Top 11 Most Memorable Musical Moments in Horror
Scott Hallam
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The new film Enter the Dangerous Mind hits theaters and iTunes today, February 6th. You’ll notice the initials “EDM,” which also stand for electronic dance music. With this in mind we’re going to look at the Top 11 Most Memorable Musical Moments in Horror.
These might not necessarily be the most stunningly composed pieces of music or the most powerful, although both stunning and powerful music is represented here, but music that is memorable for any reason. Have a look at the honorable mentions to see what we mean.
Related Story: Exclusive: Enter the Dangerous Mind Clip Goes Deep
Some music is just perfectly placed in films. The Doors’ version of “Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)” was brilliantly used in The World’s End, and Little River Band’s “Lonesome Loser” was a great addition to The Loved Ones. These songs just worked perfectly in their movies. The performances of or around some songs in movies are sometimes just unforgettable… Santánico Pandemónium’s (Salma Hayek) dance to “After Dark” (music by Tito & Tarantula) in From Dusk Till Dawn was jaw-dropping (we don’t usually include clips for the honorable mentions, but guys, we had to in this case; it’s right below… enjoy), and who can forget Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) lip-synching “I Wanna Be Loved By You” in House of 1000 Corpses? How about the rousing rendition of “Heigh, Ho!” performed by a theater full of little beasties in Gremlins or the stellar Stephen Sondheim score in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. All were fantastic musical additions that made some great films even better.
Take it away, Santánico!
And now here are the Top 11 Most Memorable Musical Moments in Horror!
Return of the Living Dead-“Partytime”
It’s basically impossible for any heterosexual male horror fan who grew up in the 80’s to hear the dulcet tones of 45 Grave’s anthemic song “Partytime” and not fondly remember Linnea Quigley’s fully exposed dance number in Return of the Living Dead. (Full disclosure…I actually just accidentally typed “fondling” when I was trying to type “fondly” in that last sentence, which shows how much Ms. Quigley’s scene stuck with me.) Not only was it played during an unforgettable portion of a legendary film, but “Partytime” just happened to be a kick-ass song also. A classic 80’s metal anthem for a classic 80’s horror film.
“Tales from the Crypt” Theme Song
Danny Elfman has some amazing credits to his name. His remarkable style lends itself perfectly to horror and supernatural film and television. One of his more hummable works was the theme song to HBO’s beloved series “Tales from the Crypt.” Every fan of the show would undoubtedly find themselves humming the theme song after watching the show each week. Elfman’s theme became as much a part of the show as John Kassir’s one-of-a-kind voice for The Cryptkeeper. We doubt you need a reminder of how catchy the “Tales from the Crypt” theme song was, but if you do, check it out below. You’ll be humming it again in no time. Hm-hm-hmm, hm-hm-hm-hmm, hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmmmm. 🙂
A Clockwork Orange-“Singin’ in the Rain,” Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony, Second Movement”
Certainly not the most musically appealing rendition of “Singin’ in the Rain” that’s ever been put to film (indeed Gene Kelly had nothing to fear when it came to being upstaged vocally by Malcolm McDowell), but the version of the song performed in A Clockwork Orange left its mark on audiences as well. Performed during one of lead hellion Alex’s nights of “ultra-violence,” he belts out a lively rendition of “Singin’ in the Rain” while he rapes a woman with the help of his gang mates, or Droogs as he calls them. It makes for a memorable musical moment. And, if music in A Clockwork Orange is being discussed, then Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” must be mentioned as it was this piece of music that became a trigger for Alex after the Ludovico Technique aversion therapy was applied to him.
“American Horror Story: Asylum”-“The Name Game”
Perhaps this entry doesn’t hold the pedigree of some of the other horror themes on this list, but was it memorable? Hell yes! There you have the timeless Jessica Lange amongst a full ward of asylum patients leading a sing-a-long to “The Name Game.” It was a perfect addition to a season of “American Horror Story” that was equally as outrageous. “American Horror Story: Asylum” featured so many unexpected turns that an upbeat dance number seemed only logical. Where else could you see aliens, Nazis, a possessed member of the clergy, genetic experimentation and humanoid beasties all in one show? Hell, Anne Frank even showed up for a couple episodes. Lange’s performance of “The Name Game” while surrounded by all the forlorn patients of the asylum was the perfect complement to an already outrageous season of one of television’s best horror offerings.
A Nightmare on Elm Street-“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you”
It’s such a simple rhyme. “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.” It’s not only a valuable warning, but it’s also a catchy tune. “Three, four, better lock your door.” If you just listen to the instructions, you may be able to save yourself from Freddy Krueger’s wrath. “Five, six, grab your crucifix.” Of course, if the great burned one does zero in on you as one of his targets, there may be no hope. “Nine, ten, never sleep again.” And the final line of this song delivers what truly happens to the great majority of Freddy’s victims… they never sleep again. A simple little sing-songy offering, but its effectiveness cannot be overstated in adding to the creepy factor of the Nightmare on Elm Street series. A diabolical nightmare delivered by little girls skipping rope. Brilliant!
The Nightmare Before Christmas-Entire Soundtrack
No, it’s not a knock-down horror movie, but if there was ever a gateway horror film for young, potential future horror viewers, The Nightmare Before Christmas is it. Directed by the amazing Tim Burton, the music for The Nightmare Before Christmas was penned by Danny Elfman (Elfman even provided the vocals for Jack Skellington’s songs while Chris Sarandon handled the spoken dialogue). As far as memorable music goes, The Nightmare Before Christmas is loaded. Most horror fans find themselves whistling “Making Christmas,” “What’s This?” or “This Is Halloween” all throughout the holiday season. A film for the ages, The Nightmare Before Christmas has the soundtrack to match its amazing visuals to make for a one-of-a-kind horror-themed viewing experience. Bunny!
Black Swan-“Swan Lake”
Darren Aronofsky’s beautiful psychological thriller Black Swan incorporates the iconic music of “Swan Lake.” Although many of us baser born fans will remember the sex scene between Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman (and who could blame us?), the true draw of Black Swan is the incredible psychological adventure experienced by the characters of the film. Touching on subjects like obsession, rejection and passion Black Swan is an incredible film crafted around a timeless musical composition.
Now we move on to the heavy hitters…
The Exorcist-“Tubular Bells”
Every nightmare needs a good soundtrack. A section of Mike Oldfield’s unmistakable composition “Tubular Bells” provided the iconic sound most associated with The Exorcist. It’s impossible to hear that Blue Man Group-esque recording and not think of all the dastardly things that went on in that home in Georgetown after young Regan MacNeil unwisely toyed with a Ouija board and was discovered by the diabolical Captain Howdy/Pazuzu. Just like the film itself, the main theme from The Exorcist stays with you long after the final credits have rolled.
Halloween-Main Theme
Performed by the Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra (aka John Carpenter), the main theme for Carpenter’s masterpiece, Halloween is simply haunting. As unique as “Tubular Bells,” Carpenter’s Halloween theme song is played in a rare 10/8 time. It’s quite repetitive, but ultimately unforgettable. The deliberateness of the piece, the simplicity, the supernatural strength… all these factors lead to a musical offering that has stood the test of time and become one of the most recognizable movie theme songs ever.
Psycho-“The Murder”
Composer Bernard Hermann created the insane violin, viola and cello piece entitled “The Murder” specifically for the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Initially Hitchcock planned on not having any music for the shower scene until Hermann suggested that the director try his piece with the scene. Of course, Hitchcock realized that the music danced perfectly with the imagery and made the brilliant decision to reverse his initial course of action and include the composition… and history was made. Incidentally, Hermann ended up getting himself a nice payday as Hitchcock was so pleased with the musician’s suggestion and the improvement it made in Psycho that he nearly doubled his initial salary. Woo hoo!
Jaws-Main Theme
Composer John Williams won an Academy Award for his work on Jaws. His ominous music allowed director Steven Spielberg to foreshadow the shark’s approach and suggest his presence instead of actually showing the monster onscreen at all times, leading to the tension being felt by the audience building to amazing levels. Spielberg used the music to condition the audience to the shark’s approach as well, so when Jaws appeared at the end of the film without the expected music, it made the moment that much more shocking. As much a part of the success of Jaws as anything else in the feature, the theme music is still powerful to this day in representing the coming of an unseen malevolent force.
Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker, Scott Bakula, and Jason Priestley star in Enter the Dangerous Mind. Youssef Delara and Victor Teran direct.
Synopsis:
Enter the mind of Jim (Hoffman) – a socially awkward EDM musician with a traumatic past, a tenuous grip on reality, and voices in his head. When he meets Wendy (Reed), he thinks he might finally have a shot at happiness. But as long-buried memories begin to stir and his crush turns into obsession, Jim finds himself looking into a violent abyss… and he won’t be going alone.
Pulsating with raw energy and an intense electronic soundtrack, Enter the Dangerous Mind is a pitch-black psychological thriller that doesn’t let off the gas for a second as it twists to its shocking conclusion.
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