4. "The Ballad of Harry Warden"
Film: My Bloody Valentine

The Canadians were responsible for some of the 1980s' most vicious horror films, and few are more relentless than 1981's My Bloody Valentine. Along with the standard score, the film features a melancholy-sounding folk song titled "The Ballad of Harry Warden" (named after the murderous miner in the film) that plays during the end credits. Supposedly, the movie's producers were hoping to release it on vinyl, shooting for a hit record somehow, but I'm pretty sure that never happened. For some reason the tune has always reminded me of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald"; I'm not sure that's a good thing.

3. "Fall Break"
Film: The Mutilator

The Mutilator (1985) was a late entry for the slasher-movie craze, but the independently produced film is so uncompromisingly gory and vicious that it has an enormous cult following now. It's hard to reconcile the movie, which features bodies sliced in two, people gutted by boat engines, graphic beheadings and other extreme mayhem, with the goofy-sounding theme song, called "Fall Break," also the film's original title. The bouncy tune sounds like it would be more fitting for a lighthearted early-'80s sitcom like Bosom Buddies than a hyper-violent slasher movie. Just compare that song with the violent death scenes from the movie, and see if it seems appropriate. (Warning: The following video contains graphic violence and nudity.)


2. "Don't Fear the Reaper"
Film: Halloween

In 1978, the American slasher film was off and running when John Carpenter and Debra Hill unleashed their iconic movie about babysitters being stalked by a nearly unstoppable masked killer named Michael Myers. Horror-movie bad guys would never be the same. Unlike a lot of the copycat films that were made to exploit its success, Halloween is a good movie by almost any standard, and still creepy viewing almost 40 years later. One of the elements of the film that has always gotten a lot of attention is John Carpenter's über-spooky and atmospheric score, and for good reason — it's great, and went on to influence the music written for many other slasher films to come. But Carpenter's music wasn't alone in Halloween, because Blue Öyster Cult's 1976 hit "Don't Fear the Reaper" is in the movie too. Does Halloween need more cowbell? No, its soundtrack is perfect with a little help from BÖC.

1. "Partytime"
Film: The Return of the Living Dead

In 1985, one of the best American zombie films not written and directed by George Romero was released, popularizing the eating of brains by fast-moving, carnivorous undead hordes. The Return of the Living Dead has a lot of tongue-in-cheek black humor, but it's also one of the most nihilistic and bleak zombie films of all time. There's no happy ending for anyone; no escape in a helicopter to some safe place. It's all a lot of fun to watch, though, and has a hefty dose of punk-rock culture, or at least some simulation of it with colorful punker characters like "Trash" and "Suicide." The movie also has good music, with a very '80s-sounding instrumental score coming secondary to one hell of a soundtrack featuring music by Roky Erickson, The Damned, The Cramps and several other edgy bands. The song that's most associated with the film is a version of "Partytime" by deathrock legends 45 Grave. It's a perfect musical accompaniment to the flesh-ripping mayhem appearing onscreen, and a high point for punk-rock horror film combos.

Special thanks to Robert Ehlinger for his contributions to this article.