Spooky Theme Songs!

Sightings came out when I was in 6th grade. The alien face always scared the crap out of me and I turned a friend of mine onto it one night when I was spending the night at his place. He had never seen an actual rendering of a "real" alien until the title sequence. Between that and Sightings creepy music, it scared him s^*!less. He didn't sleep all night and he had to leave a light on. He actually remained terrified of aliens for a few years after that, I won't lie, seeing the opening to the show still gives me the creeps to this day.

I must say that I really enjoyed the read. It is different approach to what will be a Halloween season of articles that we have all read before. I liked ho it was written and I liked your choices. I don't find the Tales from the Crypt song very scarry or creepy but lots of people do. Good Job! Thumbs up from me!

ummm... Danny Elfman didn't compose the music/lyrics for Sweeney Todd. The movie is actually an adaptation of the 1979 Broadway Musical with music/lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Glad to see your accurate with your facts.

aww great article! i miss the old days

When I saw this title, the themes from Halloween and Unsolved Mysteries instantly came to mind.

Oh dear those audio tapes! My mother use to play those on Halloween and we'd all (my siblings and I) play hide and go seek in the pitch black house!

Oh shit, I'm sitting here listening to the unsolved mysteries theme and I heard a noise in my backyard, sounded like my cat or something. It kinda freaked me out just cause that music was playing. anyways cool article. It's crazy how how some music can make you feel so uneasy.

I remember -wanting- a spooky sound effects tape or record back when I was a kid, but never being able to find one. Every year in grade school we would have the costume parade for halloween, and they would play spooky sound effects over the PA system. I wanted the recording they used SOOOO bad!

Dude, Tales From the Dark Side scared me for years. It still freaks me out a little.

I overlooked this article at first. I figured it would be another top ten list with content like "I like this song cuz it is awesome!" but I guess I need to pay attention to the authors of the articles when they are posted. You have a serious writing talent James... and good taste in tunes. I pop in the "Tales From The Crypt" soundtrack every year and I'll still get creeped out if I'm alone in my apartment with the lights down low. Also, good call on Carpenter! The first song I ever learned to play on the keyboard was his theme to "Assault On Precinct 13."

You also opened me up to some new songs that I'll need to aquire before October arrives. Thanks!

As soon as I saw the topic the unsolved mysteries theme came to mind. I remember I'd be playing with my brother of an evening, the tv would be on and as soon as we heard that tune we'd stop dead in our tracks, smiles wiped clean, and run to the couch to sit by our mom. Tales from the crypt would've been #2 for me.

Unsolved Mysteries is easily #1

The one that used to scare the shit out of me when I was a wee lad was the 80s Twilight Zone theme song and intro. There was just something unsettling about it...the window slamming shut, the spider and doll face and the atomic explosion followed by Rod Serlings ghostly visage. And the way the skull-outline morphs into the Twilight Zone title card. All of that playing with that creepy-as-all-hell theme song just scared the living bajeezus out of me when I was a kid.

Nice selection. I'm surprised you didn't chose Jerry Goldsmith's The Omen suite. To me,the spookiest soundtracks are probably in Mario Bava's movies. Listen to the soundtracks of Twitch of the Death Nerve or Shock and you'll hear.

Unsolved Mysteries theme song haunts my nightmares

Great article. Completely agree with Unsolved Mysteries being the creepiest music and show in general. The episode on the Men in Black still haunts me to this day.

One question (and I was more a Sightings fan than X-Files), but I seem to remember both shows being on simultaneously at one? Do you mean just merely taking its time slot or outright replacing it? I absolutely and honestly believe both shows were on air at one point at the same time

I was born in 82, and I remember the show Sightings, and I'm glad you remember that it replaced X-files. I was into the Paranormal, and still am. Great article, Need more shows like Sightings

Unsolved Mysteries was scary as Hell! No wonder I'm a big Horror junkie. I used to watch it all the time as a kid.

Unsolved Mysteries was the creepiest music ever... The show in general creeped me out as a kid, but I hated it when that music came on...

Funny man newest three articles all mention something similiar, unsolved is number one no doubt-Robert Stack Lives!

Jeez, that "Unsolved Mysteries" theme is SO creepy, but I still enjoy listening to it! Awesome article!

No 'Are you Afraid of the Dark?' Great list though, I would have put Unsolved Mysteries as one or two also. Ah, Halloween is upon us, I like those articles the best.

Where's Tales From The Darkside? Or the music from Batman Returns during the opening Penguin scenes?

Phantasm, man! Sometimes I still watch the philms and that theme always gives me the creeps.

Great article!