Growing up in the pre-internet days, loving horror movie soundtracks, especially from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, felt like a solitary passion. Finding others who appreciated Dokken alongside Freddy Krueger seemed impossible in my junior high. But the internet changed everything. Suddenly, I discovered a whole community who understood the brilliance of Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything” and celebrated the unique musical landscape of Elm Street. It was a revelation to find out I wasn’t alone in my appreciation for the Nightmare on Elm Street Freddy Krueger song selections and scores.
Alt text: Freddy Krueger’s sinister smile with razor-sharp glove, a symbol of the iconic horror villain from Nightmare on Elm Street.
In my younger years, movie scores often faded into the background, becoming part of the overall cinematic experience. While I recognized iconic themes and appreciated directors like John Carpenter for their scoring prowess, my primary focus was on the standalone songs featured in films. Metal was the priority. It wasn’t until later, around a decade ago, that I truly started to appreciate film scores as standalone works of art, sparked by discovering Goblin’s incredible score for Deep Red. This newfound appreciation led me back to revisit the soundtracks of movies I’d watched countless times, including the Nightmare on Elm Street series.
Reflecting on the original 1984 Nightmare on Elm Street, the score, while present, didn’t immediately jump out. Of course, there’s the song during the end credits, but the focus was more on the chilling atmosphere and Freddy’s terrifying presence. Part 2 offered some catchy tunes, but the overall music landscape hadn’t yet become a defining characteristic for me. There is, undeniably, that memorable song during that iconic scene in Part 2, but it wasn’t something I actively sought out to listen to outside the movie itself. (Fun fact: the extended version of “Touch Me (All Night Long)” stretches to nearly ten minutes!).
Dream Warriors, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, is a different beast altogether. It’s almost criminal that there isn’t a more extensive soundtrack associated with this film. The movie practically screams for a full Dokken-fueled album. However, we were gifted with what many consider the ultimate heavy metal horror anthem, “Dream Warriors,” accompanied by one of the greatest movie music videos of the era. Seeing Dokken live in 2007, specifically to catch Pretty Boy Floyd, their opening act, was a mixed experience. While PBF delivered, Dokken’s performance was let down by Don Dokken’s vocals. Despite this, the anticipation for “Dream Warriors” kept us there. Thankfully, after a few songs, Don announced they were playing a rarely performed hit, and “Dream Warriors” exploded into life. It was a highlight, and it’s hard to imagine a Dokken concert without this essential track.
The soundtrack album for The Dream Master, Nightmare on Elm Street 4, presents its own set of frustrations. Key songs that are integral to the movie experience are strangely absent. Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything,” so crucial to those energetic kickboxing scenes, is nowhere to be found on the official album. It’s hard to imagine those scenes without this song. Similarly, Sinead O’Connor’s track, which Deb workouts to, is also missing from the main soundtrack release. While a version with MC Lyte exists on the CD single, its exclusion from the album is a significant oversight. And then there’s Tuesday Knight’s “Nightmare,” the movie’s actual theme song – inexplicably absent from the Dream Master soundtrack album. Despite these omissions, Dream Master arguably boasts the highest “rock per capita” of all the NOES films. So many of the memorable kill sequences are inextricably linked to the accompanying songs. And who could forget “Are You Ready for Freddy?” by The Fat Boys? Its absence from the official soundtrack is another head-scratcher.
The Dream Child soundtrack, from Nightmare on Elm Street 5, is less frustrating in terms of song inclusion, as it features most of the tracks from the movie. However, the overall quality and memorability of the songs don’t quite reach the heights of Part 4. The hip hop tracks, with the exception of Schoolly D’s contribution, are largely unremarkable. Even Kool Moe Dee sounds somewhat generic here. While not necessarily bad, many of the rap/hip hop songs feel like paint-by-numbers 1989. The inclusion of artists like Bruce Dickinson and WASP, while individually good, doesn’t add much to the movie’s musical landscape, though their songs are solid in their own right.
In contrast to Dream Child, where songs are decent outside the movie but less memorable within it, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare offers the opposite scenario. With a few exceptions, the songs on The Final Nightmare soundtrack aren’t tracks I’d typically listen to independently, yet they work brilliantly within the film’s context. One could argue that NOES 3 through 5 represented the heavy metal trilogy of the franchise, while Freddy’s Dead, particularly its soundtrack, took a “grunge” turn. Discovering that the Goo Goo Dolls, pre-City of Angels fame, contributed to the soundtrack was a surprise. While these tracks aren’t record-hunting material, they are incredibly effective in their respective movie placements, and certainly surpass “Iris.” However, the lasting Goo Goo Dolls association for me, thanks to parenthood, is forever linked to this GIF. Chubb Rock’s classic “Treat ‘Em Right” is a standout, and Iggy Pop’s contribution serves as a fitting closer for what was intended to be Freddy’s final chapter. While effective in the film, it’s not among Iggy’s strongest tracks.
Alt text: Humorous GIF from Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, showcasing Freddy Krueger playfully using a chalkboard.
Finally, Freddy vs Jason. There’s no nostalgic connection to the songs from this movie for me. They embody the sound of 2003. For this article, I revisited the soundtrack on Spotify, and despite not being a fan of most of the bands, I tried to give it a fair listen. It didn’t resonate, but I’m sure there’s an audience out there who appreciates this soundtrack’s particular brand of early 2000s rock and metal.
And on that note, I’m out of Elm Street for now, but the music of Freddy Krueger’s nightmares will always have a special place in horror soundtrack history, proving the enduring appeal of the nightmare on elm street freddy krueger song and its many forms.
