When ghost night comes and pumpkins light up the windowsills, the right music can work wonders. Halloween is not only about costumes and sweets – it is also about sounds that build tension, amuse and create a mood of slight terror. Here are ten songs that have accompanied the evenings of October 31 for years – from immortal classics to contemporary, dark manifestos.
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Nobody expected this. This number opened the door to his career
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Kuba Szmajkowski about his recent coming out. “I will live one hundred percent”
1. Michael Jackson – “Thriller”
No Halloween playlist would be complete without this song. This 1982 hit is not just a hit, but a pop culture ritual. The sound effects, Vincent Price’s monologue and zombie dancing created a benchmark to which all Halloween music videos are still compared. Jackson combined dance groove with horror cinema – and the result was something that has no expiration date.
2. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – “Monster Mash”
A fun, pastiche song from 1962 that became the unofficial Halloween anthem. Bobby Pickett, parodying the voice of actor Boris Karloff, created a grotesque story about monsters dancing in a laboratory. “Monster Mash” was number one on the Billboard charts just before Halloween, and to this day it still sounds like a musical postcard from the era of classic horror movies.
3. Andrew Gold – “Spooky, Scary Skeletons”
An inconspicuous children’s song from the 1990s has gained a second life in the Internet era. Thanks to memes and YouTube videos, “Spooky, Scary Skeletons” became a viral hit and a must-have on Halloween playlists. Irony, a light groove and lyrics about dancing skeletons make this song connect generations – from the nostalgic to those who only know it from TikTok.
4. Ray Parker Jr. – “Ghostbusters”
“Who are you gonna call?” – a question that everyone knows. The single from the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” is one of the most recognizable songs in the history of pop culture. Ray Parker Jr. created a hit that, instead of frightening, disarms – funky bass, light groove and a chorus that sings itself. It doesn’t scare you, but it effectively drives away a bad mood.
5. Rockwell – “Somebody’s Watching Me”
This synth-pop hit from 1983 contains an atmosphere of paranoia and anxiety – a perfect theme for the night when the lights go out. Rockwell invited Michael Jackson to sing the chorus, which creates additional tension. The song sounds like a mantra: “I feel like someone is watching me” – a perfect motif for the moment when the lights go out.
6. The Cramps – “Goo Goo Muck”
Dirty rockabilly, punk energy and a B-movie atmosphere. In the 1980s, The Cramps created a sound that perfectly suits Halloween – slightly kitschy, slightly dangerous and very danceable. “Goo Goo Muck” returned to the charts thanks to the series Wednesday, in which Jenna Ortega danced to it in Addams style. Effect? Gothic Renaissance.
7. Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”
David Byrne and his story about the mind of a madman are a classic. “Psycho Killer” has something disturbingly hypnotic about it – pulsating bass, nervous rhythms and lyrics that make it difficult to stop listening. This is not a song about ghosts, but about fears that lie much closer – in the head.
8. Donovan – “Season of the Witch”
A psychedelic classic from 1966 where folk meets mystery. “Season of the Witch” is a story about a time of changes and strange phenomena that are difficult to rationally explain. The hypnotic guitar and Donovan’s melancholic vocals make the song sound like the soundtrack to a dream on the verge of reality and enchantment.
A modern version of musical horror. In “Demons” Doja Cat plays with themes of possession and darkness, combining hip-hop with a gothic atmosphere. The music video looks like a fragment of a horror movie, and the song itself proves that contemporary pop can also sound like a ritual. This is Halloween in the 2020s – intense, provocative and at the same time stylish.
10. Lady Gaga – “The Dead Dance”
Lady Gaga’s latest offering is a return to the dark, theatrical pop she is famous for. “The Dead Dance” is a story about dancing with the past and coming to terms with the inevitable. Sonically, it evokes the spirit of “Thriller”, but with Gaga’s characteristic drama. It’s hard to find a better song for the finale of Halloween night.