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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPRM chapter.

Halloween is creeping around the corner and that means spooky moody music. This curated playlist is perfect for anything from your daily commute to a little Halloween bash you’re definitely throwing this year. Highlighted are our best and favorite Halloween jams (Monster Mash not included, sorry

1. (Don’t Fear) the Reaper by the Blue ÓŠyster Cult– This ‘70s rock song transports you to another world, one where the Reaper is your ghostly friend and death is but a beautiful journey not to be feared.

2. Halloween by Phoebe Bridgers– this song is really perfect for the Halloween vibe. Even though it has a deep meaning, it’s targeted to enjoy as it says “Baby, it’s Halloween. And we can be anything. oh, come on, man. We can be anything.

Phoebe Bridgers at the 2021 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
Photo by Francis Specker / CBS

3. Little Dark Age by MGMT– A song whose varying snippets have been trending on TikTok for nearly three years, always around Halloween, this song embodies the spooky darkness of the season with its ominous lyrics and dark synth sound.

4. ĐĄĐŸŃŃƒĐŽ (Đ‘ĐŸŃ€ĐžŃ РыжОĐč) [Bedpan, (Boris Ryzhy)] by Molchat Doma– The Russian band makes darkwave/synth wave music, the basis for Gothic music, alive and well with this song off of their 2018 album called ЭтажО.

5. Waking the Witch by Kate Bush– This song, originally released in 1985, is full of storytelling and experiment sounds from eerie voice distortions to Latin prayers, making this song feel like a trip reminiscent of the mysterious.

6. Tonight You Belong to Me by Patience & Prudence– If you’ve ever seen the first season of American Horror Story: Murder House, then you know exactly what makes this sweet-sounding 50s song eerie and perfect for spooky season.

7. Thriller by Michael Jackson– Halloween’s anthem.This iconic track from the 6th studio album by MJ gives a taste of how the spookiest holiday sounds like. He uses storytelling techniques that are perfect for eerie narratives, making it one of the best records for this time; the monster sounds, and the mixture of the synth and organs added throughout the song add great effect to this vibe.

8. Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell– Thanks to TikTok for trending this one, if it wasn’t for that app i would’ve never known its existence. It also reminds me of Michael Jackson’s songs.

9. Baby, You’re a Haunted House by Gerard Way– By the irreplaceable frontman of the staple emo punk band My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way’s 2018 single is a messy bass-heavy song about a dark but loving romance. An airier song with a head-bopping beat, this song is a nice pallet cleanser for your typical dark and scary Halloween songs. Plus the music video is kind of quirky, as the entire band is in skeleton costumes and they sway to the beat of the song, reminiscent of a certain 60s rock band, and the video itself looks like it was filmed on an old camera.

10. All the good girls go to hell by Billie Eilish– I really don’t have to explain myself on this one. It’s actually self explanatory. Besides, Billie has made many tracks perfect enough to go in this playlist like bad guy & bury a friend. 

Billie Eilish performing on stage
Photo by Lars Crommelinck Photography distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license

11. Monster by Lady Gaga– She didn’t have to serve that much in 2009, but she did. I’d like to say that the whole The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition) was perfect to the bit and ideal for a Halloween playlist. 

12. Vamp Anthem by Playboi Carti– This song is one of Playboi’s most streamed songs which has also been TikTokified. It includes Halloween elements and samples from Bach’s musical composition “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” which has had ghastly and macabre appearances in horror films. Spooky!

Sarai Fontanez-Davila is a staff writer and editor for Her Campus in the University of Puerto Rico- MayagĂŒez, looking to cover topics from beauty to pop culture and news. She is in her second year of university, studying for a bachelor's degree in English Literature, driven by her passion for the craft of literature. In her senior year of high school, she was the president of the Creative Writing Club and a member of the National Honor Society. She has also participated in various writing competitions for organizations such as Teen Vogue, and has earned recognition as county winner of a state poetry competition. She graduated in 2022, with honors. Reading, window shopping, movies and TV, hanging out in coffee shops, and daydreaming on Pinterest are some of Sarai’s hobbies. Some TV shows and movies that have shaped her personality are Avatar: The Last Airbender, Steven Universe, and Studio Ghibli films, especially My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo. Her current book collection is made up of over 80 books and she is always looking for new books to read and add to the hoard.
Julybet is a writer at the Her Campus at Universidad de Puerto Rico at MayagĂŒez chapter. She is a very passionate enthusiast for films & music, she is also an advocate for human rights. Earlier in her teen years, she started to be drawn to activism and fighting for equality and justice. She strongly believes that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and much respect; and is committed to use her voice for those who can't, making a difference in the world. In addition to her advocacy work, her love for music and film is as much as important. She tends to find solace and inspiration in the power of storytelling through music and visual arts. Always seeking a meaning whenever she's listening to music or watching a movie, she's trying to understand the message. Overall, she strives to make a positive impact in her personal and professional life. By combining her passion for human rights with her love for music and films. Hoping to inspire others to join her for a more and inclusive society. “I believe that through creativity and activism, we can truly make a difference in the world”.