In addition to the many excellent picks mentioned so far, I'd like to see an official CD release of Carlo Maria Cordio's synthtastic score for TROLL 2 (1990).
Another suggestion: GHOST IN THE MACHINE. The film is crap with pathetically dated effects, but Graeme Revell's score is terrific.
Also, I saw mention of Richard Stone's PUMPKINHEAD. The end credits (with the harmonica, fiddle and Jimi Hendrix-like wailing electric guitar) may well be one of my favorite cues written for a horror movie. It's kind of neat hearing what a predominantly comedy composer does when allowed to stretch with a horror movie (cf. Folk, D. Newman).
My Top 10 (and yes, all - the exception may be THE HAUNTING - use melody and thematics in addition to your usual roaster of stingers and crashes):
HOUSE OF WAX (1953) - David Buttolph HOUSE OF USHER (1960) - Les Baxter PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961) - Les Baxter TALES OF TERROR (1962) - Les Baxter TWICE TOLD TALES (1963) - Richard LaSalle THE HAUNTING (1963) - Humphrey Searle THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964) - Kenneth V. Jones WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968) - Paul Ferris (parts of this score were released on a libary LP, I know...) VENUS IN FURS (1969) - Manfred Mann & Mike Hugg (not sure if one could call that a horror film) DAUGTHERS OF DARKNESS (1971) - Francois de Roubaix
I second many other wishes here, especially anything by Basil Kirchin and Elisabeth Lutyens.
Bumping an old thread of my own, I'm desperately awaiting an official release of Folk's THE SLAYER and SAVAGE HARVEST!!! Any powers-that-be reading this!?!?
Er, I would KILL for a record of DEAD AND BURIED - for now I have to let the DVD menu loop whilst I pass out with that gorgeous melancholy main theme - er, and THE SLAYER was recorded with The National Philharmonic, yea yea let's hear it for no London re-use theme for a horror score 5 people care about!!
C.H.U.D (1984) - Music by: David A. Hughes Daughters of Satan (1972) - Music by: Richard LaSalle Happy Birthday to Me (1981) - Music by: Lance Rubin and Bo Harwood Motel Hell (1980) - Music by: Lance Rubin Pieces (1982) - Music by: Librado Pastor Sleepaway Camp (1983) - Music by: Edward Bilous The Lost Boys (1987) - Music by: Thomas Newman The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) - Music by: John Cacavas The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - Music by: Wayne Bell and Toby Hooper
...actually, ANYTHING from the HAMMER vault that hasn't been released
on and on and on, loads more, got a question, Did Von Dexter write that wonderful spooky main theme from House on haunted hill, or did he just do the mood cues throughout the film?