3. Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter
Certainly one of the most iconic pieces of horror music is made up of these few hair-raising piano keys by John Carpenter. Theres something powerful in its simplicity. The music doesnt get caught up in dramatics; it has a singular driving rhythm, much like The Shape himself, as he stalks the streets of Haddonfield. Aside from the main theme, the score is filled with more musical stings than any film before it. Someone steps onto screen from just off camera and sting! Someone stands up from behind a car and sting! Someone opens a closet door and sting or wait, no one was there. The same person checks another closet and sting! Halloweens influence on not only slasher films, but film music in general cannot be overestimated. One of the most unbearably tense scenes of the film, made ever more torturous by the soundtrack, is when Laurie Strode unwittingly walks across the street to the house where Michael Myers has already slaughtered most of her friends. Theres nothing special about the street. Its width is comparable to most suburban roads. However, you would swear Laurie was crossing some expansive desert. Her journey seems to last several excruciating hours, and thats a testament to the music more than anything else. By the time she reaches the adjacent home, its a guarantee your fingernails will be all but chewed to nothing.