It’s Halloween time guys, and no one’s more excited than I am– except for those weird adults who spend thousands of dollars making their front porch look like a Wes Craven film. Anyhow, if you’re hosting a party or are in need of some music to set the scene, here’s a playlist to get you started (if you dare):
Halloween Parade–Lou Reed: I’m not going to lie, this song isn’t about Halloween so much as about all the freaks that live in New York. Nonetheless, the word “Halloween” is in the song, and it’s a great one.
Halloween–Misfits: Before Odd Future existed to send Tipper Gore into a frenzy, we had the Misfits, the seminal horror punk outfit. Halloween is the most appropriate song for this list (seeing as its called Halloween), but essentially anything off of either Collection 1 or Collection 2 should do.
Leave Me Be–The Zombies: The band’s called The Zombies. What more do you want? A spooky organ? Check.
Bela Lugosi’s Dead–Bauhaus: Seminal goth spine chiller. This is ten minutes of purely terrifying ambiance complete with lyrics about bats, bell towers and vampires. Not for the faint of heart.
Halloween–Souxie and the Banshees: Noisy, dissonant rock and roll with appropriate lyrics (that include the phrase “trick or treat”).
I Put a Spell on You–Screaming Jay Hawkins– Screaming Jay goes hard on this vocal– cackling, growling, screaming, basically showing the kids how its done. Paired with a towering organ and gospel choir repeating the word “spell,” this is the ultimate Halloween madness.
Monster–Kanye West & Jay-Z: I don’t even know where to begin with this song. Kanye’s verse is great; Jay’s verse is hilarious; Nicki Minaj’s verse is, well, transcendental. If you need to get your Halloween party “nutz,” look no further.
Fluorescent Grey–Deerhunter: If Bradford Cox’s voice and general vibe aren’t enough to get this on your hipster Halloween playlist, this song features spooky lyrics about the undead! Wonderful!
Fright Night (Nevermore)–Ariel Pink: Some 80’s synth goodness from the LA enigma, with lyrics about a “Fright Night!”
Thriller--Michael Jackson: I don’t particularly enjoy this song, but I’d feel like an idiot if I didn’t put it on my Halloween playlist.
Do They Know its Halloween–North American Halloween Prevention Initiative: So many people on this goofy little ditty- Feist, Arcade Fire, Beck, Thurston Moore, Wolf Parade and more… call it an indie parody of that stupid “Don’t they Know its Christmastime?” Easily my favorite Halloween song.
We Only Come Out at Night–Smashing Pumpkins: A weird little gem hidden on the second disc of Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 opus, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, is perfect for Halloween time. The kazoo-driven song features lyrics that may or may not be about vampires. As an added bonus, the band has the word “Pumpkin” in the name!
Halloween–Sonic Youth: Terrifying piece of drone featuring a spoken lyric by Kim Gordon. Anything off of the “Bad Moon Rising” era will suffice (check the ultra appropriate cover art) for your alt-rock Halloween.
