The horror genre is a wide and varied affair with an almost infinite number of sub-genres. There is a ton of variety and liking one sort doesn’t necessarily imply that you will like all sorts. If there is one thing that unifies all of the different sorts of horror films, one thing that even people who aren’t fans of horror can appreciate, it is the horror theme. Soundtracks and scores are very important in horror to set the mood and the tone but nothing beats a main theme to put you in the proper mood right away. Horror themes are cool and creepy and are often a central feature in how memorable a horror film ultimately is. As usual, this list is a subjective list of favorites but there are several on this list that are so ubiquitous that even people who have never seen the movie before can recognize it. I have opened this up not just to movies but also television shows because TV offers up just as iconic and memorable themes as films. Sound off below with your thoughts and your own lists.

10. Psycho

Psycho is the grandfather of slasher horror films and it is fitting that it has a theme that invokes the creepy dread of cross-dressing serial murders with Mommy issues. This one doesn’t stick with me as much as some of the others on the list but it is undeniably creepy and sets just the right mood.

9. Saw

I am not a fan of the Saw series by any measure. I found the first to be boring and predictable and I have very little taste for torture porn. That being said, it is impossible to ignore how cool the Saw theme song is. It strikes just the right chord with the listener and suggests that there is some really heinous business afoot. I wish that the movie lived up to the music but whatever, I have to give credit where it is due and it is definitely due here.

8. Walking Dead

Like Saw I have my complaints about the Walking Dead series but I like it overall. I just often wish that it was more than it is…more like what the theme song promises. The music at once invokes desperation and creeping fear. When coupled with the haunting images of a world long abandoned with the hopes and dreams left behind like garbage it becomes a very effective primer for the bleak reality you are about to face when you step into the show. The first strains that play right after the cold open are often punctuation marks for whatever fucked up bullshit you just saw. In the current season that might have been a zombie biting into a sleeping man’s throat. In Season 2 it might have been Lori yowelling about how Carl isn’t in the house. The quality of each season may vary but the creepiness and effectiveness of the theme is unwavering and always puts me in the mind to give the show one more shot.

7. Killer Clowns From Outer Space

One of the most important aspects of the movie theme is to capture the film’s essence musically so the feel of the film is instilled in you when you hear it. The theme song for Killer Clowns From Outer Space does this in spades. This movie is a silly bitch and so is the theme song. It is just as much fun and every bit as cheesy as the movie it is attached to. Still, even with its silliness, it is a good song at bottom and you wouldn’t be embarrassed piping this out of your car around Halloween. Well maybe you would but if so shame on you for not standing up for what you love. Let your geek flag fly people!

6. X-Files

It hurts me deep in my soul that this theme is this deep on the list. I love the X-Files and its haunting theme fits it perfectly. For a time it was also synonymous with anything shadowy or unexplained. It produces an immediate and visceral reaction in me that is somewhat creepy but is also like a Pavlovian response for excitement. There are very few, if any TV themes I like more than this that don’t involve a highly advanced assault chopper or a talking Trans Am. This kills me that it is at number six and I would change it if I could but I just can’t deny one through five.

5. Friday the 13th

This is another theme that feels like it should be higher. With the ‘chew chew ha ha ‘ repetitions (I don’t care if that is a gross misrepresentation, suck a dick), this is one of the most reproduced and referenced horror themes out there. How often is this invoked when you are trying to freak a friend out about being in the forest, New York City or a space ship in the middle of the night all alone? Pretty much constantly, that is how often. It is referenced in other movies, TV shows and in advertising. Also it is pretty creepy. When I was a kid and still afraid of tank like machete wielding zombies, this theme song used to freak me out a ton.

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street

There are really a couple of things to choose from here. I was tempted to go with the ‘One two Freddy’s coming for you…’ song which hearing just that bit would give me nightmares while I was still awake and talking to you but ultimately I have to give it up to the main score that was so influential it was remixed into a DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince song. That is some deep pop culture penetration. I can’t argue that A Nightmare on My Street is cooler than Friday the 13th part VII’s the Man Behind the Mask but it at least used the iconic theme music. The original theme is pretty much amazing and continues to be creepy.

3. Jaws

I shouldn’t even need to explain this one. While not a traditional horror movie as far as spookiness goes this is the king of the animal attack movies and the theme essentially goes hand in hand with some that is about to fuck you up three ways from Sunday. ‘DUH Duh…’ is easily recognizable as a ‘watch out’ jingle whether or not they have seen the movie. I would argue that the music is more iconic than the movie itself although the music is augmented by people being eaten by an enormous shark.

2. Exorcist

The benign sounding ‘tubular bells’ is essentially like a  can of instant shityourpants and is enormously creepy now. I can’t imagine it ever being a jaunty tune that is fun for the whole family but at this point it is impossible to separate from spider walking, cross fucking and pea soup spewing. The Exorcist is considered by many (not me) to be the scariest movie ever made and the theme song has to pull its own weight and it does that. Right up until the electric guitars kick in and then it kind of loses some scary. But that first bit? Horrifying.

1. Halloween

Urgent and in your face, the Halloween theme starts right away by grabbing you by the balls an not letting go. In a movie that is often a frantic rush to escape being knifed to death, the theme lets you know right up front what you are in for. Sure there are moments of quiet tension in the movie but those are not what this song is after. This lets you know what to expect and it does it by being creepy and off putting. Easily the best and scariest of all the horror movie themes, Halloween is another piece of an incredible horror film.

Alright so there you have it. I am going to be posting another top 10 list of Horror Soundtracks where I take a look at entire albums that were amazing for horror movies. Because of the split there won’t be any cross over so if you are wondering where the hell Cry Little Sister is, you will find joy over there. Sorry for the spoiler. Anyway, sound off below with your thoughts, opinions and favorites.