The eerie day of Halloween in spooktacular October is here. Are you ready for some Halloween songs? Thrills and jump scares with eerie vibes under spooky lights are in the air. Chilly breeze at dusk? Check. Thoroughly planned, pop culture-savvy bomb costumes? Double check. Creepy-looking food and blood-themed drinks with witch potions? Check. Spooky lights, cobwebs and colourful sprays? Check.
Leaves changing colours and pumpkin spice latte mean to fall. Trick or treat, bags of sweets, ghostly strolls down the streets, pumpkins, spiders, fancy costumes, shadows mutter, mist replies, and darkness purrs as midnight sighs!
Everyone has a different way of enjoying Halloween: dressing up and hosting costume parties with friends, or staying at home decorating the house, carving pumpkins, and cooking Halloween-themed food. Or you can do it our way by binge-watching classic movies and jamming to dance-inducing songs that exude creepiness with eerie instrumentals, and dark, intense lyrics giving you chill, but hopefully, not enough jump scares to make you hide behind your pillow. These songs are incredibly catchy and entertaining but can also be spooky or even disturbing, making them an excellent choice for any Halloween party.
The finishing touch on your spooky celebration should be a playlist full of creepy tunes. Here are our top 15 song picks to listen to on the scariest night of the year. Let’s get going!
1. “Freaks Come Out at Night” by Whodini
“So if you wanna live a nice quiet life, do yourself a favour and don’t come out at night.” This song was a jam in the 80s and it still sounds fascinating when you really put your ear to it. The head-bopping rhythm carries the melody throughout the entire song with dynamic instrumentation and vocals, which are never repetitive, overbearing or has any cussing.
2. “There Will Be Blood” by Kim Petras
As it goes from, “There will be blood, run for your life. Go on and say, go on and say? Your last goodbye,” to “I’ve been dying to feel alive, and your pain is my paradise. So tonight, you gonna pay the price,” you can feel the goosebumps rising on your arms and shivers chilling down your spine.
3. “Nightmare” by Halsey
“I’ve trusted lies and trusted men. Broke down and put myself back together again.” This song is going to be the hymn of my life. Outside the roaring intensity, the meaning of this song is deep and inspirational and hit the right chords.
4. “You Owe Me” by The Chainsmokers
The plot twist of this song still gives me chills to this date. If The Chainsmokers invite you to dinner, remember you are the dinner.
5. “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites” by Skrillex
A message to future generations: Don’t let this masterpiece die.
This song was a cultural reset back in 2010 and it’s kind of melancholic remembering what life was like when this song came out and became an instant explosion and life for the parties.
6. “Monster” by Lady Gaga
“Talented. Brilliant. Incredible. Amazing. Show-stopping. Spectacular. Never the same. Totally unique. Completely not ever been done before. Unafraid to reference or not reference. Put it in a blender. Shit on it. Vomit on it. Eat it. Give birth to it.”
If you are familiar with this, congratulations—you are a true Gaga fan and deserving of admiration.
7. “All the Good Girls Go to Hell” by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish tackles climate change in this hellish video. What’s more frightening than that? Powerful lyrics with an intense vibe, it’s astonishing to realize how humans are blind to their own lies.
8. “Take What You Want” by Post Malone ft. Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott
Post Malone, Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott: the most unlikely trio ever, but this is an absolutely beautiful masterpiece with a unique combination melting the genre barriers. Post Malone is a musical genius who added a flair with his top-notch vocals and on-point melodies, sprinkled with Travis Scott’s belting vocals that added a unique touch to the song. But it’s the living legend, Ozzy Osbourne, whose powerful, old-school voice combined with unparalleled guitar solo and drum percussions that stole the show.
9. “Disturbia” by Rihanna
“Disturbia” is an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song with a “sizzling” beat and RiRi’s lush vocals. Lyrically, the song is about the experiences of anguish, anxiety, and confusion, giving us insight into the mind of a person as Rihanna, trapped in a cage, plays with the elements of delusion and psychosis, giving an illusion to the viewers of walking through a deceptive haunted house that left you feeling much more than “disturbed.” Everything about the song and the music video is insane, scary, and just pure terror.
10. “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer
Nothing’s more frightening than being stuck in relationship limbo: “Say you want me, say you want me back in your life/so I’m just a dead man crawling tonight.” But this song ages like a fine wine. The older it gets, the better.
11. “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by Backstreet Boys
If you’re looking for someone to help you plan your next Halloween party, just ask the Backstreet Boys. They turn an old house into the ultimate Halloween party with a wide variety of ghouls and creatures. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Backstreet Boys video if they didn’t incorporate their stellar dance moves.
12. “Black Magic” by Little Mix
The British girl group uses the power of magic to get through a tough day at school. After coming across a magic spell book in a library, they use their new powers to turn some wrongs into rights around every corner, even leaving a few love spells of their own on people.
13. “She Wolf” by Shakira
Musically, synth-pop and electro-pop “She Wolf” describes Shakira’s boredom because of her uncaring partner. It is a nod to every woman out there who knows what she wants and is free of prejudice and preconceived notions. She knows how to defend her deepest desires with teeth and claws like a wild animal, and this vibe makes it a perfect choice for Halloween.
14. “Bury A Friend” by Billie Eilish
“The debt I owe gotta sell my soul, no I can’t say no, no I can’t say no.”
Director: dark, weird yet something unique and diabolical?
Billie: YES!
15. “Thriller” by Michael Jackson
No mere mortal can combat the evil of a “Thriller.” Not every music video features zombies, ghouls, werewolves, and legendary dance numbers and that’s just part of the reason Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is so iconic, featuring on Halloween spooky party playlists every season, decades after its release.
Packed with symbolism and widely open to fans’ interpretation, this short film turned music video is a favourite Halloween season watch where MJ transforms from a human to a zombie-like, ghoulish creature with other monsters lurking in the dark, somewhat “fearing of change.” No matter where you are or who you are, things can always go awry.
Although we are confident that we can continue playing this game of song suggestions all day and night, let’s take a break. Which songs are you including in your go-to Halloween spooky party playlist?
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter at @CelebMix, and listen to our spooktacular music recommendations!