It’s only September, but we’re going to join the too-early-for-Halloween movement and talk about the Halloween theme. Specifically, the iconic piano track that first started weakening the bladders of kids too young to watch it back in 1978. John Carpenter’s minimalist slasher flick masterpiece isn’t just one of the best horror movies ever made; it’s right there with the most recognizable film themes of all time. 

Someone once referred to as an “…unsettling cultural touchstone,” which sounds pretty impressive even if we’re not entirely sure what it means. Unless it has something to do with creeping out a couple of different generations of young moviegoers, in which case that description is spot on.

Halloween Theme: Old But Enduring

It’s a simple melody, written by John Carpenter to accompany the unstoppable, relentless pursuit of hapless victims by Michael Myers. And it does a damn good job of it. Remember this?

 

Well, some of you might not remember this. The original movie predates Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, the end of the Cold War, Seinfeld, the advent of Crocs, the Global War on Terror, Netflix and Chill, and, of course, the heartless murder of Harambe.

Maybe some of you younger readers will remember this.

Maybe that one’s a little more familiar. 

 

John Carpenter and His Motley Movie-Music Crew

Unlike many movies back then (and to a lesser extent now), Halloween had a really small budget. Like, shoestring small. As a result, Carpenter served as his own composer. According to slasher movie lore, he supposedly crafted the minimalist score in less than three days. That’s not the shortest time ever (John Williams reportedly crafted the two-note Jaws theme in just a few minutes), but – given the theme’s enduring legacy – it sure seems like an accomplishment.

For perspective, the ET theme was apparently crafted over several weeks, and John Williams is estimated to have taken two to three months to compose the Star Wars main title theme (and, to be fair, the rest of the score).

Now, that said, Carpenter himself has said that he, “…knew [he] was going to use this theme I had developed over the years. But it was based on my father, who taught me 5/4 time.” (That interview is linked below.) It’s not the only music John Carpenter recorded. Go look up a band called The Coupe De Villes and the song “Big Trouble in Little China.”

That band features Carpenter, Nick Castle, and Tommy Lee Wallace. Nick Castle, you may recall, was the first actor to play “the Shape” (Michael Myers) in the Halloween movie franchise.

Michael Myers was a force of evil. He was less a human being than an element. It was this lack of characterization that made him scary. I stand by my answer.  ~John Carpenter  

Tommy Lee Wallace directed Halloween III: Season of the Witch as well as the 1990 tv miniseries based on Steven Kings It. He edited the original The Fog movie (which also had Jamie Lee Curtis and Adrienne Barbeau in it, yum).  On top of that...wait for it…Wallace has also been credited for playing Michael Myers in that first 1978 movie.

 

Unpleasant, Unsettling Rhythm

For those of us who aren’t musicians, the best way to explain the disturbing feel of the Halloween theme it to point to its rhythm. The song is composed in 5/4 time signature (not commonly used), meaning there are five beats in each measure instead of the much more common four. It’s subtle enough that most people won’t notice, but effective enough that it does help keep people on edge. 

This isn’t an orchestral masterpiece or stirring anthem-like song that calls us to arms. It’s just a simple piano melody, played repetitively. It definitely suits the sense of a slow, deliberate killer. 

If you’re looking to listen to the soundtrack in its entirety (say, while you’re trick-or-treating), you can find it on a variety of streaming services and download sites (like on the Internet Archive, on Spotify, or on Amazon Music). And as long as we’re talking about dressing up for the occasion, why not gear up with a Michael Myers shirt? It’s a hella more comfy than a jumpsuit and a mask. Rusty butcher knife optional. 

Legacy and Influence

While you can’t say John Carpenter invented the slasher film music formula, he definitely refined it. Movies like Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Black Christmas (1974), and Psycho (1960) all had suitably effective horror scores. None of them had the same impact as Halloween, though. Carpenter’s 5/4 classic basically distills the concept of the final girl, the silent killer, the holiday/vacation setting, and the fatalistic sense of doom. That concept definitely helped lay the groundwork for the success of Friday the 13th (1980), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Scream (1996), and even much more recent shows like Stranger Things. 

The combination of these and other movies like them has effectively created a pop culture soundtrack for Halloween (the holiday) writ large. 

 

Now, here’s the man himself, Michael Myers, playing his own theme song. Presumably, before going out to butcher a bunch of people. 

3 Interesting Facts About the Halloween Theme

• The Film’s Plot inspired it: The theme’s final, famous two-note piano melody was originally written to accompany a specific shot of Michael Myers peering out from behind a laundry line.
• It’s More Recognizable Than Its Source: It’s been said that more people recognize the theme than actually know what movie it came from. 
• End Credit Humor: If you watch through the end of the original movie credits, Carpenter credits himself as the “Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra” instead of using his real name. 

 

Further Reading: 

You can learn more in this interview with Carpenter on Cinema Daily, published back in 2021, and this article has a lot of background on Nick Castle. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025 at 18:24 and is filed under Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.