The Fog

The Five Greatest Horror Composers of All-Time

5) John Harrison

Much like his better known counterpart, John Carpenter, Harrison is a jack of all trades, working as a writer, director, and composer. He began his career in movies as a second unit director for George Romero’s 1982 horror anthology Creepshow. Harrison also composed the score. He went on to collaborate with Romero again, composing the music for Day of the Dead. Additionally, Harrison provided scores for several Tales From the Darkside episodes as well as Tales From the Darkside: The Movie, which he also directed.


4) Goblin

This prog rock band rose to fame almost by accident. Dario Argento was unhappy with his composer for Profondo Rosso and gave the band a crack at it. The result was a massive hit, with the soundtrack selling over 1 million copies in 1975. Argento and Goblin have been linked ever since. Goblin went on to create the haunting Suspiria score as well as music for Tenebre and the international version of Dawn of the Dead.


3) Ennio Morricone

Italian Composer Morricone has scored over 400 films in Europe and America, with work ranging from spaghetti westerns to giallo, and directors as diverse as De Palma and Tarantino. But horror fans probably know him best for his brilliant score for John Carpenter’s masterpiece, The Thing. Known simply as Maestro in his hometown of Rome, Morricone’s credits include collaborations with Dario Argento on Four Flies on Grey Velvet, The Cat O‘ Nine Tails, and The Bird With The Crysal Plumage and Lizard in a Woman’s Skin with Lucio Fulci.


2) Jerry Goldsmith

Goldsmith started out in Television providing music for The Twilight Zone and Thriller, then moved on to film in the late 1950s. He worked on everything from Chinatown to First Blood, but he made a huge impact on Sci-Fi and Horror in the 70s and 80s. Goldsmith was nominated for 18 Oscars and won once for his unforgettable work on the 1976 classic The Omen. Planet of the Apes, Alien, Poltergeist, Gremlins, and Total Recall rank among his most memorable works.


1) John Carpenter

Halloween. The Fog. They Live. Simple, yet iconic. Everyone - horror fan or not - knows the theme to Halloween, and most can probably play it on a keyboard. In addition to writing the screenplays and directing, Carpenter created the scores for most of his films. A master at using music to build tension and create suspense, Carpenter is nearly unrivaled in his ability to effectively complement his imagery with music.

 

Chris

A horror fan from the time he first saw Poltergeist on HBO as a child, Chris shares his West Virginia home with his fiancé, a pug, and two chihuahuas, none of whom share his love of all things horror.