Halloween season is arguably the best time of year; great movies, exciting TV show spin-off episodes, beautiful weather, fun fashion experiments and elite music. What makes the music elite is that it doesn’t have to be Halloween, or even fall, specific.
Some of my favorite songs of the season are ones I listen to year-round but get a haunting connotation as October settles in its wake. Below, in no particular order, are some great songs to walk around campus or include in your Halloween “Get Ready With Me” playlist to ignite the Halloween spirit within you.
- “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – Blue Oyster Cult
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While this list isn’t in any specific order, this song has to be one of my favorites of all time. It’s a classic in every sense of the word, from the memorable opening riff to the iconic cowbell keeping time to the mid-song guitar interlude.
This song tells the listener to not be afraid of death himself, working in tandem with the eerie minor key of the melody to fabricate the perfect combination of suspense and unease juxtaposed with hopefulness and acceptance. This song is a staple in classic rock and if you haven’t heard it already, I implore you to bless your ears with this masterpiece.
- “Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)” – Type O Negative
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While this song may not be everyone’s cup of tea as a goth rock/heavy metal piece, it encapsulates the mystique of the holiday with a beating heart, heavy breathing and melodic instrumental organ ad-libs. The richness of Peter Steele’s vocals enhances the work with his silky cadence and naturally soul-stirring tone.
“Black No. 1” recounts the singer’s interaction with a girl that makes him feel like he is loving someone who has prematurely crossed the veil. Many of the lyrics reference Halloween, trick-or-treating or spooky late October references to further enhance its applicability to this list.
If you have an extra 11 minutes to spare, I recommend this song to put you in a creepy-crawly kind of mood.
- “Zombie” – The Cranberries
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Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer of The Cranberries, has a magical way of singing that she uses in “Zombie” to capture the listener in her haunting display of the horrors she’s observing. She takes the listener through the rawness of her own emotion paired with the rawness of the instruments in a bodacious exhibition of sound.
“Zombie” is a ’90s classic, using vocals and the change in aggressiveness of the instruments to conjure enough spookiness to get some excitement about the approaching holiday.
- “Hungry Like the Wolf” – Duran Duran
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What is a better genre for Halloween than the ’80s? Imagine indie slasher films with big hair and the use of synthesizers in the soundtrack. “Hungry Like The Wolf” is no different and delivers this vibe directly to your eardrums. It incorporates an upbeat array of instruments and synth sounds, making you feel like the main character in one of those old ’80s movies.
But, how is this supposed to get you in the Halloween spirit? Duran Duran includes heavy breathing, eerie laughter and lyrics about hunting down their prey that will keep you on edge as the holiday approaches.
- “People are Strange” – The Doors
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The Doors open the song with a descending pattern of notes, starting off the piece in a way that makes you feel like you’re descending into a creepy, dark basement. The lyrics about people being odd creatures and the slightly off-beat notes in the background give this song an off-putting but playful aura.
The old-timey sound of this ’60s classic enhances its aura and deepens the mysteriousness it evokes in its listeners, transporting you to a haunted house or a foggy graveyard.
- “Psycho Killer” – The Talking Heads
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The title sells this song for the Halloween season. “Scream,” “Psycho,” “Halloween” and more psycho-killer-oriented movies emulate the vibe that the Talking Heads create in this song. The unnerving cadence of beats that track the majority of the song imitates paranoia and the inclusion of French phrases induces confusion in some, mirroring the way that people feel when watching such renowned flicks.
With a talking style of singing as opposed to a Frank Sinatra-style crooning, this song is a great way to add some variety to your playlist while keeping it on theme for Halloween.
- “She wolf” – Shakira
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Compared to the first six songs listed, this one may be a bit of a curveball, but “She Wolf” incorporates many of the same aspects that turn a regular song into a chilling extravaganza.
Shakira uses heavy breathing and the distortion of her voice to enhance the eerie atmosphere of the piece, which juxtaposes a woman with her wild side coming out as a werewolf in the night. However, this song is fun and upbeat, breaking up some of the more haunting songs on this list.
- “Cry Little Sister” – Gerard McMann
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“Lost Boys,” the best vampire movie of all time, uses this song as its beautifully wicked theme, which works wonderfully throughout the Halloween season. Haunting choirs, ascending organ interludes and echoing drum beats usher the hairs on the back of your neck to stand straight up.
“Cry Little Sister” combines the facets of a horror movie soundtrack with a traditional ’80s bridge and chorus, making this song spellbinding to listeners alike.
- “Somebody’s Watching ME” – Rockwell
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With similarities to “Psycho Killer” and “People Are Strange,” “Somebody’s Watching Me” uses paranoia and fear throughout this synth-filled tune to echo the feelings of someone on the run from the scariest monsters of all like as the song mentions, the IRS.
Rockwell uses changes in the pitch of the vocals and a less melodic way of singing to build a sense of tension that characterizes the unnerving vibe of the season, taking the listener through a chorus of emotions. Add this song to your playlist for a fun yet thrilling intermission.
- “Thriller” by Michael Jackson
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Opening with the sounds of doors creaking, footsteps and wolves howling, no Halloween playlist is complete without “Thriller.” Featured in iconic movie scenes and having a nightmare-inducing music video, this song is a certified Halloween classic. Plus, it comes with an amusing dance that is easy to pick up and incorporate into your festivities.
Michael Jackson’s voice takes you through a terrifying night of trying to survive a myriad of creatures that have begun to surround you. The subtle jazz inclusions and steady synth sounds that pulse throughout the song make this a nostalgic and entertaining song to boost your spirit and get you dancing. Who doesn’t love the sound of that?
From goth rock to ’80s classics to pop, these songs cross a slew of genres to increase your Halloween spirit and elevate your playlists.
Happy listening!