Why Scary Music Terrifies Us: The Spine-Chilling Science Unveiled

I’m sure everyone has seen one of those so-called “scary” short videos by now, either on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, showing a horrifying unsolved case, haunted houses worth visiting, or sometimes just a strange historical monarchy, all playing the same creepy background music. “Possibly in Michigan,” “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” or “A1 It’s just a burning memory” are among the most popular and widely used, mainly because of their retro-sounding vocals and analog-inspired fear. However, there are other disturbing, spooky songs besides “Monster Mash” or “Thriller” that evoke fear and discomfort. For example, “Failure” by Swans features a deep, monotone, flat voice that sounds detached. Even the background music in scary movies is often used to intensify suspense and jump scares.

There’s a reason why these types of songs create a disturbing, foreboding feeling when you listen to them. It all comes down to how our brain processes it. Here’s a quick anatomy lesson: the sympathetic nervous system controls the fight-or-flight response. The brain contains about 86 billion neurons, which are connected by neurotransmitters—chemical messengers of the nervous system (Britannica). These chemicals influence our thoughts and behaviors depending on which neurotransmitter is involved.

Then, the amygdala decides what things are threatening to our safety and signals the body to either fight or run away. This is important because scary music uses different tactics to trigger that fight-or-flight reaction. They often use dissonance, which involves a lack of harmony to create tension, making notes clash, changing tempo or volume, and employing unresolved chords to foster unease and instability. When used effectively, speeding up the tempo can mimic the sensation of being chased, while slowing it down signals danger lurking nearby. Another key element is the use of very low or high pitches, often through electronic effects or manipulated audio, creating unnatural sounds. These songs are frequently structured with sudden loud bursts that fade into eerie silence, heightening jump scares. Noises that mimic distressing sounds also activate that fight-or-flight response.

It really depends on the score. I find that scores with deep bass notes played quietly tend to scare me, while louder or shriller music can make movies less frightening because it feels like they’re trying too hard to scare. A horror film fan shared, “I watched the movie with headphones on my second go and I noticed that there’s this ever-present wub wub-wub noise at a low frequency in the background of almost the entire movie, and it’s quite unnerving- almost makes me feel sick.”

Conversely, another person criticized the improper use of scary music, saying, “It really depends on the score. Scores with a lot of very deep bass notes played quietly tend to make me more creeped out, whereas ones with louder or shriller music tend to make movies less scary to me because I know that they aim to scare me. This listener points out a real issue. Many find “scary” soundtracks from horror movies annoying and unfrightening because they aren’t used as described earlier. However, in well-crafted soundtracks, people can feel immersed, as if they are part of the action. The danger in the film feels real because the music sets the ambience. 

Next time you watch a horror movie, listen to the background. You might just notice all the many techniques used to fabricate different reactions out of you, from your heart beating faster while a character is being hunted, to holding your breath while a character hides.

On the other hand, another person criticized the incorrect use of scary music by explaining, “It really depends on the score. Scores with a lot of very deep bass notes played quietly tend to make me more creeped out, whereas ones with louder or shriller music tend to make movies less scary to me because I know that they aim to scare me. This listener points out a real issue. Many find “scary” soundtracks from horror movies annoying and nonfrightening because they aren’t used the way stated above. However, in good soundtracks, people can tell, feeling drawn in, as if they are part of the action. The danger feels real because the music sets the mood.

Next time you watch a horror movie, pay attention to the background sounds. You might notice all the techniques used to evoke different reactions—from your heart racing as a character is hunted to holding your breath while hiding.