# Horror soundtrack?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 9, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380 "2001-03-09T20:55:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380/1 "2001-03-09T20:55:29Z")

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I have heard this particular organ instrumental at the begining of many campy horror flicks (Dracula, Frankenstein,  
the Wolf Man, etc.), and also at the beginning and end of James Caan’s original “ROLLERBALL”.

What’s the title this creepy music’s called?

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**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380/2 "2001-03-09T23:16:05Z")

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Could it possibly be “Adagio” by Tomaso Albinoni? The IMDB lists it under “Soundtrack” for Rollerball. They don’t list anything else.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2001, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380/3 "2001-03-09T23:35:22Z")

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I imagine you’re thinking of the _Toccata and Fugue in D minor_ by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 565). You can here a couple of samples of it [here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000026HJ/qid=984180655/sr=1-6/ref=sc_m_6/102-1683106-6893707).

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**Author:** ![Dani\_Filth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dani\_Filth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dani_Filth)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380/4 "2001-03-10T13:57:06Z")

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Toccata and Fugue in D minor is commonly known as “the song from phantom of the opera”. I’m not sure that’s the one enolancooper is looking for (though it’s a great song!)…

-Dani

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**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horror-soundtrack/57380/5 "2001-03-10T14:11:17Z")

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Uh, FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA and THE WOLF MAN are “campy horror movies” ?

Correction: FRANKENSTEIN (1931) is a classic of world cinema; THE WOLF MAN (1941) is a darn good flick; and DRACULA (1931) sucks.

Bach’s “Toccata in D Minor” (horror movies rarely make it to the “Fugue” part) does not figure in the sound track of any of these films. It IS, however, used in ROLLERBALL.

For the record, the creepy music used during the opening credits of Universal Studios’ DRACULA and THE MUMMY (1933) is from Tchaikovsky’s ballet SWAN LAKE.