1. This Is Halloween – Vitamin String Quartet
Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween essential. I watch it every year. One of my favorite parts of Nightmare Before Christmas is this song. I like this instrumental version because I can listen to it while working or during the month and not have it be overly Halloween-y. (Is that a word? I swear, you can make any word an adjective by adding a y at the end.)
2. Thriller – Michael Jackson
How can you have Halloween without Thriller? Sit down with some pumpkin spice tea in your spookiest undies and watch the music video. If you haven’t seen it, you have to. If you have seen it, just re-watch it; young Michael Jackson is worth it.
3. Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
I believe I have talked about this song on last year’s playlist. Here it is again. I do not regret it. Have you ever seen that vine of the little girl when her “jam” comes on? That is me with this song, especially since the new movie came out.
4. Monster Mash – Boris Pickett
When I was little, I hated this song. I don’t know what it was, honestly. Maybe the guy’s voice? Now that I am older and wiser, I recognize the Monster Mash for the graveyard smash that it really is. Throw this on at your Halloween dance party.
5. Time Warp – Rocky Horror Picture Show
LISTEN. You guys know from my fall movie list that I love Rocky Horror. This just so happens to be my favorite song from that movie. It is the perfect amount of fun and inappropriate and catchy.
6. Weird Science – Oingo Boingo
The only song I listened to while writing this playlist article is “Weird Science.” It’s 80s dance meets Halloween. Nothing gets better than this.
7. Spooky, Scary Skeletons (Remix) – DJ Kevin
This is a new one for me. My roommates and I discovered it late one night and have played it way too many times since. Please, do yourself the favor and add this song to your dance playlist. It’ll be stuck in your head and your bones for days.
8. I Put a Spell on You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Everyone knows this song. Mostly, because you heard it in Hocus Pocus. However, I think this is my favorite version of it. The singer’s voice is just amazing and perfect for Halloween vibes.
9. Uma Thurman – Fall Out Boy
This is another one of those songs that are kinda Halloween-y, but not overly so. Fall Out Boy sampled the theme song to the Munsters, a GREAT show that I would recommend if you haven’t seen it. Anyway, the inclusion of the theme song makes this song Halloween ready.
10. Voldemort – Vitamin String Quartet
Usually, Harry Potter music makes me think of Christmas time. Like being snuggled up in a hundred year old chair and reading about fantastic beasts in the Ravenclaw common room while it snows outside. However, Voldemort is the spookiest of all spooks. His theme song definitely makes the list.