I've never posted something like this, but due to the pure stupidity of justgirlythings and thingsboysdowelove, this had to be shared. Happy almost Friday everyone!

 

Spooky Tunes: Lovecraft's Top 10 Horror Theme Songs

I’ve said it many times before, music (or lack there-of) makes a horror film. Over the past 50 years, the horror genre has pumped out some of the most iconic film scores of all time. Songs that send chills down your spine and make you think of impending doom every time you hear their ghastly melody.

I love a good horror soundtrack, it’s a big appeal for me and something that I think modern horror has lost a sense of. In this here article, I’m going to list some of the most iconic (as well as some of my favorite) horror theme songs that you may, or may not, have heard of.

10. The Shining – Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind

What a beautifully haunting main title. As the Torrance’s little VW Bug winds its way through the jagged Rocky Mountains, we’re subjected to a collection of sounds that sound both human and supernatural. It is a perfect indication of the fear and trepidation that the film instills on its viewers as it progresses to its rocky finale.

9. The Twilight Zone – Marius Constant

This is probably the most iconic television theme song of all time. It was composed for the second season of Rod Serling’s seminal hit television show by Marius Constant and it has become a staple of many lives, mine included. Every time I hear that fantastic little jingle I get excited about whatever strange and wonderful journey I may be going on, even if seen the episode a hundred times already. You can almost see the swirling, hypnotic background when you hear it.

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street – Charles Bernstein

Considered by Rotten Tomatoes to be one of the best films of 1984, Wes Craven’s Freddy Krueger sliced his way into horror fan’s hearts forever as one of the crudest, rudest and generally hilarious slasher villains out there. The theme is another great, haunting and melodic, and funnily enough, heavily inspired by Gary Wright’s Dreamweaver (seriously, check it out here).

7. Poltergeist (Carol Anne’s Theme) – Jerry Goldsmith

This is one of my absolute favorite themes in the horror world, because it’s the exact opposite of what you would expect with the theme for a horror film. It’s a beautiful song, and it perfectly exemplifies the sweet innocence of our protagonist, Carol Anne. It’s sweet melody, sung by a choir of children, soothes the heart in the oddest of ways and helps you realize that maybe, just maybe, everything will be alright.

6. The Omen (Ave Satani) – Jerry Goldsmith

A double-whammy for Jerry Goldsmith, then again he’s one of my favorite horror composers, this being my favorite of his compositions (however, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum). This is the theme for Damian, the son of Satan, in the amazing occult film The Omen. “Ave Satani” features a choir singing a Latin chant that translates to “We drink the blood, we eat the body, raise the body of Satan. Hail! Hail, Hail Anti-Christ! Hail Satan!” It’s dark shit, and it’s exactly what The Omen needed. I remember being immediately taken with this score when I first watched the film some 12 years ago. It played a huge part in my future fascination, and borderline (who am I even kidding) obsession with the horror genre.

5. Hellraiser – Christopher Young

Clive Barker had original commissioned a the soundtrack from his breakthrough film from the industrial band Coil, however he later rejected it. The job then fell upon the shoulders of Christopher Young, who created the eponymous theme song, and Lemarchand’s Lullaby that makes us all immediately imagine chains flying at us from all directions. I fucking LOVE this whole soundtrack, it sets up the film with a grandiose feeling of dread and wonder.  

4. Suspiria – Goblin

Suspiria is one of the most talked about horror films of all time. I feel as if I’ve always heard people referencing this film, in some way or another. It’s a fantastic film, more art house than anything, that tells the story of a young American girl who attends a prestigious dance school in Italy only to discover that it’s no mere dance school (forgive the cliché ridden summary). The reason I find this theme so intriguing (aside from the fact that it’s really just pretty damn awesome) is that it is so regularly used in pop culture references that most people probably don’t even realize they’ve heard it, and would recognize it almost immediately. Finnish rock band HIM, used it as intro music for their American tours for years, as an example.

Who made the final 3? Head inside to find out.