Playlists & MusicNo. 9082 · The 2026 edition
Composing for horror: The Halloween soundtrack
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at web.archive.org.
You'll need
Tips
- When composing for horror you have the opportunity to interact with an audience much more intimately and physically than any other genre of film.
- You don't need a plethora of instruments and musicians to score horror effectively.
- A simple approach can work: Carpenter's Halloween theme is little more than a piano played in 5/4 time.
The list
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01
Halloween
John Carpenter's film; its 5/4 piano score is the article's subject.
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02
Halloween II
Sequel whose score Carpenter extended and varied using latest synthesizer techniques.
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03
The Omen films
Damien Omen films; Jerry Goldsmith's music named by commenter Jordi Mayor.
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04
Prince of Darkness
Carpenter film whose score commenter Jordi Mayor also names.
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05
K-Pax
Commenter MikeR thought it was pretty cool.
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06
American Beauty
Commenter calls it great as well.
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07
Planet of the Apes
Commenter JonF names the original as a favorite.
Facts from the original
- The post was prompted by it being Friday the 13th and thinking about the score from John Carpenter's Halloween.
- John Carpenter composed the main score using little more than a piano played in 5/4 time, as noted in the Halloween DVD commentary.
- Carpenter screened the final cut minus sound effects and music for a young executive from 20th Century-Fox while interviewing for a possible directing job.
- The executive was not scared at all, which made Carpenter determined to 'save it with the music.'
- Carpenter recorded the score in a studio without reference or synchronization to the actual picture.
- Film critic James Berardinelli said that despite being relatively simple and unsophisticated, Halloween's music is one of its strongest assets.
- Berardinelli said Carpenter's dissonant, jarring themes provide the perfect backdrop for Michael's activity, proving a film doesn't need a symphonic score by an A-line composer to be effective.
- Co-producer Alan Howarth said that on Halloween II, Carpenter wanted to employ the latest available synthesizer techniques to extend and vary some themes from the original Halloween in addition to creating new ones.
- Howarth said the opening track on side two is his personal favorite and that the timpani effect produced by the Prophet 10 Synthesizer set the mood for the film's second half.
- Howarth used that timpani effect as a connective thread in the Shape's pursuit of Laurie Strode.
- The post advises that when composing for horror you can interact with an audience much more intimately and physically than in any other genre of film.
- The post states that a plethora of instruments and musicians is not necessary.
- The article says the Halloween score ranks number one on the list of millions of horror fans, though it is not as famous as the Bond theme.
- Commenters named K-Pax and American Beauty, the original Planet of the Apes, the Jerry Goldsmith music for Damien's Omen films, and Carpenter's Prince of Darkness as favorite horror/soundtrack picks.
From the original
The post opens by noting it is Friday the 13th and that the date prompted thoughts about John Carpenter's score for Halloween. It recalls that, per the DVD commentary, Carpenter wrote the main theme using little more than a piano played in 5/4 time. Carpenter is quoted from his official site describing how he screened the final cut without sound effects or music for a young 20th Century-Fox executive who was not scared at all, which made him determined to save the film with the music. The writer notes that Carpenter recorded the score in a studio without reference or synchronization to the picture, yet the music still heightened the film's terror. Critic James Berardinelli is quoted calling the music one of Halloween's strongest assets despite being simple and unsophisticated, and arguing that dissonant, jarring themes suit Michael's activity better than a symphonic score. Co-producer Alan Howarth then explains that for Halloween II, Carpenter wanted to use the latest synthesizer techniques to extend and vary the original themes and add new ones, and Howarth provides a full list of the recorders, gear and instruments used. He singles out the opening track on side two and the Prophet 10's timpani effect as his favorite. The post closes with the advice that horror composers can connect with audiences more intimately and physically than in any other genre, and that an army of instruments and musicians is unnecessary.
