The role that music plays in horror films and suspense dramas is incredibly significant and important.
There are ways to evoke fear through silence, of course, but iconic theme songs often have the power to make you feel fear from the melody alone, or instantly conjure vivid scenes from the film.
Here, we’re introducing a collection of terrifying yet beautiful masterpieces, centered on classic horror movies.
Many of these tracks transcend the category of “film themes” and are used in all sorts of contexts—you’ve likely heard quite a few of them at least once.
You might even discover, “So this was from that movie?”
By all means, turn off the lights and enjoy with headphones!
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A Scary and Beautiful Masterpiece: Horror Movie Music and Theme Songs (1–10)
Theme Song of the Movie ‘The X-Files’māku sunou
This familiar song is the theme for the hugely popular sci-fi movie The X-Files.
Although it’s the movie’s theme, it’s also used as incidental music in TV programs and the like, so you hear it quite often.
A theme song with this kind of atmosphere is incredibly effective for films centered on the paranormal or mysteries.
The Kindaichi Case Files – The Mysterious Mallets – Extended VersionMidake Akira
This BGM from the TV drama “The Kindaichi Case Files” soundtrack is especially famous as a ‘trauma-inducing’ track.
The drama itself portrays scenes like the victims’ murders in a grotesque way, and this piece was used in those moments.
The sound is simple, but that simplicity gives it a cold feel—many people probably find it chilling to the bone.
GassedNEW!Bobby Krlic
It’s an unsettling sound that brings to mind traumatic scenes from films.
Quivering violins layered with dissonant electronic tones sonically embody the tragic events that befall the protagonist.
It’s a strangely compelling world where darkness and beauty coexist, sure to set your heart on edge.
This piece is by Bobby Krlic, a British composer and producer.
It was created as part of the score for the film Midsommar, set against the Swedish countryside and released in July 2019, and appears as the second track on the album Midsommar (Original Motion Picture Score), which was released the same month.
Recommended for those who want to step away from the everyday and savor a slow-creeping sense of fear and unease.
Trauma LoopNEW!Cristobal Tapia De Veer
If you’re looking to revel in an eerie chill, I recommend Cristobal Tapia De Veer’s “Trauma Loop.” Released as the opening track of the album “Smile (Music from the Motion Picture),” the soundtrack to the 2022 film Smile, it incorporates the daxophone—a special bowed instrument—to conjure an unsettling timbre reminiscent of human groans.
Translating the film’s themes of recurring nightmares and mental erosion into sound through an experimental approach, the piece emphasizes sonic design that frays the listener’s nerves over melodic beauty.
It’s the perfect number for nights when you want to immerse yourself fully in a horror-film world or savor an extraordinary thrill.
Stranger ThingsNEW!Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
How about that eerie synth sound that plays alongside the red neon-style logo? It’s the iconic theme used for the main title of the drama “Stranger Things,” effectively becoming the face of the series.
It was created by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, who are also members of SURVIVE.
The track is included on the album “Stranger Things, Vol.
1,” released in August 2016.
Minimal, repetitive tones and a cold reverb reminiscent of 1980s horror and sci-fi films evoke nostalgia and anxiety at the same time.
It’s the perfect sound for nights when you want to fully immerse yourself in an unsettling, chilly atmosphere, or for those who want to savor a sense of extraordinary tension.
Hell on EarthNEW!Zilgi
It’s a track filled with a foreboding atmosphere that ushers the audience into deep terror right from a film’s opening sequence.
Released as the first track on the soundtrack Longlegs (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) for Osgood Perkins’s horror film Longlegs, which premiered in July 2024.
Crafted by Zilgi, this piece is defined more by experimental sound design than melody, using the dark timbres of synthesizers and dissonance to conjure a spine-chilling, nightmarish world in just over a minute.
It’s a standout of dark ambient, highly recommended for those who want to feel the presence lurking in the dark or savor a raw, prickling tension.
Theme song from the movie ‘JAWS’John Williams
The immensely famous master of film music, John Williams, created this BGM signaling the approach of a shark.
The timpani and horn rhythm, combined with piercing strings and piano, convey the tension of the monstrous “shark” drawing near.
Even director Spielberg acknowledged it as a “major factor in the film’s success.” As expected from a genius—it’s terrifyingly effective!