Top Five Best Horror Film Theme Songs

By Flora Irvine-Hall

Image via YouTube

These spooky tunes have no right to slap so hard!

There are a number of things that can make a horror film iconic. Villains, over the top and gruesome deaths, bad-ass final girls…and a really great soundtrack. Below five spooktacular soundtracks that will have boogeying and running for your life.

5. 28 Days/Weeks/Years Later (2002, 2007, 2025)

There’s lots of amazing things about this Zombie franchise, one of them being the hardcore theme song, In the House-In a Heartbeat, which was composed by John Murphy.

Cillian Murphy’s character Jim trying to make sense of what on earth has happened while walking though the ghostly streets of London while the music builds will have you stressed and bopping your head along to the beat.

Let’s just say that if there’s ever is an apocalypse, this will my number one song on Spotify Wrapped.

4. Psycho (1960)

Everyone knows the twist, and everyone knows the theme song! The way the violins almost sound they’re screeching, coupled with Janet Leigh’s iconic scream? Perfection.

The theme, which was composed by Bernard Herrmann, reshaped horror forever, with its sharp, string, stabs becoming a staple for thousands of other horror films.

It’s the perfect song to add to the shower playlist! Just be on the lookout for crazed mummy’s boys!

3. The Exorcist (1973)

Wanna know a fun fact about this theme song?  It wasn’t actually originally written for the film.

The theme song, Tubular Bells was written by Mike Oldfield who very impressively only nineteen at the time. Willian Friedkin, the films’ director heard the song’s opening piano motif while meeting with Atlantic Records and instantly fell in love.

The album of the same, would sell over 15 million copies world-wide and is still Oldfield’s best-selling album today.

Nothing gets you in the mood to fight the devil quite like this funky beat!

2. Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter is a horror film GOAT. And if you disagree, you have bad taste.

Carpenter was inspired by Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells and an Italian rock band called Goblin.

But the story of how he actually came up with the theme is utterly fascinating. The rhythm of the song was inspired by a music exercise that Carpenter’s father taught him on the bongos. He transported the technique to the piano and created one of the most iconic themes not just in horror, but in film history.

And is it me, or this song perfect for getting lit a rave?

1. Jaws (1975)

Only two notes. And suddenly, you’ve got one of the most iconic villain themes of all time.

There’s lots of things that made Jaws such a fantastic film, but the main factor is without a doubt it’s theme song.

John Williams, who was inspired by composers such as Dvorak and Stravinsky wanted the theme to sound as though it was “grinding away at you” in the same way that a shark would.

The Jaws theme is an example of a leitmotif which is defined as a recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea or situation. Or in this case, a shark.

Pairing the repetitive theme with the POV shots from the shark helps to create a feeling of dread, tension and terror.

And the theme stays with you, whether you’re in the sea, a lake or even a pool, you’ll hear the theme and suddenly feel uneasy.

Name a better theme song than the Jaws. I’ll wait!

Is your favourite horror theme song on the list? Or do you have another one? Let me know in the comments!