The Man Behind the Mask: Listen to 6 Memorable Horror Movie Theme Songs

Before the days of viral memes and easily accessible YouTube trailers, marketing for genre films used to be a very different experience. Since it wasn’t guaranteed that ads would be targeted at the folks most likely to purchase a ticket, studios often had to shoot in every conceivable direction when trying to promote otherwise serious horror media. And with horror icons becoming rock stars in the ’80s and ’90s, it makes sense that this period would also see a series of licensed theme songs meant to promote our favorite movie monsters.

And now that contemporary releases like Bloody Disgusting’s own Terrifier 3 are bringing this musical trend back from the dead, we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating six of the most memorable horror movie theme songs for your listening pleasure. After all, there’s nothing like a bucket-full of blood and guts to get genre fans in a dancing mood.

For the purposes of this list, we’ll only be considering actual licensed songs rather than cinematic scores or otherwise unrelated music that just happened to play in a scary movie. We also won’t be including the Ramones’ Pet Sematary here in order to give some less popular songs a chance to shine – especially since this 1989 classic still sees frequent radio play in the Year of Our Lord, 2025!

That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite horror theme songs if you think we missed a particularly good one.

With that out of the way, onto the list…

6. Hunter’s Moon – Ghost

I may be in the minority here, but I greatly prefer David Gordon Green’s bizarre middle chapter of his Halloween trilogy to the other, more serious, entries. It may not have much of a story, but this hyper-violent romp harkens back to classic over-the-top slashers in ways that I find more entertaining than if Green had once again chosen to remix John Carpenter’s work.

And if you’re going to pay homage to a bygone era of schlock, why not get a spooky rock band to produce a tie-in song for your movie? As a huge fan of Ghost, Hunter’s Moon remains one of my favorite musical contributions to a franchise that already boasts kick-ass soundtracks. To be honest, the only reason the song doesn’t rank any higher on this list is the fact that it only superficially resembles its source material.

5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) – David Bowie

These days, the original Cat People is mostly remembered as one of the main inspirations for the incredible Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, but this highly influential film also inspired a high-profile remake by Paul Schrader in 1982. This modernized (not mention eroticized) retelling of the story had a much bigger focus on music, with legendary composer Giorgio Moroder providing the flick with its sensual score.

However, when the time came to promote the movie with a seductive rock ballad, the one and only David Bowie was brought on to collaborate with Moroder on an atmospheric theme song. While the rock star was ultimately dissatisfied with the cinematic version of this track, it ended up becoming much more popular than the movie it’s based on.

Funnily enough, the song is now more commonly associated with Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds due to the inclusion of Bowie’s remixed version of it during a scene where Mélanie Laurent prepares for a Nazi barbecue.

4. Are You Ready for Freddy – The Fat Boys

Dokken’s insanely catchy Dream Warriors is rightfully remembered as the definitive Nightmare on Elm Street tie-in song, but I’d argue that it’s not the only memorable attempt at promoting Freddy Krueger to music lovers. If you ask me, the Fat Boys’ tongue-in-cheek ode to Freddy is just as fun despite being part of the excessive marketing that turned a once-sinister horror icon into a watered-down jokester.

That being said, I can’t bring myself to complain about a song that features Robert Englund rapping to painfully corny lines like “and if you feel like you’re tired and ready for bed, don’t fall asleep or you’ll wake up dead!”

And if you’d like to hear another novelty rap track about Freddy Krueger, I’d also recommend checking out DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s rejected Dream Master tie-in song, A Nightmare on My Street! This one actually has the added bonus of incorporating Charles Bernstein’s original theme music into its melody.

3. Fright Night – The J. Geils Band

Boasting what is likely the catchiest chorus on this list, the J. Geils Band’s celebration of Fright Night is almost as fun as the movie it’s based on. From the energetic vocals to the vague lyrics that cheekily explain Charley Brewster’s fight against Jerry, this retro earworm feels like a sincere homage to the film rather than a quick cash-grab.

That being said, Fright Night actually became one of the more popular tracks on this list, which is ironic given the fact that it was the J. Geils Band’s last major hit before disbanding after shooting the music video. That’s a shame, as I would have loved to see them tackle other horror properties in their music!

2. Chucky The Song – Simon Stokes

Featuring cheesy lines like “Chucky, Chucky, go away, you’re too rough when you play,” as well as a weirdly kid-friendly atmosphere, I can understand why this official theme song was ultimately cut from the end credits of the original Child’s Play. Thankfully, it still survives as a somewhat obscure novelty that feels closer in tone to the franchise’s current output than Tom Holland’s original movie.

However, this humorous romp stands out among other entries on this list by being the only track that’s actually meant to sound like it’s being sung by the titular villain. And while Brad Dourif didn’t provide the vocals, Stokes does a great job of imitating Dourif’s growling demon voice as he cheekily threatens audiences with a then-hypothetical sequel.

1. He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask) – Alice Cooper

My personal favorite track on this list, Alice Cooper’s 1986 hit is a perfect companion piece to the film that inspired it. It may not be a literal retelling of Jason Lives‘ plot, but the self-aware lyrics and clever use of Harry Manfredini’s classic “Ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma” make it clear that this is supposed to be a new and less serious era for our favorite machete-wielding killer.

The song ended up being so successful that it kind of overshadowed its licensed origins, with He’s Back still being considered one of Cooper’s most popular releases. To this day, a lot of rock fans aren’t even aware that this classic song was originally meant to promote Friday the 13^th Part VI rather than the singer’s generalized love of the horror genre.

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