueprint with a piano, drums, synth, electric bass and guitar musical lineup. Spooky organs, rhythmic percussions, and dissenting electronics gives this theme an upbeat yet atmospheric feel. It’s not Frizzi, but it’s still a worthy theme.

The Village

Composer James Newton Howard’s frequent collaboration with M. Night Shyamalan got better and better with each film, and his work on The Village earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score. This theme is heavy on the violin solo, poignant and lonely, until it gives way to something much darker. This score transcends the film itself.

Ravenous

The offbeat score for an equally offbeat movie was composed by Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman. Though they didn’t co-write it, to be clear. Albarn composed a little more than half of the score and Nyman completed the rest. It’s the main theme, “Boyd’s Journey”, composed by Albarn, that really captures to essence of the film’s inimitable sense of humor. The accordion, banjo, horn, and off kilter pacing nail the period setting and idiosyncratic tone of the film.

Eraserhead

When you think of David Lynch, the composer’s name that usually pops into mind is Angelo Badalamenti, whose work is more prominent and widely acclaimed. But Badalamenti’s collaboration with Lynch fall outside the scope of horror. Eraserhead is, though, and Lynch composed the score with sound designer Alan R. Splet. The sound is pure Lynch in that it defies convention and operates without normal cues. It’s brilliantly insane, and basically created by Lynch and Splet recording actual machine sounds, blowing through glass, and whatever other industrial sounds they could capture while weaving in jazz. A dreamlike, schizophrenic sound that’s unlike anything you’ve heard before.

Kwaidan

Toru Takemitsu was a prolific musician, composer and film scorer, having scored more than 90 films in his lifetime. For a horror fan, anthology film Kwaidan is a masterful introduction to his influential work. In it, he makes uncomfortable use of silence, and adds his own unique twist to traditional Japanese folk music, reconfiguring it for haunting atmosphere.

Carrie (1976)

Pino Donaggio’s dreamlike lullaby theme is an instrumental stand-in for poor Carrie White’s innocence and vulnerability. Without any film context, you’d be hard-pressed to associate the piece with horror at all, which only furthers the bittersweet mood of Carrie White’s journey from bullied to hell hath no fury like a teenager scorned.

Chopping Mall

Chuck Cirino’s theme is high energy synth, a common recurring motif of the ‘80s. Unlike its counterparts, though, this theme’s funky electric disco synth correlates perfectly with the neon mall setting and manic robots on the fritz.

Carnival of Souls

Gene Moore’s organ-heavy score was inspired by the filming locations of Carnival of Souls. Co-writer/director Herk Harvey then actually implemented the organ into the film to further the Gothic aesthetic. Moore’s score, and main title theme, completely saturates the film at every level, both on screen and at a subconscious aural level. His organ-heavy score isn’t just a visual representation of the atmosphere, but an aural symbol of ghostly presences.

Trick ‘r Treat

Composer Douglas Pipes somehow manages to blend clever nostalgia of horror classics like Psycho with thematic Halloween melodies. He also balances the playful whimsy of the holiday with malicious, biting humor. In other words, it’s a perfect theme (and score) for this epic holiday horror comedy.

Silent Hill

This film adaptation of popular video game series Silent Hill was arranged by Jeff Danna using the original score from the video games, composed by Akira Yamaoka. Yamaoka supervised the arrangement of his music. As for the score, he originally drew influence from Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti, and went industrial to capture that eerie, rusty aspect of the evil side of the quaint little town.

Cat People (1982)

I know what you’re thinking. This is a David Bowie song, and that is what made this theme recognizable, even if you haven’t yet seen the movie. But the score and theme were composed by Giorgio Moroder. Moroder had already written and recorded the music when director Paul Schrader approached Bowie to write lyrics to it. So, this gets an exception for being instrumental in conception first, with lyrics added later. A smart move on Schrader’s part, considering Bowie made the song instantly recognizable.

The Return of the Living Dead

Most of this horror comedy’s soundtrack is comprised of punk and psychobilly from notable bands like The Cramps, 45 Grave, The Flesh Eaters, and more. Not really an original score, but it’s perfect for the punk attitude at the film’s core. Except for the main title theme, “The Trioxin Theme”, by composer Francis Haines. That it holds its own against these bands is a testament to its strength.

C.H.U.D.

Martin Cooper and David A. Hughes, members of English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, composed the electronic score for this ‘80s creature feature. The primitive synth sound not only captured the sound of the decade, but the grimy grit of the film’s setting; New York City.

Demons

Produced and co-written by Italian maestro Dario Argento, it’s likely no surprise that the instrumental music on this new wave and hair metal heavy soundtrack was composed by Goblin band leader Claudio Simonetti. Simonetti’s theme blends the poppy new wave sound with synth metal, all in his unique style, delivering a frenzied piece that is every bit as energetic as the movie.

The Ring

Prolific composer Hans Zimmer wrote the original score for this hugely successful horror film from 2002, and the score captures that epic quality. A battle of good versus evil playing out with a simple, small ensemble of piano, violin, and the cello, the unassuming yet elegant theme slowly builds into something disjointed and terrifying.

It Follows

When It Follows got accepted into the Cannes Film Festival, time was extremely short for composer Rich Vreeland (Disasterpeace). So, he created a temp score that drew inspiration from John Carpenter, John Cage, Krzysztof Penderecki, and his own video game music. Writer/director David Robert Mitchell fell in love with the temp music, which meant it served as a foundation for the actual film’s score, giving us a sort of retro sinister synth nightmare in the best possible way.

Puppet Master

The theme song composed by Richard Band helped catapult the pint-sized terrors at the center of Puppet Master into a long-running franchise. Band wove the symphonic with the electronic, creating a theme befitting of the wonder, magic, and horror of the movie. Richard Band’s music has a way of giving a modest budget horror film a much richer, luxurious feel with its sound.

Army of Darkness

Most of the score for this third entry in Sam Raimi’s trilogy was composed by Joseph LoDuca, who’d previously scored The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, but the most recognizable piece in the film is the triumphant “March of the Dead”. The theme heralds in the massive army of the dead marching toward the climactic final battle. It was composed by Danny Elfman, who’d previously worked with Raimi on Darkman.

Hellraiser

Composer Christopher Young wasn’t Clive Barker’s original choice for the score; he wanted electronic group Coil to create the music. But New Line rejected the idea, which lead to Tony Randel suggesting Young, who previously composed the score for A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. It was a perfect match, as Young’s fairy tale score with gothic synth variations gave an epic quality to Barker’s feature debut, and balance to the good versus evil themes.

Nosferatu the Vampyre

Composed by German avant-garde electronic band Popol Vuh, a frequent collaborator with director Werner Herzog, the score for this reimagining of the 1922 film is very atypical for horror music. Going against the convention that has horror scores actively building a creepy atmosphere for the horror to thrive, Herzog keeps the film mostly silent while Popol Vuh’s music sought to evoke character emotion with their score. And they do it with acoustic guitars, piano, and sitars.

Sunshine

Composer John Murphy once again collaborated with director Danny Boyle, this time for underseen sci-fi thriller Sunshine. Co-composed with electronic band Underworld, anthem theme “Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)” is a powerful, sweeping melody guaranteed to elicit goosebumps. It’s such an effective piece that it’s been reused countless times over in movie trailers and commercials in the years since release, in films like Kick-Ass, and multiple episodes of The Walking Dead. You may not have seen Sunshine, but you’re probably very familiar with its iconic theme.

Deep Red

The beginning of director Dario Argento’s work with progressive rock band Goblin, which also created one of the most memorable movie scores. Argento originally hired Giorgio Gaslini to compose the score, but wasn’t happy with his work. He then sought Pink Floyd out, and when that failed, he eventually came across Goblin. Band leader Claudio Simonetti’s quick turnaround with work impressed Argento so much they were hired, and the rest is auditory history.

Re-Animator

This catchy theme song by the film’s composer Richard Band sounds an awful lot like Bernard Herrmann’s theme for Psycho. It’s intentional; Band wanted to riff on the theme and give it a much more mischievous sound. Many of the characters in the film, Herbert West included, were a bit psycho, weren’t they? The playful homage also highlights the humorous tone of this horror comedy.

Beetlejuice

This quintessential theme, part of a quintessential score, by composer Danny Elfman helped propel the soundtrack into the Billboard top 200 long after the movie had fallen from the Top 10. A mix of style, genres, and influences, but completely zany and catchy, this theme could only come from the mind of a brilliant madman like Elfman.

Gremlins

Most horror movie themes are evocative of the movie’s tone or mood, not really the entity or creature itself. That’s not the case with the Gremlin’s theme song. Composer Jerry Goldsmith wanted to capture the naughty nature of the little green monsters, and the rising suspense as their terror spread. He nailed it.

The Fly

The Fly wasn’t just a breakout hit for David Cronenberg, but for music composer Howard Shore as well, though the pair had worked together on numerous films previously. Shore didn’t approach this as a horror film. He focused on the opera-like quality of the narrative tragedy, and composed the score accordingly. The result is dramatic, dark, yet elegant; a great accompaniment for the star-crossed lovers at the center of a memorable horror movie.

Children of the Corn

Jonathan Elias’ first full film score is a fairy tale nightmare, complete with religious themes and a children’s choir that would please “He Who Walks Behind the Rows.” Sweet and innocent, until the menacing orchestral tones kick in. This theme may very well be the best thing about the movie.

The Bride of Frankenstein

Franz Waxman’s grand, sweeping score, and theme, for The Bride of Frankenstein changed the game for scoring horror films. It was so successful that it earned him a studio contract and Head of Music title at Universal Studios, and became a blueprint for future endeavors.

Twilight Zone: The Movie

Marius Constant’s iconic theme for The Twilight Zone TV series was re-recorded for the film by composer Jerry Goldsmith, who composed the rest of the music for the film iteration. It’s one of the most identifiable theme songs of all time.

Jurassic Park

Technically speaking, Jurassic Park isn’t classified as horror. Yet, director Steven Spielberg filmed many of the terrifying dinosaur encounters with harrowing intensity that the sci-fi adventure film ventured straight into horror territory multiple times. Composer John Williams captured that frightful feeling when creating the score, but it’s the main theme that’s captured the sense of awe and elated triumph of Spielberg’s film.

The Evil Dead

It’s impossible to hear this theme and not think of Professor Knowby’s voiceover narration. The melancholic piano chords that signals the impending doom of the ill-fated friends that unleash the evil within the Necronomicon is an eerie classic. It’s easy to see why composer Joseph LoDuca became a frequent collaborator with Sam Raimi, and created the music for the entire franchise, including the TV series.

Day of the Dead

George A. Romero tasked his assistant director John Harrison to compose the score in the third entry of his Dead series. The result is a very synth heavy score of its time, but one imbued with reggae and melodic tones. Harrison drew from the themes, motifs, and characters that made the score much more personal and profound than first glance.

Maniac (2012)

The remake of William Lustig’s 1981 cult classic Maniac is surprisingly great, and one of the best parts is the score. Composed by Robin Coudert, credited as Rob, the synth heavy sound feels like a throwback to the electronic horror scores of the ‘80s by way of Goblin or Carpenter, and conveys bold emotion. Both the remake and its music don’t get enough credit.

Videodrome

David Cronenberg tapped his close friend Howard Shore to compose the score for this mind bender. Shore delivered an equally mind-bending score, one that mirrors Max Renn’s descent into hallucinogenic nightmares. What starts as pure orchestral ends as full electronic, but the gradual blending of the two isn’t always so easy to detect. It’s brilliantly executed. Long live the new flesh!

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

A drastic departure from the first two films, John Carpenter and Alan Howarth composed an equally drastic departure in sound for the score of Halloween III. Gone is the familiar theme of Halloween, replaced instead with a slow, electronic theme that eschews the piano in favor of synth. Of course, you’d be forgiven for immediately thinking of the earworm “London Bridge is Falling Down” riff “Silver Shamrock” instead. But this theme is versatile perfection.

Predator

Riding the wave of success after scoring Back to the Future, Alan Silvestri delivered a memorable theme (and score) for one of the ‘80s biggest and best action horror films. Matching the exotic jungle setting and testosterone driven cast, this iconic theme is a rhythmic parade of percussion, stabbing strings, and anxiety driven orchestra.

Tourist Trap

There’s something inherently unnerving about Pino Donaggio’s whimsical, almost cartoonish score. It’s as if the creepy mannequins that terrorize victims at a remote tourist trap are gleefully feeding off the fear. Or maybe it’s because there’s not much that’s scarier than something innocent corrupted by evil. Either way, the cartoon music box with harp riffs and rattles is effectively chilling.

The House of the Devil

If you’re going to do a retro throwback horror film, then Jeff Grace’s score is the standard to emulate. Harkening back to films like The Omen or Rosemary’s Baby, Grace’s moody theme is minimalist and atmospheric. Electric guitar and quiet synth, this theme explodes with energy halfway through. Like the movie, Grace’s score and theme don’t cue you in to anything sinister until it’s far too late.

The Conjuring

Here’s some trivia you might not know: composer Joseph Bishara doesn’t just compose the score for many of James Wan’s and The Conjuring universe horror films, but he often also appears as a demon. In Insidious, he was the Lipstick-Face Demon. For The Conjuring, he was Bathsheba. So, perhaps he knows more than anyone how to create eerie sound to capture that evil essence. And nothing screams Conjuring universe quite like Bishara’s ambient, unique brass instrumentation that echoes out like a storm warning for the imminent arrival of evil.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Wojciech Kilar’s theme didn’t just capture Francis Ford Coppola’s sprawling Gothic epic of love and vampiric bloodshed, but it became one of the most referenced pieces of film music. There’s a good chance that if you managed to miss this great movie, you still have heard this theme song. It was often used in a lot of horror and thriller movie trailers in the ‘90s.

The Descent

Composer David Julyan has an uncanny talent for dramatic scores full of anguish and explosive, primal rage, especially when the film revels in bleakness. Such is the case with The Descent, his slow-building main theme a string-heavy orchestra that runs the gamut of emotions from isolation, sadness, anger, and tragic acceptance.

Cannibal Holocaust

With this theme, it’s no wonder director Ruggero Deodato was arrested and later charged with murder. His documentary style take on the gorefest is exacerbated by Riz Ortolani’s saccharine melody, a romantic ballad that feels straight out of a nature documentary of the era. While the rest of the score is more appropriately intense, this theme is so out of left field that it works.

King Kong (1933)

During this period, original scores were too expensive to come by and movies pulled from existing music. But co-director Merian C. Cooper had higher aspirations for the film and paid composer Max Steiner out of his own pocket to produce an original score worthy of King Kong’s grandeur. Steiner nailed the larger-than-life scope and feel, and went on to become one of the most respected names in Hollywood.

Tales from the Crypt

Even if this anthology series hadn’t run for 7 seasons from 1989-1996, Danny Elfman’s main title theme song, “Tales From the Crypt” is so ridiculously catchy that it would’ve still made the list. Granted, it helps that Elfman’s theme accompanies a tour through the large Gothic estate down into the bowels of the crypt to meet our ghostly host with the most. But still. The wry, often pitch-black humor of this series makes a perfect home with Elfman’s quirky style.

Scream

For this groundbreaking slasher that changed the horror landscape in the ‘90s, the filmmakers wanted someone fresh and new for the music. Enter Marco Beltrami, who impressed Wes Craven with his music sample and hired to handle the score. But he’d never worked on horror before. Craven gave advice on using music to create tension and the employment of stings. Beltrami used that advice while simultaneously approaching this score as if it were a Western film. The result is a score, and theme, that’s just as much of a subversion as Craven’s slasher.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

The U.S. theatrical release of George A. Romero’s zombie classic didn’t have an original score; the musical selections came from stock music (save for three Goblin tracks). But Dario Argento, who helped secure financing for the sequel, collaborated with Goblin on the music for his international cut of the film. Whichever cut you prefer; Goblin’s theme is the better music choice.

The Fog

John Carpenter considers this to be among his best scores, and so do we. Piercing synth, fast percussion, and dizzying electronic sound, Carpenter’s theme is the aural equivalent of creeping dread rolling in with the threatening fog. This is Carpenter taking the opposite approach to the minimalism of Halloween, and it works.

The Amityville Horror

Director William Friedkin may have rejected Lalo Schifrin’s score for The Exorcist, but Schifrin was destined for horror greatness anyway. His music for The Amityville Horror earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score. Very different from Schifrin’s usual jazz music output, this theme song plays like a haunting lullaby with choir vocals. It’s perfect for this haunted house tale.

28 Days Later

Titled “In a House – In a Heartbeat”, John Murphy’s theme song was also used in the sequel 28 Weeks Later, where he remixed and renamed for every instance it was used. The slow, quiet chords emote the isolation and melancholy until the percussions kick in, accompanied by the loud guitar chorus that cues the climactic moment in the film when Jim (Cillian Murphy) lets the infected into the Worsley House.

Phantasm

Considering that Don Coscarelli drew influence from Suspiria when creating the start of what would become one of horror’s most unique franchises, it’s fitting that he went to Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave to create a similar synth rock, Goblin inspired score. Piano, organs, synth, and that iconic eight-note theme all wrapped up in a prog rock bow that further pushed Phantasm into the pantheon of great horror.

Zombi 2

This score marked the first time frequent Lucio Fulci collaborator Fabio Frizzi worked on a straight horror movie with the director, and what a beautiful beginning it was. Among his best work ever, this theme marries electronic synth with a Mellotron keyboard chorus all set to offbeat percussion that gives the sound a strange, inhuman quality befitting of the zombie apocalypse. No one does apocalyptic music quite like Frizzi.

Alien

Jerry Goldsmith wasn’t director Ridley Scott’s first choice for composer, and the journey to arriving at the now iconic theme song took some back and forth between the two. Goldsmith originally envisioned the music beginning as mysterious and romantic and gradually turning up the suspense. Scott didn’t care for the original theme, and it didn’t help that he did fall for the temp music cues. Goldsmith rearranged the theme accordingly to something more weird, industrial, and creepy, and the rest is history.

The Beyond

If you’re going to make one of the most insane, and well loved, gorefests about an apocalyptic portal to hell in New Orleans, then you’d better call Fabio Frizzi to handle the score. Luckily, that’s exactly what Lucio Fulci did, and the result is a face-melting blend of orchestra and prog rock. Like the film’s narrative, Frizzi continues to ramp up the unease and pervasive dread until inevitable doom sets in.

Creepshow

Perhaps there was no other composer who perfectly understood the tone of the film the director was aiming for quite like John Harrison, who wrote the original score for George A. Romero’s Creepshow. That’s because he also served as first assistant director, putting him in a more unique position than most musicians. The synth meets orchestra perfectly brings the horror and humor.

Rosemary’s Baby

Composer Krzysztof Komeda was a frequent collaborator with director Roman Polanski and Rosemary’s Baby was no exception. His lullaby, titled “Sleep Safe and Warm”, featured vocals by Rosemary Woodhouse actress Mia Farrow. That sweet lullaby, and its title, is chilling and tragic – poor Rosemary never really gets to sleep safe the entire movie.

The Shining

Playing over the main titles as the Torrance family drives to their doom, or the Overlook Hotel rather, Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind’s electronic theme conveys the mood well. Based on “Dies Irae”, a medieval hymn, this theme song is perhaps one of two original songs created for the film. The rest were selected works of pre-existing music by director Stanley Kubrick and music editor Gordon Stainforth. It’s just as well, anyway, as this bleak, moody piece instantly transports us to the evil Colorado hotel like no other.

Poltergeist

Legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith wrote the score for this classic horror movie, and the sweet melodic theme “Carol Anne’s Theme” is a religious lullaby sung by a children’s choir. In other words, it doesn’t really sound like a horror theme song at all. But it perfectly captures the innocence of Carol Anne, and the idyllic suburban lifestyle, making it very ominous in the context of the paranormal events that take place in the film. The perfect blend of creepy and sweet.

The Omen

The score for this horror film earned composer Jerry Goldsmith an Oscar, and theme song “Ave Satani” was nominated for Best Original Song. The title is Latin for “Hail Satan,” and Goldsmith wanted to create an inverse for a Roman Catholic Mass. Goldsmith’s idea was to create a sort of Gregorian chant, but with a Satanic twist, and the result is a chilling choir befitting of Black Mass. Or the heralding of the Antichrist.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The score, and theme, to this seminal horror film is often overlooked. There’s nothing melodic or catchy about it, just pure unsettling dread that coils in the pit of your stomach. Director Tobe Hooper teamed up with Wayne Bell to create the bizarre, industrial sounds. Complex layering of sounds of metal scraping, chainsaws revving, drilling, whirring, analogue synthesizers, and percussion blur together to disorient. That trademark unease and atmosphere has a lot to do with Hooper and Bell’s score.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Composer Charles Bernstein met with Wes Craven on the recommendation of his agent. Craven hired Bernstein and gave him a lot of creative freedom, always open to the composer’s ideas and suggestions. Due to the low budget, Bernstein went electric for the score, giving it this synth meets classical style that suits the film, and the industrial setting of opening sequence, well. The theme song is fairly complex, too, toggling between downbeat and eerie, and punctuated by manic metallic orchestrations.

Saw

“Hello Zepp” by Charles Clouser is as dramatic and moody as the shocking twist moment it accompanied in the 2004 breakout hit by director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. The music cued the reveal that -spoiler- Zep Hindle (Michael Emerson) was merely another victim of the Jigsaw Killer, followed by the Jigsaw Killer’s true identity unmasked. The success of the film meant “Hello Zepp” became the theme of the franchise.

The Exorcist

While “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield is now forever intertwined with this classic horror film, it wasn’t created specifically for the movie but appropriated for it once director William Friedkin scrapped the original score by Lalo Schifrin and sought pre-existing music to replace it. Discovering it by chance when visiting the offices of the president of Atlantic Records, Friedkin instantly knew the music would be perfect for the movie. Not even featured in the film for more than two scenes, it became forever associated with The Exorcist.

Candyman

Composer Phillip Glass’ rare brush with horror yielded one of the all-time best scores. Like the ominous, yet romantic aspect of Tony Todd’s Candyman, the wistful organ playing is as dreamy as it is haunting. Glass admitted to having been disappointed with the film’s release, having expected a more arthouse take on Clive Barker’s original story than straightforward horror slasher movie. But the now classic nature of the film means it continues to pay him in royalties, so he’s not too disappointed. It was always you, Helen.

Friday the 13th

Composer Harry Manfredini drew inspiration from Jaws when creating this now iconic theme song, mainly in that John William’s theme song signaled to the audience the shark’s presence. Similarly, Manfredini’s theme only plays when the killer is near. As a clever, covert tip off, Manfredini recorded himself harshly speaking “ki” and “ma” into the microphone and then looping them back in an echo reverberation machine to achieve that iconic “ki ki ki ma ma ma” sound, based on Mrs. Voohees’ memorable line “Kill her, mommy!”

Suspiria

Dario Argento previously worked with progressive rock band Goblin on his film Deep Red, and once again tapped them to compose the score for what would become his most well-known horror film. Goblin went outside of the box for this score. Working with uncommon instruments like the tabla or bouzouki, and even crushing plastic cups to create unique sound. The music box sound with Claudio Simonetti’s unnerving whispers, eventually crescendos to pure rock menace.

The Thing

Surprise, surprise, this is one John Carpenter film in which he did not score the film (though he did develop some synth music with frequent collaborator Alan Howarth that was used in the film). Instead, wanting a more European feel, he sought out his hero, composer Ennio Morricone. He actually flew to Rome to convince Morricone to accept the job. The minimal notes and slow-moving beat of Morricone’s theme contributed to the movie’s building dread and paranoia.

Psycho

The iconic shower scene that sees poor Marion Crane getting stabbed to death has just as much to do with composer Bernard Herrmann’s theme song as it does Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful direction. The frantic desperation of Marion, helpless against the killer’s bloodlust frenzy, is viscerally felt through Herrmann’s screeching strings. And to think, Hitchcock initially planned to have this scene devoid of any music, save for actress Janet Leigh’s screams. Very few themes in film are as iconic as this one.

Jaws

Composer John Williams won an Academy Award for this score, and the earworm theme song makes it easy to understand why. Representative of the shark’s presence, the theme is just a simple altering between two notes played at a high register with a tuba. Like the shark, this theme is relentless, menacing, and unstoppable. Director Steven Spielberg credits much of the film’s effectiveness on Williams’ score.

Halloween

It took John Carpenter only three days to compose the entire score for this seminal slasher, including the most iconic theme song of all. Similar to the theme for Jaws, in which a mere two notes keep you in suspense, Carpenter keeps this theme minimal, but played in complex 5/4 time (a rhythm he learned from his music professor father). Like his film, the scarce simplicity of the theme song instills absolute terror.