A hit initially at theatres across the world, the musical score of the film version of Phantom of Opera has a haunting feel about it. Andre Lloyd Webber was the mastermind behind the brilliant production, and it is widely considered one of the greatest musicals of all time.
Some of the most iconic songs in the various acts, include “All I Ask of you”, and “Hannibal Rehearsal”. Lloyd Webber continues to receive critical acclaim for the spine-tinglingly good music, and the “Phantom of the Opera reached number seven in the UK charts.
7. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a Halloween favourite that will terrify people of all ages, but it’s not all just Freddy Kreuger you ought to be fearful of! No, it’s a spiritual rock hit that evokes scary memories.
Rock singer Gary Wright read a poem, and decided he could write a song about it. The song “Dream Weaver” was conceived and written over the space of a few hours, and the eery synthesiser sticks firmly in our conscience.
6. Frankenstein (1931)
Patrick Doyle has always been a master craftsman, and he is renowned for his powerful scores. And in them, he knows how to distinguish between love and hate.
Frankenstein – which was originally released in 1931 – is no different. There are some dark rousing orchestral scores that still sound just as thunderous as they did back then.
5. Halloween (1978)
We all know the infamous Michael Myers mask, and Halloween has become a cult hit, where it has been transformed from the big screen to online casinos, where Microgaming brought out a Halloween slot that ratcheted up the fear for players at home. Indeed, many of the best casino bonuses around are for Halloween-inspired slots, and you can find them at many leading casinos, including Mr Green.
John Carpenter was the man responsible for creating the musical scores for Halloween, and he was given some help to polish around the edges of the somewhat minimalistic soundtrack.
4. Psycho (1960)
This film is synonymous with Alfred Hitchcock, and this suspenseful thriller illuminated the best of the horror franchise. But what perhaps deserves more attention is Bernard Herrmann, who provided the music for this film.
Herrmann preferred to use orchestral sounds for films, and the shower scene where a young woman is killed in cold blood, wasn’t initially going to have music playing. However, Hitchcock quickly changed his mind, and the film will forever be indebted to Herrmann.
3. Resident Evil (2002)
This survival video game was the catalyst for the horror movie franchise, and the music was composed by Marco Beltrami. Hot off the scores of Scream and Mimic, Resident Evil saw Marilyn Manson’s only venture into film music, and the score was heavier on atmospherics as opposed to the melody.
There were plenty of soundscapes and jagged blasts of the heavy metal guitar, and over the years, the following sequels have retained many similar elements music-wise to the first film.
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
There is something deeply terrifying about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and that’s just the music. Much of the unrelenting doom is down to composer Wayne Bell, who tries to provide an insight into the aural world of musical concrete.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is resplendent with many different sound effects, but its lasting legacy, is the fact it has had a big influence on bands like Animal Collective and Wolf Eyes.
1. A Clockwork Orange (1972)
This film will undoubtedly send a shiver down your spine if you watch it over Halloween. But the film – which is based on Anthony Burgess’s provocative 1962 novel – sees pop and classical music beautifully synthesised.
Wendy Carlos was a synthesizer pioneer, and the way she produced electronic distortions, including the use of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, is something to be marvelled at.