Ranking Every John Carpenter Theme Worst To Best

Halloween had the quintessential John Carpenter theme, and deservedly so, but pound for pound, The Fog theme is the better piece of music.

Try and think of it as the medley of all of John Carpenter's compositions, mashed together in an epic yet sensible ensemble. Pianos and synths duel off with equal resolve, merging the eerie and the dramatic. It holds this nuance and doesn't let go, but every so often hits you with a booming key change just in case you were feeling safe for a second or two.

The Fog theme has a lot of juxtaposes. It is simple, yet complex, taking virtually nothing to engineer a spiralling cascade of complex uncertainty. There is not one simple waft of cheesiness or lapse in originality to be found anywhere in its notes, and it effortlessly creates an unstable atmosphere suitable for that unforgettable horror movie experience.

Is there a better horror composer than John Carpenter? You can argue that one until the end of time and beyond, but one thing is clear. The only musicians like him are the ones directly inspired by him, and each one marvels to this day at the excellence of compositions like this.