The Scarecrow is a creature as old as agriculture whose existence is built on fear. What a perfect fiend for Halloween! To honor of these pumpkin-headed kings I hearby offer this harvest of 13 songs to keep the corn swaying at your Halloween party.
The Season of the Witch is upon us, and once again I have conjured songs for your Halloween party. The theme for this year is Witches. There are too many great weird songs to choose from, so I used arcane magicks to pick my lucky 13.
Turn on any classic rock station and you’re bound to hear Love Potion No.9, I Put a Spell on You, Black Magic Woman, Witchy Woman or a ditty by Fleetwood Mac. This list is not meant to be comprehensive. I’m scooping down deeper into the cauldron and tossing back any tune you can’t dance to.
Come, have a sip of strange brew and listen for a spell.
Season of the Witch by Donovan (This isn’t No. 1, it’s the introduction)
Devil Woman by Cliff Richard (The 60s and 70s- the golden age of witch songs)
Swamp Witch by Jim Stafford (I love these southern fried stories full of creepy bayou atmosphere. “Snakes hang thick from the Cyprus trees, like sausage on a smokehouse wall.”)
Marie Laveau by Bobby Bare (This is a novelty song, but it harkens back to the time when everyone knew about the Witch Queen of New Orleans.)
Marie Laveau by Dr. John (This song does the Witch Queen more reverence.)
Voodoo by The Neville Brothers (Voodoo songs are often songs about love)
Voodoo Woman by Curtis Knight (or love lost)
Voodoo Woman by Koko Taylor (The next chapter in Curtis’ story?)
One Eyed Witch by The 7th Court (The manic energy of the electric organ just sounds like Halloween)
Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band (The cheesy fx of this music video had me spellbound as a kid.)
She’s My Witch by Kip Tyler (Let’s down tune for some Rockabilly and a few rippin’ guitar songs)
Brujo by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (Screamin’ Jay is Halloween royalty, and he’s representing the Man-witches)
Wicked Old Witch by John Fogerty
19 Witches by Monster Magnet
The Witch by The Cult
Witchfinder General by Carl Douglas (It’s not all love songs. Pimps up, Witches down.)
The Salem Witch Trial by Kiriae Crucible (Dark days in Salem. But on the bright side: electric organ!)
It’s only right to give the last word on witches to the ladies who have been so persecuted and maligned. And who better than Yoko?)
Yes, I’m a Witch by Yoko Ono (the 1974 original is smoother, but this version brings the madness home)
Bonus: I Want to be Evil by Eartha Kitt
For five more curated lists, check out my other Halloween mixes here, here, here, here and here.
Here’s another 13 songs for your Halloween party. The theme for this year’s mix is Horror Movies, featuring songs from scary movies or about movie monsters. While there are many throat-shredding, head-banging heavy metal bands that write nothing but monster odes, this list will even appeal to mullet-challenged individuals.
If you think a song is missing from this list, you may find it included on a previous list here, here, here and here.
Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein or Dracula – The Diamonds
There are many songs about B-Movies from the 50s and 60s, but I like this one because it’s about a girl who can only be amorous when watching monster movies.
Beware of the Blob! – The Five Blobs
I don’t know what else Burt Bacharach and his band The Five Blobs sang about, but this is the definitive song about blobs.
Human Fly – The Cramps
Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzzzz!
The Creature From the Black Lagoon – Dave Edmunds
I like how simply the love story is laid bare in this catchy tune.
The Howling – Babel
This entire song is performed live several times in The Howling 2: Your Sister is a Werewolf.
Big Bad Wolf – Bunny and the Wolf Sisters
This is the song from the prom at Teen Wolf to which the Teen Wolf dance is choreographed. Dear God I love this movie.
Pet Cemetery – the Ramones
Sometimes Ramones is bettah. For bonus horror movie music, checkout ‘Chainsaw’ about a certain massacreeee.
Drinkenstein – Dolly Parton & Sylvester Stallone
Not from a horror movie, not a classic monster, not stopping me from putting it on the list. The album has a bigger sound, but the outfit from the movie is not to be missed:
I Still Believe – Tim Cappello
This song was performed live in Lost Boys, and the saxophone player really brings the heat.
He’s Back (the Man Behind the Mask) – Alice Cooper
This movie is written about Jason Voorhees for Friday the 13th part 6. Not only does the music video have Cooper in a hockey mask running around a theater showing the movie, Jason himself makes a cameo.
Dream Warriors – Dokken
Not to be outdone, Dokken made a music video for Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 where they rock out so hard they give Freddy Krueger a nightmare.
Do the Freddy – The Elm Street Group with Freddy Krueger
Did somebody say FREDDY? Two rap songs weren’t enough, so Freddy cut an album with The Elm Street Group that will definitely give you nightmares. Other highlights include ‘Dance or Else’ and ‘Down in the Boiler Room’.
Feel free to suggest more songs in the comments. I hope you enjoy the music and have a Happy Halloween!
Here’s another 13 songs for your next Halloween party. This isn’t a definitive list, just a few hand-picked tunes that will enthrall a crowd with different…tastes.
This list starts off moody, like a newly risen, angst ridden revenant and grows stronger and stranger until it becomes a naughty vampire god. Pop your cape, sharpen your fangs, and dig up these tunes…
1. Moon Over Bourbon Street
Sting
As a horror-starved kid I was thrilled to find a main stream song about a vampire.
2. After Dark
Tito & Tarantula, Dusk ‘Til Dawn Soundtrack
This entire album has a lot of great songs to set the mood for your party, especially if it’s ‘that kind of party’.
3. Dracula Moon
Joan Osborne
I love the honky tonk sounds in this one.
4. Closer
Kings of Leon
I’ll admit, this is a new one to me but I dig it.
5. Night of the Vampire
Roky Erickson
This is the least bizarre of Roky Erickson’s songs, but a good place to start getting weird.
6. Dracula’s Lament
Jason Segal, Forgetting Sarah Marshall Soundtrack
I chose the short version from the soundtrack because I like the mood and piano, but there are longer versions on youtube.
7. Blacula (Stalk Walk)
Gene Page, Blacula Soundtrack
This song is deadlier than Dracula.
8. Black Dracula
Killa Sha featuring Foul Monday
This song popped up randomly on a Wu-Tang station but it’s different enough to make the cut.
9. Dracula’s Wedding
Outkast
Wonderfully playful.
10. Oh Sookie
Snoop Dogg, True Blood Soundtrack
There’s often a song on these lists I refuse to apologize for, and this is that song. The greatest song to come from True Blood since ‘Bad Thing’ and better than the last 3 seasons combined.
11. Dracula Perfect Selection – Beginning
I don’t even know what’s going on with this one. Konami released a rap album? With music from Castlevania?
12. Soul Dracula
Hot Blood
This song should be played at every party, regardless of the holiday.
13. Fright Night
J. Geils Band
This video is pure, un-cut madness straight from the 80’s.
As a bonus, here is the intro to a great odd cartoon I used to love: Count Duckula
Don’t forget to check out previous lists of handpicked Halloween songs from other years here, here and here. Do you know of a song that should have made the list? Let me know in the comments.
You can find pumpkins and candy corn anywhere, but where to find great scary songs for a Halloween party? There are a lot of Norwegian Death Metal bands out there with great songs about cannibalism and axe murder, but those aren’t really crowd friendly.
You may already have some Halloween music, a few ‘no-braaaaainers’ like Thriller, Ghost Busters, Monster Mash, and Dead Man’s Party. All good stuff, but you can only do the Thriller dance for so long.
Here’s another hand-picked play list of 13 spooky fun songs to help summon the Halloween spirit and keep people on the dance floor.
It’s Almost Halloween by Panic at the Disco
This song sets the mood perfectly. When I launch my own probe into the depths of the solar system, this song will be inside on a gold record.
I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow
Yes, this song is ‘on the nose’, like a wart on a witch. Would you have it any other way?
Ghost town – Extended Version by The Specials
The moaning of the phantom organ, the eerie chorus, the delicious ska beat. If this weren’t an extended version, I’d have to play it twice.
Spiderwebs by No Doubt
As long as we’re dancing on the off-beat, let’s keep it up with No Doubt.
Walking with a Ghost by Tegan and Sara
Walking with a ghost smells better than walking with a zombie, but they both sound pretty sweet.
I Walked with a Zombie by The Aliens
If you’re feeling adventurous, checkout some other songs by lead singer, Roky Erickson. You may find yourself falling down a psychedelic rabbit hole of songs like “Bloody Hammer”, “Night of the Vampire” and “Creature with the Atom Brain”.
Spooky by The Zombies
This tune goes out to all the spooky little girls out there…
Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell
This video is amazing! Back in the day I was so starved for horror that I would watch MTV and wait for the music video for songs like this or The Rolling Stone’s ‘Too Much Blood’.
It’s interesting how many main stream pop songs from the 80’s make good Halloween songs. Yet another reason why the 80’s were totally rad.
The Haunted House of Rock by Whodini
This song has sound effects, monsters, and lots of sweet puns. It’s almost like a children’s Halloween album, but it’s from 80’s hip hop group Whodini.
The Freaks Come Out at Night by Whodini
Now that I think about it, this is a great Halloween song too!
What? By Rob Zombie
So much of Rob Zombie’s music is perfect for Halloween, but this song has a fun bounce to it without the hard edged aggression that may turn off non-Metal heads.
Monsta Mack by Sir Mix-A-Lot
What kind of party would it be without Sir Mix-A-Lot?
I’m Your Boogie Man
Let’s end this list with a two-fer. KC and the Sunshine Band followed by Rob Zombie. Listen for the soundbite from John Carpenter’s original “Halloween”.
Jeff C. Carter’s stories have been featured in dozens of anthologies, translated for international markets and adapted for podcasts.
His love of science, adventure and Halloween continue to inspire his science fiction, action and horror writing. He lives in Southern California with a cat, a dog and a human.
Author Jeff C. Carter 