Bernard Herrmann / Original Score - Psycho - Original Soundtrack (Red Vinyl)

According to Christopher Palmer in "The Composer in Hollywood" (1990), the resulting score is "perhaps Herrmann's most spectacular achievement for Hitchcock." Hitchcock was pleased with the tension and drama that the music added to the film, and he later remarked that "33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music." Herrmann used the limited music budget to his advantage by writing for a string orchestra rather than a full symphony ensemble, contrary to Hitchcock's request for jazz music. Hollywood composer Fred Steiner, in an analysis of the music in Psycho, highlights that the string instruments allowed Herrmann to access a wider range of tones, dynamics, and instrumental special effects than any other instrumental group. The main title music, a tense and fast-paced piece, sets the tone for imminent violence and recurs three times in the soundtrack. Although nothing shocking happens in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the film, the main title music lingers in the minds of the audience, creating tension in those initial scenes.