Power of Nightmares music

By Adam Curtis
Writer, Producer and Narrator, The Power of Nightmares

The Power of Nightmares - first screened in Autumn 2004 - explored how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is largely an illusion. It made extensive use of music as outlined by the series creator, Adam Curtis.

There is too much music and noise to list everything. But the main pieces used are these:

John Carpenter - The theme from The Prince of Darkness - the 1987 movie. Plus the repetitive piano bit from Halloween in the haunted house.

Brian Eno - From Another Green World - Big Ship - and In Dark Trees

Charles Ives - Symphony number two - 5th movement. Putnam's Camp from Three Places in New England. Plus a bit from Central Park in the Dark

Ennio Morricone - Theme from the 1970 film Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion And a Morricone piece from the 1980 Pontecorvo film Ogro

Shostakovich - Lyric waltz from the Ballet Suite No 1 and a bit from The Young Lady and the Hooligan

John Barry - The Ipcress File

Soundtrack to The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - Paul Sawtell and Jerry Goldsmith

Colours by Donovan

Baby It's Cold Outside - the 1949 version by Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting

The best noises come from Skinned - which is a whole lot of samples from the archives of the band Skinny Puppy

Adam Curtis wrote, produced and narrated the series, Power of Nightmares first broadcast on BBC Two in Autumn 2004 and repeated in January 2005.

His other work for the BBC includes The Century of the Self, The Mayfair Set, Pandora's Box, The Living Dead and An Ocean Apart.