spintheblackestcircles.org

Hey, not one to crowbar my way into forums, but thought this would be of particular interest to the STBC community. The magazine I write for, FACT Magazine, has just published a 100 - 1 rundown of the greatest original horror scores ever made.

We think it's the most comprehensive list of its kind out there on the web - link below (with a full YouTube playlist as well):

http://www.factmag.com/2014/10/28/the-1 ... undtracks/

Not going to argue with any of the inclusions, it's a pretty comprehensive list. I'll totally grumble about Zombi 2 and Cannibal Holocaust being placed so low on the list though.

I enjoyed the lists included here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_nasty

Plenty of familiar titles!!

I'm not seeing Carpenter's original Halloween score anywhere in the list. Am I just missing it some how??

Nope, they went with H3 for their Halloween selection.

I'm not downing H3, as I love that score...but H1 is the most memorable score in the universe for the horror genre. It seems absolutely ridiculous to leave that off.

I'm with you, @ghostie - I can't take this list seriously at all, it seems like it was put together by someone who just got into the OST craze, with a bunch of stuff that (while good) only seems to be on the list cuz it's gotten a current release (ie Surf Nazis.....) This is almost like the Hot Topic list or something!

Also, there's stuff listed which is science fiction, NOT horror.

But worst of all - a list of 100 top horror scores that leaves off both Halloween and The Thing?? Give me a break! :O

Upstream Colour Horror??

May as well just have posted some links to DW, OWS, WW, Mondo and called it essential titles you need to be onboard with the latest vinyl soundtrack craze. Plus i really hate websites that drive you through that style of list with a few words on each. We all know its just to boost advertising revenue.

Though largely agreeing with the above I found this an entertaining read... and the links to sound clips/YouTube for the lesser known titles was a welcome addition.

I have three or four more soundtracks on my 'investigate further' list as a result... Damn!

Please do your research before criticizing me for no reason - "it seems like it was put together by someone who just got into the OST craze" - I've been collecting horror soundtracks since I was a teenager, thanks. I even released an album based/dedicated to that almost a decade ago.

What good, honestly, would it have done to have BOTH Halloween and Halloween III in a single list? Halloween III is arguably better as a beginning-to-end listen and I mentioned in the blurb that the cue itself was one of the most memorable in history. But you probably didn't bother reading that did you?

Most of these soundtracks you actually can't get on vinyl (unless you're prepared to pay a great deal of money) - I don't see how it's my fault that some labels have re-issued a bunch of scores that are actually quite brilliant? I've been waiting for someone to do Surf Nazis for years. When I started a label in 2002 I contacted Lloyd Kaufman to see who had the rights to that and he said he wasn't sure, and I hit a dead end. The idea we just slipped it in because it had been released in the last few months is ridiculous.

I'm sure a Hot Topic list would have Toru Takemitsu and Colin Towns in the top 10, yeah.

The sci-fi/horror thing is a valid point though - something we did converse about but felt like setting wasn't always enough to make something not horror. Do you nix historical horror films because they fit into another niche too?

The Thing wasn't on because after debate we decided it was neither Morricone or Carpenter's best - it was of course on the longlist.

@the_blind_dead - didn't mean to offend you, sir. Perhaps my instinctive reaction should not have been casually shared. The "Hot Topic" reference was a cheap shot, a short-hand for some on this board who are wary of the New Hype around hip record buying....so apology offered. You obviously worked hard on the list and each to their own when it comes to these things, hey?

Now - having said that....you are out of your every-lovin' mind when it comes to The Thing!!

Surf Nazis deserved to be in the top 10!
Interesting list, even if i totally agree with the Halloween/Thing/Cannibal Holocaust/Zombi 2 comments above

Fair enough - just had to fight my corner, it's something very, very close to my heart. I think it would be more disingenuous to put together a list of soundtracks without listing things that have been reissued in the last 3-5 years - which I must say was something I considered when we started initially talking about doing a list. City of the Living Dead was reissued this year (thanks Spencer) but it doesn't remove the fact that I made a tape recorded rip when I was 15 and have been totally obsessed with it ever since. If I'd have not put it in the top 3 I would have just felt awful.

Also - Zombi 2 took a tumble because City was so high and the big cues are mighty similar. They're both gold obvs but I wanted there to be as much variety as poss. Obviously there's gonna be people who prefer one or the other - my fave was City so it won

Lists huh....they're nothing if not provocative!

Nobody is ever going to agree wholeheartedly with a list like this, especially when it sounds like it's pretty much one guy's opinion. If we're honest such a list is more a starting point for discussion than the truth handed down from on high. Not much point getting all defensive about it because your list is wrong, at least it can't be right, as there is no absolute list and most of us can put together an equally as valid one. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all.

The format however is ridiculous. Having to click through a hundred times. Whoever is responsible for that should be subjected to the tortures from all hundred movies.

What a surprise Disco is complaining again. Must be a record collector.

Great list, I especially love the youtube & spotify list. Thanks for the hard work assembling it. Plenty of great info. I will have plenty to listen to today.

* not just my opinion - two writers (including myself) and a few faves from OWS and DW.

The format's sadly a necessary evil - can always hit the YouTube list for everything on one page.

The format helps boost advertising revenue. Makes it appear like more visitors are viewing the site than actually are. It's very common amongst sites having lists.

A lot of the time these lists are created for that purpose!

^^ haha.....no no, not a "record collector" - just the third brother of five, doing whatever I have to do to survive...I'm not saying what I did was alright, but trying to break out of the ghetto was a day to day fight!

@the_blind_dead - Okay, so let me get this totally straight...you're telling me that there is no reason to post the original Halloween score in full, which sounds ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like the Season Of The Witch score, because you've elected to list Halloween III score? Is that correct?

I'm really not trying to be a smart ass about this - I just don't understand any logic that would state if you list one film score, it crosses out the other simply because they're by the same composer/director. I mean you listed Prince Of Darkness & The Fog, so why is Halloween ignored?

The two soundtracks are absolutely different. I could understand that logic if you had listed Halloween II and said no reason to list Halloween & Halloween II in the same list, but with III being so different, it just isn't making sense to me...

guys the point of lists like these are to start discussion.
You are never going to please people 100% (hell even 50% would be a win)
There is no right or wrong it is what it is .
One person may like one thing over another so that makes the cut , I think lists like this are good 'cause you can say 'HEY, you forgot about this....'
Personally I think H3 is the far superior stand alone listen than either H or H2 but that's just me...
It wouldn't exist the original H of course (Which is incredible) but it was so far ahead of it's time it is really crazy.

Maybe the difference with the original H score is it is so iconic to the franchise. I agree h3 is the better score but that opener to the original would definately make my top 100! But then I don't like the score to susperia so what do I know!

Yeah I've never cared much for Susperia either, so I agree with you there Phil.

I really feel like people might be forgetting just how great the other themes within H1 were...

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFHZS6yH5YQ[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSjBwln3AKc[/video]

^^ @ghost - I'm really starting to wonder whether people have actually listened to this soundtrack. But hey, looks like at least you and I will go to the fences on this one