Production music comes in many forms, but this style of music has never been about making hits, it’s has always been about setting the mood. Find your niche as a composer can be very helpful to your success. I love composing for film but even that has many different styles and genres.  My favorite genera to write for has always been horror music.  Setting the mood for this type of music is just plain fun. Even within this specific genre there are man different styles. You have your super natural spirits, your gothic romance, slasher movies, satanic, live dead and even vampires.  There had been some great and very memorable scores written for horror movies.  Here are few of my favorites from all time. 

1. The most recognizable horror score of all times has to be the sound of Michael Myers in Halloween. This score was actually written by John Carpenter. This may be the one score in all movies not just the horror genera that most people would recognize right away. The reason it is number one is because it memorable and does exactly what it is suppose to do. It lets you know that Michael Myers is coming. 

2.  My personal pick would be loved remembered from Bram's Stokers’s Dracula by  Wojciech Kilar.  This score takes entirely different  method to set the scene. Instead of telling the audience that the monster is coming. It tells us about the romance between Dracula and his love interest as they remember a time that has long past. It takes a more gothic approach. It does not scare us, but it’s not designed to. The composer wants us to know that we are about to see a dark and gothic romantic scene with Dracula. This is one of the greatest and unique scores of it ’s kind. 

3. The theme song form Candy man is just plain creepy. Written by Robert Glass it takes on the method off using what sounds almost like a music box. It certainly does to job in creeping us out right before Tony Todd aka Candy man comes i and slashes you up. I wonder after hearing this track would anyone be willing to say candy man five times in the mirror.  It is a classic and memorable score that really does the job in setting the mood. So go look in the mirror and say the words, I dare you. 

4. Another recognizable classic would have to be Bernard Herrmann’s class score from the God father of slasher classics called Psycho.  Although it came out almost 56 years ago, Norman Bates still sends chills up all of our spines. This is certainly of one of a kind score and certainly does the jobs of setting the scene for Norman Bates to come in slash us up. When you match this track with the classic show scene, this score will remain in the history books and one the scariest ever. Don’t ever go anywhere near bates Hotel or any place like it. 

5. My 5th selection was written by the greatest film composer of all time in my opinion. The sound track to Jaws has to be the greatest at setting to mood is horror classic. When this theme song comes on  you know someone is about to be eaten alive.   Any time your hear this music you always yell at the scream get out of the water fool! Why did he go in there in the first place! By the time it ends, there is blood in the water and someone has met their end. Few movies set the scene better that the Jaws sound tracks for horror movies. 

6. Different horror soundtracks are designed to set the mood for different reasons.  There are a few that are designed to scare the Hell of you, Literally. For those who have heard the soundtrack to the  Exorcism of Emily Rose would certainly agree. I dare anyone to listen to this soundtrack and not feel any other emotion except for fear. If there was ever a sound track or score designed with straight fear in mind, this would have to be it. This score certainly does the job in scaring the pants of us. 

7. My 7th pick is a great  track that sets the mood for an entire Tv series. This is the there from American Horror Story by James S Levine. This not for a specific scene but more about the subject matter. A very recognizable track. When you hear it you know something creepy is about to happen. Although its relatively new this will go down as one of the great horror tracks of all time. However, most the background scenes form this series has not yet measured up to the theme song. So turn the lights, op some pop corn and get ready to be creeped out. 

8. Number 8 on my is is Krzysztof Komeda’s master from Rosemary’s baby. Very few sound tracks set the mood for an entire film like the theme from Rosemary’s baby. After listen to the this track I didn’t want to look at another baby for weeks.  This track definitely does the job in setting the scene and creeping us out. Rosemary’s baby went on to become a classic so did this sound track. It’s so creepy that it set the stage for a bunch of copy cat tracks, but nothing is as creepy as the original. 

9. Jerry Goldsmith really out did himself with Satanic choir from the 1976 classic the Omen. This track will make you think the devil himself was sitting next to you watching the movie. There is no other Satanic themed movie that sets the stage like the theme track from the Omen. Make sure you have your bible with you when you watch this one. It seems like the Devil is out to get you. 

10. The last of the top ten goes to what many consider to be the most terrifying movie of all, The exorcist theme song. Mike Oldfeild’s Tubular Bells help set the seem and aid in the horror and shock of the most horrifying movie of all times.

For the Indie film make looking for some horrifying sounds. Take a listen to Buster Digital LLC Supernatural