1. “His Eyes” by Pseudo Echo from "Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning" [1985]
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Eighties horror films were typically dumping grounds for forgettable metal tunes, but this cut by the Australian new wave band Pseudo Echo from the fifth movie in the Friday the 13th franchise went against the grain. “His Eyes,” a dreamy synth-pop track, serves as the soundtrack to the death of Violet, a goth chick who lives at a halfway house. (Dig her two tone hair!) If the screenwriters had any sense, they would have made her the “final girl” in this slasher flick. R.I.P., Violet. You were too beautiful for this world.
2. “Goodbye Horses” by Q Lazzarus from "Silence of the Lambs" [1991]
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“Goodbye Horses” is probably the one thing anyone cares to remember from Buffalo Bill’s unsettling mangina dance scene from Silence of the Lambs. Oddly enough, this haunting gem isn’t on the film’s official soundtrack album, but was recycled from the soundtrack of one of Jonathan Demme’s previous films, Married to the Mob.
3. “I Want Your Hands on Me” by Sinead O’Connor with MC Lyte from "Nightmare on Elm Street IV: The Dream Master" [1988]
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This track serves as the send-off for Debbie, this sequel’s resident bugphobic tough broad. Hopefully, anyone watching the fourth installment of the Nightmare on Elm Street series knew not to get too attached to Debbie as it was only a matter of time before she was going to get turned into a roach and crushed inside of a roach motel by Freddy Krueger. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a likable character in a horror film, at least we got this underrated Sinead O’Connor song as a consolation prize.
4. “Stigmata Martyr” by Bauhaus from "Night of the Demons" [1988]
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Given the fact that Bauhaus has songs with titles like “Bela Lugosi Is Dead,” it was only a matter of time before one of the band’s tracks was granted their rightful place in a horror movie. Although the goth pioneers make an appearance on several scary movie soundtracks, the most memorable use of their music is this elaborate dance sequence set to “Stigmata Martyr” in the late Eighties cult classic Night of the Demons.
5. "Dead Beat Dance" by The Damned from "Return of the Living Dead" [1985]
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This 1985 black comedy/zombie film made two great contributions to the canon. First, it introduced the concept of zombies hungering specifically for brains rather than just human flesh. Secondly, it gave the world an amazing soundtrack featuring The Damned, Roky Erikson, T.S.O.L., and The Cramps. Unfortunately, this track by The Damned didn’t make it onto the Hemdale Communications 1991 video release of the movie, but like most great things, it found its way to YouTube.