Recommendation of Scary Music: That Song That’s Actually Frightening
One facet of music as an art form is that it can evoke fear—just hearing it can send chills down your spine.
In this article, we’re spotlighting a range of pieces under the theme of scary music.
From classic horror movie theme songs to classical music at the core, plus rock and popular music, we’ve curated a wide selection! Some tracks might not seem particularly scary when you’re just listening, but once you learn the backstory, they suddenly become terrifying… You might make discoveries like that.
Be sure to check it out!
- A seemingly scary nursery rhyme: a children’s song that gives you the chills when you hear it
- Chills down your spine. A collection of Vocaloid songs that are scary but irresistibly listenable.
- Anime songs to listen to on Halloween: Theme and insert songs from anime about yokai and ghosts
- [If You Can Sing These, You're Amazing!] Cool Karaoke Songs for Women
- A collection of cool songs that sound great when sung by women, originally male songs
- [Played in the Parks] A Special Feature on Iconic and Popular Songs from Disney Halloween
- [Fun] A Collection of Children’s Songs Featuring “Ghosts”
- Hits you hard! A collection of dark and cool Vocaloid songs
- Vocaloid Halloween Song Special [Trick or Treat]
- Yami songs recommended for women
- [Yandere] A Special Feature on Chilling Vocaloid Love Songs
Recommendation of Terrifying Music: Those Actually Scary Songs (21–30)
Theme Of LauraNoboru Yamaoka
The theme song of Laura, a character from Konami’s 2001 horror game Silent Hill 2.
Unusual for video game music, it’s a rock-style track that puts the guitar front and center, using various effects to create a dark, ambient atmosphere.
It has a passionate fanbase both in Japan and abroad, and is a popular piece often performed by orchestras.
Orasho — Hymns of Divine WorshipSIREN R Original Soundtrack
The theme song of the horror game SIREN, released in 2003 by Sony Computer Entertainment.
Set in a remote rural village in Japan, the game follows the unraveling of mysteries and attempts to escape as the villagers succumb to a zombie-like state known as ‘Shibito.
‘ Although this song is a traditional Japanese piece with gagaku-style progression and is meant as an offering to a deity, it’s sung in the villagers’ eerie voices, making it extremely frightening.
Please be careful not to let it become a trauma.
Theme From SangueliaFabio Frizzi
The theme song from Italian director Lucio Fulci’s film Zombie (Zombi 2).
The movie enjoys a cult following for its numerous grotesque zombie scenes.
The music was produced with computer programming, showing a strong influence of techno music, and it turned out to be a pretty cool track.
Hello ZeppCharlie Clouser
The theme song from the 2004 American psycho-thriller film Saw.
The story follows two people locked in a confined space by the killer Jigsaw as they attempt to escape, and it drew attention for its brutal scenes and unexpected twists.
The track is grounded in industrial rock, seasoned with suspenseful string arrangements that heighten the tension; listening to it after seeing the film gives you a heart-pounding feeling, as if you’re fleeing from Jigsaw.
This Is HalloweenDanny Elfman
The main theme from Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, created by Tim Burton.
Composed by Danny Elfman, a frequent collaborator on Burton’s works such as Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, it conjures music that is eerie yet somehow comical—perfect for a dark fantasy.
The Cursed/Bladed Grass (Otokiriso)Otogiriso Resurrection Edition: Arranged & Original Soundtrack
The main theme of a new game genre called “sound novel,” released by Chunsoft in 1992.
Like a novel, the story and mystery unfold through text, and the player occasionally chooses from options that cause the storyline to branch.
The song evokes a European manor of the Middle Ages and The Phantom of the Opera, and despite the game’s audio hardware of the time, it’s a dramatic and excellent piece.
Go for it!Miyuki Nakajima
This is a bold and ambitious work by Miyuki Nakajima that portrays people who keep moving forward even as they face the unreasonable realities of society.
It delivers a powerful message to those confronting challenges such as educational discrimination, violence, indifference, and sexism.
It was included on the album “Yokan” released in March 1983, and was re-released as a single in May 1994.
Since then, it has been featured in commercials such as Sumitomo Life’s “Winning Life,” and in 2020 as UNIQLO’s “HEATTECH” CM song, continuing to resonate with many people across generations.
However, the lyrics immediately before the first chorus in this work depict a chillingly realistic portrayal of human cruelty.