The Walking Dead was a unique show that balances the drama with the survival thriller setting of a zombie apocalypse. While still at the height of the zombie-obsession in Hollywood, the show offered a more poignant exploration of how humans function in a fallen society and how they seek to rebuild a sense of meaning through various ways.

A post-apocalyptic setting would have a lot of artifacts that were remnants of the past, and music composer Bear McCreary reportedly hoped to invoke the same emptiness and a foreboding sense of doom with the theme song. His creative direction was also guided by his previous work on the series Human Target.

The Walking Dead’s theme used fewer instruments because of Human Target A still from Human Target | Credits: Fox

While AMC’s The Walking Dead is set during a zombie apocalypse, the episodes are not always action-based and have long scenes of talking and drama.