[Ed. Note—As you’ve probably guessed, this was supposed to run in our annual Shield Gets Spoopy issue—but Mr. Collings’ heroic labor was not supported by enough of his colleagues. We apologize to him for that, and intend to re-run this somewhat often.]
During the Spooky Season, I have heard from so many people that there is not a great selection of listenable music. There is the Monster Mash (which is on this list, of course) but not much else. I am going to give a comprehensive list of some good songs to get anyone into the Halloween spirit, prepare to catch some ghosts, and explain why these songs should make it into your Halloween musical rotations.
The Classics
The two classic Halloween songs that need to make it into a Halloween playlist are, of course “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. “Monster Mash” is a very catchy song about vampires, Frankenstein, and the rest of the Universal Monsters, so of course it is a good song for Halloween. Everyone listens to “Monster Mash” for a reason. “Thriller” is a very popular song—with a great music video, by the way, which is also something fun to watch on Halloween. “Thriller” has everything you want, like a creepy voice in the background and the theme of something lurking in the night. It definitely feels like Halloween, due to its creepy nature and its, uh, Michael Jackson. Simple as that and, if you want, it can be pretty nice to dance at a Halloween party.
Movie Music
The main entries here are “This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas and Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” from the movie Ghostbusters, which is not a Halloween movie per se, but it is a good Halloween song. I remember watching Nightmare Before Christmas every Halloween when I was a kid, and it has a great soundtrack. In particular, “This is Halloween” is very catchy and I am sure it reminds everyone of Halloween as much as it reminds me. It’s a great song to listen to with the family while carving pumpkins or just waiting for trick-or-treaters. “Ghostbusters,” though, is a song that everybody knows, and why not listen to it for Halloween? It has all the aspects of a good song: catchy, easy to sing along to, and of course, it is about ghosts.
Rock and Roll Halloween
Two rock-and-roll songs I like for Halloween are “I Put a Spell on You,” specifically the Creedence Clearwater Revival version, and (possible hot take incoming) “Boris the Spider” by The Who. CCR’s “I Put a Spell on You” is a very good song, as it has that classic folk rock feel, and it’s a very Halloween song. At least, people seem to think so: I have heard it on so many Halloween playlists because the lyrics are very easy to catch onto, since it has a very simple word scheme. The Who’s weird take on “Boris the Spider” might not be a song you just listen to on any normal day, but for Halloween, it is very creepy and has several classic Who moments, as well as the wacky lyrics in a very weird voice—but like any song by The Who, it is worth a listen.
Songs About Monsters
These songs are obviously about monsters like “The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley and “Dracula’s Deuce” by The Ghouls. These two songs are kind of silly, but then again, so is Halloween sometimes. “The Purple People Eater” is a song I remember since childhood. It has a classic midcentury sound, and is very funny, as Halloween songs should be: a Purple People Eater is hilarious, and the song’s monstrous subject matter makes it a natural fit for Halloween. The other song, “Dracula’s Deuce,” is again a silly song about Dracula, like a “Monster Mash” with a more focused vampiric vibe. Dracula is a very important character for Halloween, and the song is fun for kids and all alike to dance to or just listen on a spooky Halloween night.
Are These Really Halloween Songs? Yes!
Though these songs are not directly Halloween-related, they are still played during the holiday: “Witch Doctor” by Don Lang and “The Banana Boat Song” by Harry Belafonte are great songs for your playlist. “Witch Doctor” is an old song; everyone knows the opening lines, made even more popular by Alvin and The Chipmunks, but it is still a good song for Halloween. “The Banana Boat Song” does not seem like a Halloween song, because it isn’t, but ever since it appeared in Beetlejuice it has been a staple of the holiday that brings people back to the movie. It is very easy to sing along with, as everyone can repeat the same or similar lyrics over again.
These songs are staple Halloween songs for your holiday, but if you want to dig deeper, some other suggestions are “The Twilight Zone” by The Ventures, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, “Welcome to My Nightmare” by Alice Cooper, and “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell. Even beyond these, there are plenty of other songs that have that little bit of Halloween spirit that makes them great for the horror season.