Here's the Top 101 Scariest Film Scores!
Source:Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
October 30, 2009
This month, Shock readers were asked to participate in Sirius XM Radio's "Halloween Horror Score Chopdown" on Cinemagic. After gathering submissions, the show's team started rolling them out on Sirius Monday. If you haven't been tuning in, here's the complete list of soundtracks that made the cut.
What do you think?
Halloween John Carpenter 1
Psycho Bernard Herrmann 2
The Shining Wendy Carlos/Assorted 3
Jaws John Williams 4
Alien Jerry Goldsmith 5
Omen, The Jerry Goldsmith 6
Bride of Frankenstein Franz Waxman 7
Thing, The Ennio Morricone 8
Exorcist, The Pendereki 9
Fog, The John Carpenter 10
Rosemary's Baby Christopher Komeda 11
Hellraiser Christopher Young 12
Friday the 13th Harry Manfredini 13
A Nightmare on Elm Street Charles Bernstein 14
Suspira Goblin 15
Poltergeist Jerry Goldsmith 16
Changeling, The Rick Williams 17
Dawn of the Dead Assorted 18
Haunted Palace, The Ronald Stein 19
Amityville Horror, The Lalo Schifrin 20
Creepshow John Harrison 21
Re-animator Richard Band 22
Hellraiser II: Hellbound Christopher Young 23
Carrie Pino Donaggio 24
Fly, The Howard Shore 24
Dracula Philip Glass 25
Scream Marco Beltrami 26
Saw Charlie Clouser 27
Phantasm Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave 28
Ring, The Hans Zimmer 29
Mummy, The Franz Reizenstein 30
28 Days Later John Murphy 31
Bram Stoker's Dracula Wojciech Kilar 32
Wicker Man, The Paul Giovanni 33
Creature from the Black Lagoon Assorted 34
Candyman Philip Glass 35
Curse of the Werewolf Benjamin Frankel 36
Night of the Living Dead Assorted 37
Ninth Gate Wojciech Kilar 39
Christine John Carpenter 40
Cape Fear Bernard Herrmann 41
Dracula John Williams 42
Wolf Man, The Hans J. Salter & Frank Skinner 43
Fury, The John Williams 44
Drag Me to Hell Christopher Young 45
Children of the Corn Jonathan Elias 46
Silence of the Lambs Howard Shore 47
Puppet Master Richard Band 48
House on Sorority Row Richard Band 49
Exorcist II, The Ennio Morricone 50
Evil Dead Joseph LoDuca 51
Prince of Darkness John Carpenter 52
Howling, The Pino Donaggio 53
Halloween 3: Season of the… John Carpenter & Alan Howarth 54
Ghost Story Philippe Sarde 55
Nightbreed Danny Elfman 56
Sleepy Hollow Danny Elfman 57
Interview with a Vampire Elliot Goldenthal 58
Seven Howard Shore 59
Sixth Sense, The James Newton Howard 60
Alien 3 Elliot Goldenthal 61
Grudge, The Christopher Young 62
Dawn of the Dead Tyler Bates 63
Evil Dead 2 Joseph LoDuca 64
28 Weeks Later John Murphy 65
From Beyond Richard Band 66
Damien: Omen II Jerry Goldsmith 67
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Denny Zeitlin 68
Haunting, The (original) Humphrey Searle 69
Descent, The David Julyan 70
Hostel Nathan Barr 71
Mephisto Waltz, The Jerry Goldsmith 72
Serpent and the Rainbow, The Brad Fiedel 73
Mimic Marco Beltrami 74
Mist, The Mark Isham 75
Fly II, The Christopher Young 76
Jeepers Creepers Bennett Salvay 77
Let the Right One In Johan Soderqvist 78
Halloween 2 John Carpenter 79
Videodrome Howard Shore 80
Silence of the Lambs Howard Shore 81
Dunwich Horror, The Les Baxter 82
Scars of Dracula James Bernard 83
Cell, The Howard Shore 84
Cabin Fever Nathan Barr 85
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Tristam Cary 86
Orca Ennio Morricone 87
Troll Richard Band 88
Funhouse, The John Beal 89
Quatermass and the Pit Tristam Cary 90
Misery Marc Shaiman 91
Trick 'r Treat Douglas Pipes 92
Pet Sematary Elliot Goldenthal 93
Maniac Jay Chattaway 94
Others, The Alejandro Amenabar 95
Signs (Touchstone) James Newton Howard 96
Frighteners, The Danny Elfman 97
Copycat Christopher Young 98
Event Horizon Michael Kamen (w/Oribital) 99
Altered States John Corigliano 100
Young Frankenstein John Morris 101
Comments
Posted by: Doctor Splatter on October 30, 2009 at 18:07:18
What, no Zombi 2 or The Beyond?! Young Frankenstein, The Fly II, and Troll were picked over those?!
Posted by: HTT on October 30, 2009 at 19:27:30
This List Suck
Posted by: djblack1313 on October 30, 2009 at 20:03:28
Ryan thank you very much for posting these!! this is a DREAM list!! i couldn't agree more!! AWESOME!!
Posted by: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor on October 30, 2009 at 21:03:00
HTT, care to elaborate?
Posted by: Blackmerkaba on October 30, 2009 at 21:44:13
they got the top 5 right but not in order. Jaws should top the list but its all opinion and we can argue. other than that, the list seems to have had the time taken to get the very top right and then rushed through to get the later 6/7 of the list. there are some that shouldnt be on the list at all.. example halloween three. that movie shouldnt be mentioned in anything but horribleness.
In closing it seems like a mostly rushed through, not necessarily correctly ranked, horror score list. It got the top 5 for the most part correct though. cheers to that!
happy halloween every1
Posted by: Blackmerkaba on October 30, 2009 at 21:49:39
And i wanna give props for them mentioning 'orca' on the list. Ranking in at 87! a lost gem. I havent seen that movie in years but it had a great score and truly a movie that has put me on edge.
Posted by: soopermann on October 31, 2009 at 00:07:48
what about silent hill!!??
Posted by: Nathan on October 31, 2009 at 02:33:21
Top 3 scores without a doubt.
Jaws
Children of the Corn
Candyman
Posted by: ico on October 31, 2009 at 14:32:44
Is it sad that i've seen all of those movies?
Posted by: splendidconfusion on October 31, 2009 at 15:54:49
Silence of the Lambs made it on there twice...47 and 81.
They missed:
Donnie Darko (Michael Andrews)
Dreamcatcher (James Newton Howard)
Session 9 (Climax Golden Twins)
Posted by: Allen on November 1, 2009 at 20:32:56
I came here after hearing the plug on the marathon broadcast this afternoon (and getting tired of not being able to discuss the list on the Cinemagic Facebook group I created).
I really don't have a problem with the list. All the major scores everyone ever talks about are on there, some of which I find annoying in their simplicity, but that seems to be what endears the scores for HALLOWEEN and JAWS to fans (I know its blasphemous to say you don't like the scores to either of those, but you like what you like).
My only real beef with the list is that its very U.S. centric. Of course Goblin's SUSPIRIA score is there, and a few Ennio Morricone's (for U.S. films), but there's some great music coming out of both Europe and Asia, especially Japan (and I really need to educate myself more on some of those artists - the new Asian Cult Cinema has a lengthy article on Asian scores, as well as a companion interview with J-composer Kenji Kawai). Then again, Cinemagic as a channel really is a celebration of Hollywood, so I guess the choices makes sense.
Posted by: Dark Del on November 2, 2009 at 10:53:40
I believe, like any list, it is a place to start discussion. It was put together by the folks at Cinemagic on XM radio and for the most part the rankings came by the votes. They said they received so much input (congrats to STYD fans) that next year they might do the top 150. No list complaints if you didn't submit. Also a big thank you to STYD and Cinemagic and everybody who participated.
Posted by: mary on November 2, 2009 at 13:31:40
Wow, there is nothing listed from Zombie or Suspiria? They deserve a place on this list :)
Posted by: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor on November 2, 2009 at 13:42:25
Suspiria is in the top 15, Mary...
Posted by: Allen on November 2, 2009 at 14:36:41
Dark Del, you're exactly right. Any lists like this are starting points for discussion, and since you bring it up I'd love to hear what missed the top 101.
Posted by: BostonStranglah on January 4, 2010 at 21:29:35
You gotta have Requiem For a Dream up there. The soundtrack was that movie's 6th man and doubled the terror.
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