The most used scream in movies turned 60 this year:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_scream

Fun for movie trivia.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg use it all the damn time.

That reminds me of the stock Ju87 dive bomber sound, Tarzan's mating call and the wild west coyote, all of which we must have heard thousands of times before.

http://www.imdb.com/keyword/wilhelm-scream/

didn't they use that same scream in Wolfenstien 3D when you killed some of the Nazis?

One sample that is used waaayy too much is when a semi-truck drives by, and they always use the same two honk, Doppler-effect horn. Is it really that hard to record a different sound from a truck?? They even use the same sound in those "Wold's craziest police video's" shows when a semi drives by...

I hear the guy who first screamed the Wilhelm scream was in fact Al Gore.

I didn't think he was that old.

There are many sound effects I've noticed over the years that just get used ad nauseum. Some I'm not sure of the origin of, but I recognize them. I've heard some from even the original Doom in films and TV.



The Jedi Master

There's a stock sound for a reloading rifle or shotgun (not sure which) that I've heard in countless movies and tv shows.

There are a few other places the wilhem scream should have been used...

I've noticed that too. In particular, the whip-like sound effect from Doom II you hear when the demon pods are released from Satan's head shows up a lot. I also hear the global view button pressed effect from the first two X-Coms almost as often.