Halloween is right around the corner, so it is time to get in the mood for a spooky evening. There are a few TV shows that have the right music to set the mood and often this can be done just by listening to the opening theme.
These TV theme songs set the tone for the series and draw the viewer in right from the get-go with their creepiness. From Hannibal and Penny Dreadful to The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, dive into some of TV's creepiest main theme songs and add them to your Halloween playlist.
Hannibal
The Hannibal main theme song may be short, but it is quite spooky. Everything about it is designed to induce discomfort and make the viewer's skin crawl. Slow and chilling, this rich sound composed by Brian Reitzell perfectly fits the story of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and is all about hitting disturbing notes with a violin and a piano.
No need to be a fan of the show (although it is absolutely binge-worthy) to understand that this theme goes along with a story that is profoundly scary and not for the faint of heart.
The Walking Dead
String instruments go a long way to make music disturbing, and they play the perfect part in The Walking Dead's theme song. The show would not be the same without its signature opening song, composed by Bear McCreary. It not only recalls zombies and desolation in the heart of fans but also sets the tone for a show that is about a lot more than flesh-eating monsters.
Its string ensemble, consisting of two violins, viola, two cellos and double bass, help bring out the suspense of the show, and no Halloween playlist would be complete without featuring this song.
The Leftovers
The opening theme to The Leftovers could play in a haunted house and not be out of place. But the show is not a horror series or even a thriller, instead, it is about grief and despair, two themes that can be used to describe the first season.
The Leftovers' theme song changed throughout the show but it is definitely the one from season 1, composed by Max Richter, that matched the mood and storylines of the season the best and resonated. This solemn theme, featuring strings and choir voices, is as spiritual and awe-inspiring as it is unsettling to create a fascinating sense of unease.
The Addams Family
To some TV fans, The Addams Family's theme song may not seem particularly ominous in and of itself. Indeed, the song is actually quite catchy, and who doesn't snap their fingers along when they hear it? But what is creepy is the Addams family, and it even says so in the lyrics: "They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're all together 'ooky,' The Addams Family."
The Addams Family theme song has an interesting origin story and has been reimagined as many times as the story of the Addams has been remade, but it is the version from the 1960s TV show, written by Vic Mizzy, that should be featured on your Halloween playlist as a cult classic.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina features an old-school theme song that sounds exactly like something that would have been heard in a haunted house attraction or a scary movie from many decades past.
Written by Adam Taylor, this theme song brings to mind the opening credits from Tales from the Crypt, and the fairly fast and gripping music sets the tone for the series. It even features the sounds of bats and other creepy-crawlers, suiting the show about a young teenage witch who also turns out to be the Queen of Hell quite well. It is perfectly spooky and can only make your Halloween playlist creepier than it already is.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
While the theme song for Buffy The Vampire Slayer isn't exactly spine-chilling on its own, it becomes so when one associates it with the show and reminisces its vampires, demons and other creatures of evil.
The rock song, performed by Nerf Herder, might put you in a mood to slay some vampires, as it conveys the energy and fighting spirit that defined Buffy The Vampire Slayer as a TV show. Fast-paced and attention-grabbing, the song is very much in line with classic '90s rock and is a necessary addition to any Halloween playlist. And if you need more than just music, there are plenty of episodes of Buffy that can be rewatched for the occasion, as well.
The Haunting Of Hill House
Just like the show it is associated with, The Haunting of Hill House's main theme is ... well, haunting. Even though Mike Flanagan's show is considered a horror series, its real horror is not so much in the occasional jump-scares or ghosts that it features, but in the traumas its characters experience.
The main theme reflects the overall mood of the show, starting off with a few chilling notes before the violins and piano take a more dramatic turn. It begins by conveying a sense of horror that turns into something sounding quite sad and yet beautiful. Composed by The Newton Brothers, it reminds viewers that the show, although scary at times, can also be quite touching and emotional.
American Horror Story
The main theme of the anthology series American Horror Story has evolved and changed throughout the course of the show, but the core version that was the most used in the first seasons of the series is undeniably macabre.
Not only are the opening credits for the show quite visually disturbing, but everything about the music that goes along with it is designed to make viewers ill-at-ease. The original version of the show's theme was initially created by César Dávila-Irizarry in the late '90s and FX hired Charlie Clouser (formerly of Nine Inch Nails) to recreate the track. It uses digital noise and practical sounds that go very well with the terror that is part of the show. Although some of American Horror Story's opening title sequences are better than others, one thing remains: its music will give a chill down anyone's spine.
Penny Dreadful
There is something deeply dramatic about the Penny Dreadful main theme song. It features a sense of urgency mixed with the spookiness of a score that is anchored in the fact that the show is a historical yet fictional drama, featuring the likes of Dracula and Dorian Gray.
Not only is the music of the show's opening titles quite eerie, but the images that go along with it also help reinforce the feeling of unease that comes with this song. The theme was written by Abel Korzeniowski and is fast and gripping before slowing down to reel the viewer in by creating a sense of anguish through the use of a number of string instruments. Not only should the Penny Dreadful theme be on your Halloween playlist, but the show is also a great source of inspiration for any costume needs you may have.
Mindhunter
The simplest melodies are sometimes the creepiest. Mindhunter's main theme, written by Jason Hill, conveys a sense of dread that goes very well with the show's story of how the FBI came to delve into the psychology of serial killers.
The opening credits also feature subliminal images that are quite jarring when they catch the viewer's eyes. The music, ambient and starting off with a simple piano tune before welcoming other instruments, takes the listener on a journey into the minds of murderers and those who study them, and it doesn't take much more than that to be a good Halloween sound.