If there’s one thing I love more than Halloween, it’s Halloween music. There’s something about Halloween that gives people the creative freedom to just go wild. Halloween music is about pure entertainment; it’s like campfire stories, you want to be engaged, maybe spooked, but overall you’re listening for a good time. This definitive Halloween playlist has three sections, classics: the soundtrack to Halloween, pop/rock: to get the adrenaline pumping with fear and fun, and Halloween-adjacent: for when the other songs don’t rattle your bones but you still want to be in the Halloween spirit.
Any good Halloween playlist should have Thriller, Ghostbusters, and the Monster Mash, but you’ll hear those on repeat. Soundtracks to Halloween movies are good fodder: Bette Midler absolutely does not miss on “I Put a Spell on You.” “This is Halloween” is a shoe-in, but my favorite from the Nightmare before Christmas soundtrack has to be “Oogie Boogie’s Song.” It’s jazzy, threatening, and dramatic, everything you could want in a Halloween song. As for songs from TV shows, “Calling All the Monsters” and “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” cannot be underestimated. I’ve personally seen a well-timed “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” take a party from a six to a ten in one minute and nine seconds.
“Spooky Scary Skeletons” continues our quick meme section; this song has been replayed and remixed so many times, but it’s earned its spot on the Halloween charts because it’s infallibly electrifying. It’s the perfect song to transition into the pop section of our playlist. A recent favorite of mine is “Things That Go Bump in the Night.” It’s got the charm of early 2000s pop with just the right amount of energy and spook, keeping your adrenaline up. Other favorites are “Werewolves of London,” “Psycho Killer,” and “Zombie,” which are not Halloween-exclusive songs, but good for any time of year. If you’re not much into festivities or just want a change of pace, I recommend “Drunk on Halloween” by Wallows or “Halloween” by Phoebe Bridgers. The idea of Halloween is a time to play pretend, and I like how Bridgers uses it to say “I’ll be whatever you want.”
Another one of my personal favorite Halloween traditions is waiting for Louie Zong to drop a new installment in their “Ghost Duet” series. Louie Zong is an electronic music artist who often animates their songs with an endearing cartoonish style. “Ghost Duet” is arguably their most recognizable piece; it’s a minute-long lo-fi song featuring two cartoon ghost characters singing to each other. Cute and catchy, under 60 seconds, no language barrier, it shouldn’t be a surprise as to why this has made its rounds on the internet. Every October, I look forward to seeing it reappear in my feed. Since “Ghost Duet”, Zong has released “Ghost Choir,” “Ghost + Guest,” “Ghost Castle,” and most recently, “Ghost Cowboys.” They all fit the calming, playfully, spooky mood that “Ghost Duet” started with.
Scan the Spotify code to view the whole playlist and Happy Halloween.
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