Mark Snow, the Emmy-nominated composer behind the iconic theme of The X-Files, passed away at his home in Connecticut on Friday, according to media reports. He was 78.
The veteran composer, a 15-time Emmy nominee, is best known for creating one of the most recognisable theme songs of the 1990s. His haunting whistling tune for Chris Carter’s sci-fi drama The X-Files became a pop-culture milestone. The track made it to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and was named one of the ‘100 Greatest TV Theme Songs of All Time’ by Rolling Stone in 2022.
Having received his musical training at Julliard, Snow began his career by writing orchestral music and later transitioning to television and film music.
He has scored more than 200 episodes of The X-Files starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. He also composed the soundtrack for other series including Hart to Hart, T.J. Hooker, Smallville, The Ghost Whisperer and Blue Bloods.
Snow received 6 Emmy nominations for The X-Files, and five for high rated TV movies and miniseries, including Something About Amelia, An American Story, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, Children of the Dust and Helter Skelter.
In an interview back in 2016, Snow said that the tune for The X-Files came about by accident. During trial and error sessions, he hit a key with his elbow and that’s how the eerie music came into existence.
Snow is survived by his wife, Glynnis, their three daughters, and several grandchildren.