The right soundtrack does half the work of a Halloween movie night. This guide ranks 25 of the best Halloween movie and TV soundtracks, from Bernard Herrmann‘s shrieking strings in Psycho and John Carpenter‘s piano theme for Halloween to Danny Elfman‘s The Nightmare Before Christmas and the newest addition to the canon, Ludwig Göransson‘s Sinners, which won the Oscar for Best Original Score in March 2026.
The list mixes family-friendly picks, horror classics and modern scores, so you can match the music to your crowd. For songs aimed at young kids, see our Halloween songs for kids guide.
Quick Facts
| Soundtracks in this guide | 25 (23 films, 2 TV series) |
| Oldest | Psycho (1960), Bernard Herrmann |
| Newest | Evil Dead Burn (2026), Double Danger |
| Most featured composer | Danny Elfman (6 entries) |
| Latest Oscar winner on the list | Sinners, Ludwig Göransson (Best Original Score, 2026) |
| New horror release this October | Other Mommy (October 9, 2026) |
| Halloween 2026 | Saturday, October 31 |
All 25 Halloween Soundtracks at a Glance
| # | Title | Year | Composer | Standout music |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | Danny Elfman | “This Is Halloween”; Elfman also sings Jack’s songs |
| 2 | Hocus Pocus | 1993 | John Debney | Bette Midler’s “I Put a Spell on You” |
| 3 | Hocus Pocus 2 | 2022 | John Debney | Debney returns for the Disney+ sequel |
| 4 | Casper | 1995 | James Horner | A gentle, heartfelt score |
| 5 | Coraline | 2009 | Bruno Coulais | Eerie children’s choir; They Might Be Giants’ “Other Father Song” |
| 6 | ParaNorman | 2012 | Jon Brion | Quirky stop-motion horror-comedy |
| 7 | Monster House | 2006 | Douglas Pipes | Big orchestral haunted-house sound |
| 8 | Frankenweenie | 2012 | Danny Elfman | Black-and-white monster-movie homage |
| 9 | Corpse Bride | 2005 | Danny Elfman | Jazzy skeleton number “Remains of the Day” |
| 10 | Ghostbusters | 1984 | Elmer Bernstein (score); Ray Parker Jr. (theme) | Oscar-nominated title song |
| 11 | The Addams Family | 1991 | Marc Shaiman | Big, playful gothic score |
| 12 | Beetlejuice | 1988 | Danny Elfman | Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O” dinner scene |
| 13 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | 2024 | Danny Elfman | Elfman back with Tim Burton 36 years later |
| 14 | Psycho | 1960 | Bernard Herrmann | The strings-only shower-scene stabs |
| 15 | The Exorcist | 1973 | Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” (theme) | An eerie keyboard riff that became a horror signature |
| 16 | Halloween | 1978 | John Carpenter | The piano theme in 5/4 time |
| 17 | Scream | 1996 | Marco Beltrami | Score for the film that revived the slasher genre |
| 18 | Halloween | 2018 | John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies | Carpenter updates his own classic |
| 19 | Get Out | 2017 | Michael Abels | The Swahili-language main title “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” |
| 20 | It | 2017 | Benjamin Wallfisch | A big, unsettling orchestral horror score |
| 21 | Hereditary | 2018 | Colin Stetson | Dread built largely from saxophone and woodwinds |
| 22 | Sinners | 2025 | Ludwig Göransson | Blues-driven score; won the 2026 Oscar and Grammy |
| 23 | Evil Dead Burn | 2026 | Double Danger (Douglas Cavanna & Xavier Caux) | The newest entry in the franchise |
| 24 | Stranger Things (TV) | 2016–2025 | Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein | Pulsing 1980s synth theme |
| 25 | Wednesday (TV) | 2022– | Danny Elfman & Chris Bacon | Wednesday’s dance to The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” |
Family-Friendly Halloween Soundtracks
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is the default Halloween soundtrack for a reason. Danny Elfman wrote every song and also provides Jack Skellington’s singing voice, and “This Is Halloween” opens the film as a full-town introduction to Halloween Town.
Hocus Pocus (1993) and its 2022 sequel both have scores by John Debney, but the moment everyone remembers is Bette Midler’s performance of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You”. Casper (1995), scored by James Horner, is the softest pick here and works well for very young kids.
Stop-motion films bring some of the most distinctive music: Bruno Coulais’ choir-led Coraline score (with They Might Be Giants’ “Other Father Song”), Jon Brion’s ParaNorman, and Elfman’s Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. For a crowd-pleaser, Ghostbusters (1984) pairs Elmer Bernstein’s score with Ray Parker Jr.’s Oscar-nominated theme.
Classic Horror Scores
Psycho (1960) changed horror music with a score written for strings only; Bernard Herrmann’s stabbing violins in the shower scene are still one of the most imitated cues in film. The Exorcist (1973) made Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” permanently spooky, even though the piece wasn’t written for the film.
John Carpenter composed and performed the score for Halloween (1978) himself, building the theme around a piano figure in an unusual 5/4 time signature. He returned with his son Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies for Halloween (2018). Marco Beltrami’s Scream (1996) score helped define the self-aware slasher era.
Modern Horror Scores
Get Out (2017) introduced Michael Abels, whose Swahili-language main title “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” sets the tone in the opening minutes. Benjamin Wallfisch’s It (2017) and Colin Stetson’s Hereditary (2018) show how far horror scoring has moved from traditional orchestras.
The newest classic is Sinners (2025). Ludwig Göransson’s blues-rooted score won Best Original Score at the 2026 Oscars, his third Oscar, and the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media on February 1, 2026; the film also won the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack. Read more in our Grammy 2026 Sinners recap.
For something released this year, Evil Dead Burn opened in U.S. theaters on July 10, 2026, with a score by the duo Double Danger. Our Evil Dead Burn soundtrack guide has the full tracklist.
Horror-Comedy and TV Picks
Tim Burton and Danny Elfman’s Beetlejuice (1988) is famous for Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O” dinner-party scene, and Elfman scored the 2024 sequel too; see our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice soundtrack page. Marc Shaiman’s The Addams Family (1991) is another gothic comedy staple.
On TV, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein’s synth theme for Stranger Things became a Halloween-party favorite over the show’s 2016–2025 run, and Netflix’s Wednesday, scored by Danny Elfman and Chris Bacon, turned The Cramps’ 1981 track “Goo Goo Muck” into a viral dance.
New for Halloween 2026
The most talked-about horror release this October is Other Mommy, a supernatural horror film from director Rob Savage starring Jessica Chastain, produced by James Wan and released by Universal on October 9, 2026. Its trailer went viral after playing in front of The Odyssey in July. A composer hasn’t been announced yet, and we’ll add soundtrack details once they’re confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Halloween theme?
John Carpenter composed and performed the music for Halloween (1978) himself. The famous theme is a piano figure in 5/4 time. He returned with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies for Halloween (2018).
What song does Bette Midler sing in Hocus Pocus?
“I Put a Spell on You”, originally recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in 1956. The film’s score is by John Debney.
Who composed The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score for The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and also sang Jack Skellington’s songs.
What horror movie won the Oscar for Best Original Score in 2026?
Sinners. Ludwig Göransson won Best Original Score at the 2026 Oscars, his third Oscar. The score also won the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.
What music is used in The Exorcist?
The film’s best-known theme is an excerpt from Mike Oldfield’s 1973 instrumental “Tubular Bells”.
What are good Halloween movie soundtracks for kids?
The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Casper, Coraline, ParaNorman, Monster House and Frankenweenie are all family-friendly. For kids’ songs, see our Halloween songs for kids guide.
What new horror movie is out for Halloween 2026?
Other Mommy, starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Rob Savage, opens in U.S. theaters on October 9, 2026. Its composer hasn’t been announced.
Related reading: Best Halloween Songs for Kids, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Soundtrack, Movie Soundtracks hub and TV Soundtracks hub.