Halloween Songs: 5 Creepy Tracks to Complete Your Holiday

2018-10-30

Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Rob Fenn

In the mood for some Halloween songs? Here are five must-have tracks on any Halloween mix

Halloween is almost here, and it’s that time of year to start jamming out to spooky Halloween songs. Creepy music has a long history of being coupled with the Halloween season, and in that spirit, read on for five classic Halloween songs that will get you in the spirit to trick-or-treat to the beat.

Michael Jackson, “Thriller”

No Halloween is complete without the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller” playing as the backdrop to any Halloween activities. This classic is actually the most-downloaded Halloween track of all time, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It doesn’t hurt that no matter the season, “Thriller” is one of Jackson’s most recognizable and enduring hits.

Alice Cooper, “Welcome to My Nightmare”

Who better to rock out to on Halloween than the original shock rocker, Alice Cooper? The Coop and Halloween go together perfectly. Really, most of Cooper’s eerie metal songs could be played on Halloween, but we think “Welcome to My Nightmare” is among his best. With Cooper dramatically singing “Welcome to my nightmare / Welcome to my breakdown / I hope I didn’t scare you / That’s just the way we are when we come down,” it really plays to the Halloween vibe.

Rob Zombie, “Meet the Creeper”

While Rob Zombie’s most popular song might be “Living Dead Girl,” it’s hard to ignore “Meet the Creeper” as one of his most Halloween-appropriate tracks. The track is classic Zombie from start to finish, from John 5’s heavy guitar playing and industrial flourishes to Zombie’s grainy vocals. The song is off Zombie’s debut album, “Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International.”

“Ghostbusters” – Ray Parker Jr.

“If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?” Since its release in 1984, Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” has been more than just a theme song for the “Ghostbusters” movie— it’s a part of American culture, which the songs downloads spiking during the Halloween season. No Halloween mix is complete without “Ghostbusters” in high rotation.

“This Is Halloween” – Danny Elfman

If you’re looking for a song that literally references Halloween throughout, “This Is Halloween” is your pick. With lyrics such as “Come with us and you will see / This, our town of Halloween / This is Halloween, this is Halloween / Pumpkins scream in the dead of night,” this Danny Elfman classic is truly all about Halloween. The track was originally created for the 1993 film, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.