Alright, let's start this off by saying that these are rock ‘n’ roll songs that were written specifically for horror movies. That or have become so synonymous with a specific horror movie that it's hard to separate the two. Maybe I will do another countdown one-day featuring songs "re-imagined" by horror movies, such as "Hip to be a Square" and AMERICAN PSYCHO, for instance. But that will be a list for another day. Also, usually I will do an "Honorable Mentions" section on this top fives, but I'm not going to go that route this time through. This is because, truthfully, I believe the following songs are all but unanimously the top picks and I have trouble even thinking of another song that fits so well into a countdown. That said, let's countdown the top five best rock songs featured in horror movies!
I'll be honest up front, I'm one of "those guys". By that I mean I'm one of those guys that think the f*cking sun shines out of the ass of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER. Is it my favorite Freddy movie? That's impossible to say. But, yes, DREAM MASTER is my favorite Freddy movie. I love the original and DREAM WARRIORS don't get me wrong, but DREAM MASTER is filled with such great characters, kills, and thrills that I was dumbstruck when I grew up and learned others didn't feel the same way. I don't get it. Never will. It should come as no surprise then that Dramarama's "Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)" is a constant on my mixtapes. TRIVIA: The song was released in 1985 as the first single from Dramarama's debut album Cinéma Vérité. After it was featured in DREAM MASTER it became one of the most requested songs in the history of Los Angeles radio station KROQ.
A classic from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING. Like the previous song, this may be one you missed in the film. But I doubt it. You know the scene, the lonely angry pre-Negasonic Teenage Warhead chick with the white pants and the hair, mime dances to it for like an hour. I love that scene. My ears didn't "catch" the song until after a few viewings of the (eventually) beloved sequel, but once they did I found the song asap, added it to every playlist I have, and never looked back. TRIVIA: Tiffany Helm who played Violet in A NEW BEGINNING said this about the dance she performs in her bedroom, alone: "The goofy robot-popping dance thing I did, was what all the other goofy-freaky outcasts at my favorite club were doing." That's godd*mn adorable.
I love this song but, honestly, I didn't think it fit at the end of PET SEMATARY. I'm glad it's there now, but on my first (up until my fifth) viewing, I thought it ruined the tone of the last scene. But what did I know? I now see it was there to keep us all from Missy Dandride-ing ourselves after such a brutally dark flick. Imagine watching kitties, babies, wives, and Herman Munsters die in rapid succession, and then the flick ends with, let's say The Smiths or The Cure. No one would make it out alive. So thank you, Mary Lambert. You saved a lot of lives. TRIVIA: Stephen King invited the band to his home and gave Dee Dee Ramone a copy of Pet Sematary. One hour later, Dee Dee had the lyrics to "Pet Sematary". The song was on their 1989 album Brain Drain and became one of their biggest radio hits. It was nominated for a Razzie for Worst Original Song in 1989, which just goes to show the Razzies can suck it.
Ah, Dokken. Many people may give me sh*t for not putting this song at number one, and I can't really argue with them. My number one pick is possibly a bit more personal, that's all. But Dokken's title track from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS is the best of what a classic horror movie song should be. Along with "Anything, Anything" (and, admittedly, The Fat Boys "Are You Ready for Freddy") I cannot think of the Dream Warriors without getting this song stuck in my head. This will make you jealous as hell, but I own a VHS copy of DREAM WARRIORS that includes the Dokken music video after the credits. I know, I know and trust me, it's as awesome as it sounds. TRVIA: "Dream Warriors" was released as a single in 1987, charting at number 22 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was also released on Dokken's fourth album, Back for the Attack.
