BW Magazine
November 1, 2015 November 1, 2015 wsbufm
13 Songs of Halloween
*as seen in The Buzzworthy Vol. 28.2*
If you're throwing a Halloween this party come the 31st and need some suggestions for the playlist you're going to use, take our suggestions of thirteen songs that'll definitely get your guests in a spooky mood!
Monster Mash (Bobby Pickett)
Honestly, no playlist is going to be complete without this timeless classic. Is it a bit cheesy? Yes. Is it something little kids like to listen to? Oh, you bet. But it's also the most Halloween-y song you'll find out there. Deep, deep down, even the coolest kids would be a little bit disappointed if they pulled in to a Halloween party and didn't get to listen to this graveyard smash.
This is Halloween (Panic! at the Disco)
If The Nightmare before Christmas wasn't punk-rock before, it definitely is now. This cover of the haunting movie theme is everything you'd expect to come out of a collaboration between Tim Burton and your favorite panicky band. Still a spooky track, Panic!'s interpretation from the 2006 soundtrack reissue keeps the Halloween spirit alive in this classic while adding their edgy sound to the mix.
Disturbia (Rihanna)
A directly Halloween-y song? No, but Rihanna's triple-platinum track will definitely get you and your partygoers in the mood of the holiday. With haunting vocals and a great electro-pop sound to it, this is exactly what Halloween would sound like if it couldn't come right out and say, "Hey, it's me, Halloween."
She Wolf (Shakira)
Again, not a directly Halloween-y song, but also again, a song that manages to capture the Halloween spirit by a female artist who knows exactly what she's doing. Was Shakira talking about a real-life she wolf? Probably not, but whenever Halloween comes around, it's a mistake to leave this song off your playlist – Shakira's such a talented artist that she makes a Halloween-esque song sound sexy.
Werewolf Bar Mitzvah (Donald Glover)
Speaking of wolves, if you didn't know that a song existed where Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) is doing his best Tracy Morgan impression and singing about "boys becoming men, men becoming wolves", you are definitely missing out. It's a ridiculous gag from 30 Rock that's actually also a full-length song that sounds like Halloween, makes fun of how ridiculous Halloween music can be throughout, and is funny to hear to boot. If you're throwing a Halloween party, adding this song to your playlist will give you plenty of mazel tov.
Ghostbusters (Ray Parker, Jr.)
Another Halloween-y song, you definitely know this one. Everyone in America probably does as well – those distinctive chords start playing and everyone knows what song's coming up. If this starts playing at a party, expect everyone to sing along. A party where everyone is singing at once to the same song is a success in my book.
Diane Young (Vampire Weekend)
A Halloween song? Not exactly. But it's by a band called Vampire Weekend, and it's a fun, fast song that'll get everyone excited. It's not spooky, but you've got all you need to throw it on your Halloween playlist.
Somebody's Watching Me (Rockwell)
You know what really says Halloween? The idea that you're being stalked and that someone is always watching you, no matter what to do. It's creepy, it's a little bit scary to think about, and it makes a perfect song for you Halloween playlist.
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Image courtesy of rollingstone.com
The quintessential Halloween song. You already know why it should be on your playlist, and if you forgot to put it in, here's your reminder. It's not Halloween without MJ in his prime dancing around with some zombies.
The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band)
What's more Halloween than the Devil? Quite simply, nothing. A guy named Johnny engaging in a fiddle-playing content for his soul with the Devil sounds like a movie I would watch, but it's also a phenomenal, adrenaline-filled song that'll get everyone worked up on Halloween. Beating Satan with a bluegrass instrument is my #1 way to bring some excitement to Halloween.
Time Warp (from the The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack)
There's spooky, scary, Halloween-y things, and then there's The Rocky Horror Picture Show. An amazing tribute to sci-fi and horror, this particular song is a tribute to the dance song genre, complete with a dance that you should teach all your friends. This song is big, this song is popular, this song is amazing, and it's not Halloween if there's no Rocky Horror.
Glory and Gore (Lorde)
When I think about Lorde, I can definitely picture her as someone who takes Halloween very seriously. She's a bit of a vampire in her own right. So when I think about if a Lorde song could fit into a Halloween playlist, I remember two friends of mine who, last year, went as Glory and Gore for Halloween. If any Lorde song belongs on this playlist, it's this one – haunting, dynamic, and still catchy enough to get everybody pumped up at a party.
Spirit in the Sky (Norman Greenbaum)
The party's pretty much over, everything's pretty much died down, Halloween is coming to an end, and this is the song that'll pick you up from that. It's uplifting, you'll find yourself swaying to it, and whether you're starting to clean everything up or you're trying to get things started up again, bringing this particular spirit to the party is going to energize everyone instead of terrifying them.
– Mike O'Malley
Halloween music
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