The most frightening time of the year is finally here, which means it’s time to get ready and pick songs for your virtual Halloween party!
You may have already begun purchasing drinks and snacks and planning some clever Halloween activities, but to really strike the mood, you’ll need an out-of-this-world playlist as well.
Fortunately for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best Halloween songs so you can kick off the party with the creepiest, most spine-tingling sounds.
These tracks are certain to get you dancing, whether going to an indoor party or just wanting to connect virtually with your friends or family. Just keep in mind that some of these songs include explicit lyrics; thus, reserve them for your adults-only party and pick for a more kid-friendly playlist while celebrating with little children.
1. ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ by Rockwell
This song peaked simultaneously with “Thriller,” the last single from Michael Jackson’s legendary album; both tracks peaked in the United States in March 1984. Jackson had been dominating the airwaves for almost a year at that point even when he was still on fire. Rockwell made excellent use of him, with Jackson leading the chorus with a single phrase well suited to his voice: “I always feel like somebody’s watching me.”
2. ‘Halloween’ by The Misfits
Glenn Danzig, the Misfits’ main vocalist, composed this song on the darker side of Halloween, an American holiday in which children dress up and go door-to-door gathering candy. Halloween, which occurs on October 31st, is also celebrated by many adults who dress up for the occasion.
3. ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is so strongly associated with Halloween that it’s easy to miss the fact that it also has the most iconic music video ever created. To begin, it is the most famous and widely lauded music video in history, one whose popularity helped push the 1982 album Thriller to the top of the charts, with some estimates estimating over 100 million copies sold worldwide.
4. ‘Monster’ by Kanye West
At every step, the group references horrific imagery such as blood suckers, goblins, and the Bride of Chucky, and serves a good dose of haterade to critics and doubters, but it’s the funky rhythm and nasty lyrics that will give you chills.
5. ‘People are Strange’ by Echo and the Bunnymen
Jim Morrison suffered from depression. He went to Robby Krieger’s home, where they walked to a canyon to watch the sunset, and Jim realized he was unhappy because “if you’re strange, people are strange.” He then penned the remainder of the lyrics, which deal with alienation.
6. ‘Suspiria’ by Goblin
They combine with a chorus of synthetic sonorities and begin to crescendo, a continuous disruptive climax that is so all-consuming and frightening that you feel as if your brain is about to burst from the sheer intensity of it all. The audio onslaught is unexpectedly brought to a stop by a startling “crack!” The word “SUSPIRIA” flashes on screen, followed by a new audio cue, a beautiful celesta and bells tune.
7. ‘Season of the Witch’ by Donovan
Donovan recorded it in May 1966, just before his widely famous arrest for marijuana use. In this five-minute dive into gloomy psychedelia from the British singer-1966 songwriter’s album, Sunshine Superman, Donovan never quite defines what he means by a ‘Season of the Witch.’
8. ‘Ghostbusters’ by Ray Parker Jr.
Parker had to be very inventive with this, since composing a song with the phrase “Ghostbusters” is rather difficult. Parker said in an interview with George Cole, author of The Last Miles: Miles Davis’s Music, 1980-1991: “It sounds easy now because you’ve heard the song. But if somebody told you to write a song with the word ‘Ghostbusters’ in it, it’s pretty difficult. That was the hard part – getting the title of the song.”
9. ‘Living Dead Girl’ by Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie’s wholehearted embrace of souped-up hot rods, decomposing bodies, and classic monsters resulted with this shredding classic of the ’90s slice of post-industrial rock that found its way into mainstream radio stations and into the hearts of mall goths everywhere.
10. Superstition by Stevie Wonder
Wonder created this to warn people of the risks of superstitions. He makes reference to a variety of ill luck superstitions, including going under a ladder, shattering a mirror, and the number 13.
