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The Ten Best Songs Used In Horror
Everyone knows that muc is important to the average horror movie. Some of the best themes in the movie world have come from horror, and from various films, from Halloween to The Beyond. But one thing that I always love in horror movies is when they use genuine muc that you would buy on iTunes or listen to on the radio, preferably songs that I enjoy. In all the movies I've seen, there have been some very good mucal choices to spice up the picture, and here are my favorites. These are ranked by how effective they are in the continuity of the film, how good the song is, or just have a background that's awesome. So here we go:
THE TEN BEST SONGS USED IN HORROR
10. "Mr. Sandman" (The Chordettes)
Halloween H20 (1998)
Halloween H20 is a film made strictly for the fans of the first two Halloween films. It's as if the producers actually saw the fans' discomfort with 4-6, so they ultimately decided to give the fans what they were clamoring for: Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode! Well, most fans of the saga (such as your truly) were very, very satisfied with the outcome of the film. Director Steve Miner hit all the right notes, and made one very smart mucal choice as to what song they should open with. "Mr. Sandman" by The Chordettes. This song was used successfully in Halloween 2, so just for that muc to pop up had me cheering on the inde (you know, that feeling where you just want to scream, "YEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!" but you don't want to embarrass yourself, so it's almost tearing you up inde) and got me hooked from the get-go. Now all I'm waiting for is their cinematic apology for the abomination that was Rob Zombie's H2... http://youtu.be/xDXT7wC9jrc
9. "Fall Break" (Peter Yellen & The Breakers) The Mutilator (1985)
The first I heard of The Mutilator was actually from a clip I saw on the internet of a guy impaling a woman with a fishing gaff through the vagina. Needless to say, I knew I was dealing with some heavy shit when I decided to t down and check out The Mutilator. The film certainly lives up to its title (the aforementioned scene still makes me nauseous), but one thing I wasn't counting on was a little ditty that played during the opening credits called, "Fall Break", by Peter Yellen & The Breakers. The song is totally out of place in such a gross-out movie, but I think its pretty catchy and even put it on my iPod. http://youtu.be/algtko3lo2I
8. "Blue Moon" (The Marcels) An American Werewolf in London (1981)
It's always been a stand-off of sorts between An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Personally, I hated The Howling and I love AAWIL. It's funny, scary, gory, and has some of the best animatronics you're apt to find in any movie. The ending was surpringly bleak to such a fun film, but I think this adds to the awesomenesty (that's a new word) of it. I love how it just cuts to the end credits just out of the "blue" and "Blue Moon" by The Marcels plays during the end credits. Such a depresng ending with such an upbeat song leads to one of those moments where at first you're speechless, than a smile slowly starts to form until you come to the realization that this film rocks!
http://youtu.be/s4oSTyjZCfE7. "Ay
" (The Dootones) Blood Diner (1987)
Blood Diner could quite posbly the funniest horror movie I have ever seen. It's not intelligently funny; it's that kind of funny that so retarded you laugh hysterically at its stupidity. There are several such moments in this film. A candidate for the funniest moment in the film comes when one of the cannibalistic brothers attempts to run over a fat, vegetarian biker while listening to "Ay
" by The Dootones. This mply must be seen to be believed: http://youtu.be/Ufe375QmbvE
6. "Hard Rock Summer" (Alice Cooper) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Friday the 13th Part VI is my favorite of the series, and the soundtrack is a big reason why (along with the hilarious humor injected into it, as well as the awesome kills). It's mainly Alice Cooper songs, and Mr. Cooper himself even released a vinyl of the soundtrack (pictured above). Not only is the song "Hard Rock Summer" a great tune on its own, it plays during the only car chase in the history of Friday the 13th films, which makes it all the more awesome. http://youtu.be/5ru8A9V5eY0
5. "Too Bad You're Crazy" (Jerry Whitman) April Fool's Day (1986)
It's really imposble to talk about April Fool's Day without spoiling the crap out of it. I know most slasher aficionados hate the movie, but I actually really like it. It feels like the whole movie is a big middle finger to the slasher fans, with an F.U. added in for good measure. Or, better yet, it feels like an April Fool's Day prank. This kind of ballness makes this essential viewing for anyone who can handle a joke. And just to add insult to injury, they throw this song in at the end credits. This song is a perfect representation of the overall feeling of the film, in my opinion. http://youtu.be/19BkbXMpN00
4. "Maniac Cop Rap" (Jay Chattaway) Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
Maniac Cop 2 is a film I think of whenever the topic of perfect sequels arises. It may not be as awesome as the first, but I'll be damned if it doesn't come close. It still has the great balance of action and slasher, with Bruce Campbell returning for about five minutes of screentime, but Robert Davi's in it, so I kind of forgive it. Jay Chattaway returns as the film's composer, and that neat theme is back as well (duh duh DUH-duh...Duh Duh DUH-Duh), and at the end credits we are treated to the "Maniac Cop Rap". That's right ladies and gentlemen; Officer Matt Cordell has his own rap. It's actually pretty good, despite some choppy lyrics ("kill him" does not rhyme with "villain"). The beats good, and it even has that creepy whistling noise that was featured in the prison flashbacks. http://youtu.be/qDpzGiP-PrU
3. He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask)" (Alice Cooper) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
So how do you cap off the best movie in the seemingly endless F13 series? With this completely B.A. song, of course! I remember for the longest time after I watched this, this song was my favorite song ever. For a fan of the Jason Voorhees legacy, this is pure gold. It's a catchy tune, but the lyrics are straight out of what happens in an F13 movie. In fact, I don't know why someone wouldn't have heard this song. Not only is it from a great movie, it's well-known among horror fans! Do yourself a favor and buy this movie NOW. http://youtu.be/BbT8n_ay4fM
2. "Sweet Child 'O Mine" (Guns N Roses) Bad Dreams (1988)
OK, this ranks #2 because I love this song. So, here's the scenario: I'm watching Bad Dreams for the first time, I'm near the very end, at this point in time I'm disappointed with the twist (I'll grow to like it in about a day or two), and the movie ends on a happy note. I'm thinking about how it was alright and how disappointing the twt was, when th song comes up. My cold soul toward this film began to thaw, I began to smile, and I got that feeling I got when I heard Mr. Sandman" in Halloween H20. For such a low-budget film, I was surprised they got the rights to such a popular song, but in the commentary, director Andrew Fleming tells the world that he got the rights to the song before it became really popular. Guns N Roses was actually planning on making a muc video based around Bad Dreams, but sadly, that never came to fruition. http://youtu.be/7ISz6BhrDXk
1. "Who Made Who" (AC/DC) Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Maximum Overdrive doesn't get enough respect in my opinion. I think most people dislike it because they're not used to this de of Stephen King. It's as if King made a list of everything he thought was awesome and compiled them into one movie, and once in a while, his darker de would take over, like when a kid gets run over by a steamroller (gruesomely, at that). But on top of all this, Maximum Overdrive has the best opening to a movie EVER. First we get a hilarious scene with Stephen King and his arch-enemy, the ATM machine, cut to "Who Made Who" (in my list of top 5 greatest songs ever) playing over a comical bridge accident. Screw The King's Speech; THIS is good stuff right here! http://youtu.be/41FWoOu2IQI
THE TEN BEST SONGS USED IN HORROR
10. "Mr. Sandman" (The Chordettes)Halloween H20 (1998)
Halloween H20 is a film made strictly for the fans of the first two Halloween films. It's as if the producers actually saw the fans' discomfort with 4-6, so they ultimately decided to give the fans what they were clamoring for: Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode! Well, most fans of the saga (such as your truly) were very, very satisfied with the outcome of the film. Director Steve Miner hit all the right notes, and made one very smart mucal choice as to what song they should open with. "Mr. Sandman" by The Chordettes. This song was used successfully in Halloween 2, so just for that muc to pop up had me cheering on the inde (you know, that feeling where you just want to scream, "YEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!" but you don't want to embarrass yourself, so it's almost tearing you up inde) and got me hooked from the get-go. Now all I'm waiting for is their cinematic apology for the abomination that was Rob Zombie's H2... http://youtu.be/xDXT7wC9jrc
9. "Fall Break" (Peter Yellen & The Breakers) The Mutilator (1985)
The first I heard of The Mutilator was actually from a clip I saw on the internet of a guy impaling a woman with a fishing gaff through the vagina. Needless to say, I knew I was dealing with some heavy shit when I decided to t down and check out The Mutilator. The film certainly lives up to its title (the aforementioned scene still makes me nauseous), but one thing I wasn't counting on was a little ditty that played during the opening credits called, "Fall Break", by Peter Yellen & The Breakers. The song is totally out of place in such a gross-out movie, but I think its pretty catchy and even put it on my iPod. http://youtu.be/algtko3lo2I
8. "Blue Moon" (The Marcels) An American Werewolf in London (1981)
It's always been a stand-off of sorts between An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Personally, I hated The Howling and I love AAWIL. It's funny, scary, gory, and has some of the best animatronics you're apt to find in any movie. The ending was surpringly bleak to such a fun film, but I think this adds to the awesomenesty (that's a new word) of it. I love how it just cuts to the end credits just out of the "blue" and "Blue Moon" by The Marcels plays during the end credits. Such a depresng ending with such an upbeat song leads to one of those moments where at first you're speechless, than a smile slowly starts to form until you come to the realization that this film rocks!
http://youtu.be/s4oSTyjZCfE7. "Ay
" (The Dootones) Blood Diner (1987)
Blood Diner could quite posbly the funniest horror movie I have ever seen. It's not intelligently funny; it's that kind of funny that so retarded you laugh hysterically at its stupidity. There are several such moments in this film. A candidate for the funniest moment in the film comes when one of the cannibalistic brothers attempts to run over a fat, vegetarian biker while listening to "Ay
" by The Dootones. This mply must be seen to be believed: http://youtu.be/Ufe375QmbvE
6. "Hard Rock Summer" (Alice Cooper) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Friday the 13th Part VI is my favorite of the series, and the soundtrack is a big reason why (along with the hilarious humor injected into it, as well as the awesome kills). It's mainly Alice Cooper songs, and Mr. Cooper himself even released a vinyl of the soundtrack (pictured above). Not only is the song "Hard Rock Summer" a great tune on its own, it plays during the only car chase in the history of Friday the 13th films, which makes it all the more awesome. http://youtu.be/5ru8A9V5eY0
5. "Too Bad You're Crazy" (Jerry Whitman) April Fool's Day (1986)
It's really imposble to talk about April Fool's Day without spoiling the crap out of it. I know most slasher aficionados hate the movie, but I actually really like it. It feels like the whole movie is a big middle finger to the slasher fans, with an F.U. added in for good measure. Or, better yet, it feels like an April Fool's Day prank. This kind of ballness makes this essential viewing for anyone who can handle a joke. And just to add insult to injury, they throw this song in at the end credits. This song is a perfect representation of the overall feeling of the film, in my opinion. http://youtu.be/19BkbXMpN00
4. "Maniac Cop Rap" (Jay Chattaway) Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
Maniac Cop 2 is a film I think of whenever the topic of perfect sequels arises. It may not be as awesome as the first, but I'll be damned if it doesn't come close. It still has the great balance of action and slasher, with Bruce Campbell returning for about five minutes of screentime, but Robert Davi's in it, so I kind of forgive it. Jay Chattaway returns as the film's composer, and that neat theme is back as well (duh duh DUH-duh...Duh Duh DUH-Duh), and at the end credits we are treated to the "Maniac Cop Rap". That's right ladies and gentlemen; Officer Matt Cordell has his own rap. It's actually pretty good, despite some choppy lyrics ("kill him" does not rhyme with "villain"). The beats good, and it even has that creepy whistling noise that was featured in the prison flashbacks. http://youtu.be/qDpzGiP-PrU
3. He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask)" (Alice Cooper) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
So how do you cap off the best movie in the seemingly endless F13 series? With this completely B.A. song, of course! I remember for the longest time after I watched this, this song was my favorite song ever. For a fan of the Jason Voorhees legacy, this is pure gold. It's a catchy tune, but the lyrics are straight out of what happens in an F13 movie. In fact, I don't know why someone wouldn't have heard this song. Not only is it from a great movie, it's well-known among horror fans! Do yourself a favor and buy this movie NOW. http://youtu.be/BbT8n_ay4fM
2. "Sweet Child 'O Mine" (Guns N Roses) Bad Dreams (1988)
OK, this ranks #2 because I love this song. So, here's the scenario: I'm watching Bad Dreams for the first time, I'm near the very end, at this point in time I'm disappointed with the twist (I'll grow to like it in about a day or two), and the movie ends on a happy note. I'm thinking about how it was alright and how disappointing the twt was, when th song comes up. My cold soul toward this film began to thaw, I began to smile, and I got that feeling I got when I heard Mr. Sandman" in Halloween H20. For such a low-budget film, I was surprised they got the rights to such a popular song, but in the commentary, director Andrew Fleming tells the world that he got the rights to the song before it became really popular. Guns N Roses was actually planning on making a muc video based around Bad Dreams, but sadly, that never came to fruition. http://youtu.be/7ISz6BhrDXk
1. "Who Made Who" (AC/DC) Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Maximum Overdrive doesn't get enough respect in my opinion. I think most people dislike it because they're not used to this de of Stephen King. It's as if King made a list of everything he thought was awesome and compiled them into one movie, and once in a while, his darker de would take over, like when a kid gets run over by a steamroller (gruesomely, at that). But on top of all this, Maximum Overdrive has the best opening to a movie EVER. First we get a hilarious scene with Stephen King and his arch-enemy, the ATM machine, cut to "Who Made Who" (in my list of top 5 greatest songs ever) playing over a comical bridge accident. Screw The King's Speech; THIS is good stuff right here! http://youtu.be/41FWoOu2IQI
ObscureCinema101
Sunday 10/09/2011 at 01:11 AM | 84056
some extremely interesting picks here. A little disappointed to not see Red Right Hand - that song epitomized horror in the 90's, and its just...flawless
good little article here though
good little article here though
Matt_Molgaard
Sunday 10/09/2011 at 03:32 AM | 84063
PROUD TO HAVE MAN BEHIND THE MASK ON MY IPOD IN MY CAR. KICK ASS TUNE
TheShape1188
Sunday 10/09/2011 at 12:08 PM | 84076
Red Right Hand from 'Scream' has to be in there
zuzek1996
Monday 10/10/2011 at 06:19 PM | 84362
Just glad to see Alice Cooper on here, not once, but twice! Coop is my all time favorite artist and just the epitome of good old fashioned horror. Got to see him in 2008 and it was AMAZING! The man knows his stuff.
Ed Reilly
Monday 10/10/2011 at 08:38 PM | 84378
Dream Warriors?! Come on! I love Alice Cooper too, but 2 songs really?
JediRob
Monday 10/10/2011 at 10:47 PM | 84389
