Autumn has arrived, and with it so many things I love- leaves changing colors and falling; fall festivals, like the Greek Festival; Fairs, like the State Fair and the Dixie Classic Fair; my birthday, which should be a national holiday; and of course, Halloween, which I love. My love of all things spooky goes back to childhood when I spent hours plotting out the best and most effective course through nearby neighborhoods to accumulate the highest percentage of candy. And watching horror movies- I read books about old Universal and Hammer films as research. In 6th grade I dressed up as Red Death from the Edgar Allen Poe story. Seriously- I had my grandmother make me a death costume but in bright red and I wore a skull mask under the hood. I was a bit of a horror nerd. Of course no Halloween would be complete without a good soundtrack, and since I always do one in December for Christmas I figured it was high time I did one for All Hallows Eve. So here is a list of 25 good tunes to play for a spooky good time- this list is pretty eclectic so there should be something for everyone on here. And if you’re expecting Thriller or Monster Mash or something, well then you’ll need to look somewhere else cause that’s not how I roll. There are some spooky Halloween songs and a few thrown in that just have spooky titles just for fun. Feel free to share!
- Tales from the Crypt (nothing beats the Crypt Keeper’s laugh combined with Danny Elfman’s music)
- Welcome to My Nightmare- Alice Cooper (the crown prince of creepy himself)
- I Put A Spell On You- Screamin Jay Hawkins (the original and best. And what a freak show he is!)
- Ghosts N Stuff- Deadmau5 (some not-so-scary beats for you)
- Tubular Bells- Mike Oldfield (from The Exorcist- possibly the scariest movie ever made)
- Witchcraft- Frank Sinatra (The Chairman has no defense for it, and although I know it’s strictly taboooooooooooo…)
- Dawn of the Dead Main Theme- Goblin (George Romero’s best with the best music)
- Bad Moon Rising- Creedence Clearwater Revival (featured nicely in American Werewolf in London)
- Grim Grinning Ghosts (from Disney’s Haunted Mansion) (Come on, you love this. My favorite ride at Disney)
- Halloween- The Misfits (The Misfits were Halloween incarnate).
- Nightmare on My Street- DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Featuring Freddy! Listen closely- this song can easily be mashed into…)
- Lullaby- The Cure (the spider man is having me for dinner… tonight…)
- Surfin Dead- The Cramps (featured in Return of the Living Dead and totally awesome)
- Ghost Town- The Specials (actually about how all the dance clubs were closing but still cool and spooky)
- The Phantom of the Opera- Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (Broadway musical plus punk rock supergroup equals Awesome)
- I’m Your Boogie Man- White Zombie (gives the song a whole new meaning!)
- Theme from the Groovie Ghoulies- The Groovie Ghoulies (loved this show– from the folks who brought you the Archies)
- Devil Woman- Cliff Richard (She’s just a devil woman with evil all over her…)
- Pet Sematary- The Ramones (Stephen King plus Ramones equals more Awesome)
- Swingin at the Seance- Glenn Miller Orchestra (Swing dancing on halloween!)
- Bela Lugosi’s Dead- Bauhaus (ok to some a cliche, to others the best that Goth had to offer. Either way, admit it- you love it)
- Beetlejuice Opening Credits Theme- Danny Elfman (Elfman is a freak and this is one of my top 5 favorite movies. Yep.)
- Legend of Wolley Swamp- Charlie Daniels Band (There’s some things in this world you just can’t explain…)
- Halloween- Sonic Youth (This needs no explanation)
- Joan Crawford- Blue Oyster Cult (My wife’s suggestion- what’s scarier than Joan Crawford rising from the grave? Nothing!)
You can listen to the entire playlist on my YouTube Channel- Just Click Here!
And have a happy and safe Halloween!