This Halloween, not only should you carve out the jack-o’-lantern of your dreams, but you should also have the perfect trick-or-treat night set up. Put on a fangtastic costume, set out the candy for the trick-or-treaters, and, of course, queue a spooky playlist. Don’t worry if your Halloween playlist isn’t ready yet; we’ve compiled a list of the best creepy songs to put you in a macabre mood. Even if dancing isn’t quite your thing, there are tons of hits that you’ll want to sing along to and also work great for Halloween party karaoke. All of the classics, including “Monster Mash,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and, of course, “I Put a Spell On You” from Disney’s Hocus Pocus, are right here for you. But, we’ve also included a couple of new hits like Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” and Halsey’s “Ghost.” No matter what vibe you’re going for, this list has something for you.1. “Psycho Killer” — Talking HeadsNot only is this a spooky classic, but it’s back in the zeitgeist thanks to its new music video released nearly 50 years after the song. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST2. “Calling All the Monsters” — China Anne McClainWhether it’s you, your kids, or your siblings, we all know someone who is obsessed with Disney. Get in the Halloween spirit with this Disney classic.ADD TO YOUT PLAYLIST3. “Eyes Without a Face” — Billy IdolThis one has a scary title, but a beautiful melody. Give your guests a break from all the thrills with this ballad at the costume party. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST4. “Maneater” — Daryl Hall & John Oates Talking about scary titles and soft melodies, jam to this 1980s classic this Halloween. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST5. “Dead Man’s Party” — Oingo BoingoWe’re hoping you can’t relate to this song, but given the occasion, it sure would be fun to pretend!ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST6. “Fright Song” — Monster High & Mattel ft. KATSEYEThis is another song that either you enjoyed as a kid or your kids did. “Monster High Fright Song” is a new rendition of the opening song to the 2010 web series “Monster High: New Ghoul at School.” Just like the show, the song remains iconic to this day, and it’s been made even more fabulous by the girl group “KATSEYE.”ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST7. “Eyes on Fire” — Blue FoundationPopularized by the 2008 film “Twilight, this song’s lyrics and melody have an eery feeling that makes it perfect for Halloween. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST8. “My Family” — MigosWhile vibrant, this song samples The Addams Family theme song. Play it at your Halloween party to get everyone dancing.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST9. “Sucker for Pain” – Lil Wayne, Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X AmbassadorsVibe to this song from the 2016 film “Suicide Squad” this Halloween. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST10. “Bury a Friend” — Billie Eilish From the lyrics to the music video, “Bury a Friend” by Billie Eilish screams “creepy,” and it’s a must-listen this Halloween. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST11. “Vampire” — Olivia RodrigoBloodsucking and a bad breakup all make this song a perfect vibe for Halloween.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST12. “Monster Mash” — Bobby (Boris) PickettYes, you’ve heard it all before. No, it has not gotten any less catchy — or less of an absolute essential Halloween classic!13. “Anthem” — Michael Ables From the psychological thriller Us, composer Michael Ables said he wanted the opening song to sound like an “evil march.” Mission accomplished!ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST14. “The Phantom of the Opera” Overture — Andrew Lloyd WebberThis one’s obviously a must-play for all musical theater fans, but there’s no doubt that anyone and everyone will appreciate that epic, instantly recognizable organ intro.15. “Stranger Things” Theme — Kyle Dixon & Michael SteinI mean, is there anything more perfect for Halloween than the spooky Stranger Things theme song? ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 16. “Haunted” — BeyonceLeave it to Queen Bey to slay with a scary-good track that’s also accompanied by an equally eerie music video.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST17. “Haunted” — Taylor SwiftSpeaking of great songs named “Haunted,” this one from Taylor Swift is everything you want in a dark, dramatic breakup anthem (and more!).18. “Creep” — RadioheadThis one’s an essential for celebrating the creepiest night of the year — especially for all the weirdos and misfits out there. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 19. “A Nightmare on My Street” — DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh PrinceWho knew ’80s hip-hop and Halloween could go so well together? Before he was well-known actor Will Smith, he was busting a beat as The Fresh Prince. 20. “Monster” — Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon IverNot only does this hip-hop track feature the ultimate collab of musicians, it also features a horror-filled theme perfect for Halloween.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 21. “I Put a Spell On You” — Bette MidlerDisney’s wicked ’90s hit Hocus Pocus and its sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, feature the quirky Sanderson sisters who wreak havoc on a small town. Bette Midler’s rendition of “I Put a Spell On You” always puts us in the holiday spirit.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 22. “Thriller” — Michael JacksonThere’s nothing quite like a posse of zombie backup dancers. You just can’t resist mimicking all their iconic moves.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 23. “Ghostbusters” Theme — Ray Parker Jr.Who you gonna call? You won’t be afraid of any ghosts when you’re jamming to this classic.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST24. “This Is Halloween” — The Citizens of HalloweenJack Skellington’s passion for this fright-filled holiday is pretty contagious. And the melody will be just the thing to get your Halloween party started.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST25. “Superstition” — Stevie WonderWe agree with Stevie Wonder — it doesn’t always pay to be superstitious — but we can still be a little apprehensive about breaking mirrors and crossing black cats on Halloween.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 26. “Somebody’s Watching Me” — RockwellA couple of eerie lyrics about being followed, punched up with a little ’80s pizzazz, make for one spooky song. We can guarantee it’ll get stuck in your head all night long.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 27. “Time Warp” — Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, & Richard O’BrienA jump to the left and step to the right are the heart and soul behind the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Plus, a song that comes with its own dance moves is always a hit.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 28. “The Addams Family” Theme — Vic MizzyA dismembered hand, a cousin who’s literally hidden by hair — of course, we had to include the spookiest family of all time on this list. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 29. “Wolves” — Selena Gomez & MarshmelloSelena Gomez starred in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, so it’s safe to consider her a Halloween expert. And the eerie feeling evoked in the song’s visualizer doesn’t hurt either.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 30. “Dark Horse” — Katy Perry ft. Juicy JKaty Perry told MTV she wanted this song to have a “witchy, spell-y kind of black magic-y” vibe. I think we all can agree she nailed it.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST31. “I’m in Love with a Monster” — Fifth HarmonyGrab your other half for this funk-influenced hit. That’s why you dressed up in a couples costume, after all. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST32. “Zombie” — The CranberriesThe year: 1995. Your obsession: This Dolores O’Riordan song.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST33. “Monster” — Lady GagaLady Gaga’s breakthrough album includes a very appropriately titled track for Halloween. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST34. “Get Ur Freak On” — Missy ElliotCrazy story: Missy Elliot was actually in the hospital the night before she performed this song at the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show. She still killed it of course. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST35. “Freaks Come Out at Night” — WhodiniThis little ’80s earworm will stay in your head long into November.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST36. “She Wolf” — ShakiraIt’s impossible not to dance to Shakira — just try. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST37. “The Monster” — Eminem ft. RihannaPop singer Bebe Rexha actually wrote the hook for this song that later won a Grammy Award. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST38. “Werewolves of London” — Warren ZevonPlace your bets now that someone will start howling along to Warren Zevon’s 1978 rock track.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 39. “I Want Candy” — Bow Wow WowBow Wow Wow’s cover of the Strangeloves’ single describes your trick-or-treating sugar rush to a T. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 40. “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” — David BowieThe 1980 album’s title track gets eerie real fast with lyrics about a woman’s descent into madness.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 41. “Disturbia” — RihannaRight from the opening scream, Rihanna’s number one hit will get people dancing — and singing along to that crazy, catchy hook. Bum-bum-be-dum-bum-bum-be-dum-bum …ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 42. “Season of the Witch” — DonovanThe hippie vibes of this psychedelic rock may not seem scary, but the song’s appeared in everything from Halloween III to American Horror Story.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 43. “Heads Will Roll” — Yeah Yeah YeahsThe Yeah Yeah Yeahs somehow turned the creepy topic of decapitation into an insanely danceable anthem.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 44. “Halloween” Theme — John CarpenterThe slasher movie franchise may include a whopping 11 flicks, but the original soundtrack is undeniably the best. Just cross your fingers that Michael Myers doesn’t show up at the party.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 45. “Hungry Like the Wolf” — Duran DuranThis Duran Duran classic is a straight shot to the ’80s, back when MTV played the jungle-themed music video nonstop.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 46. “Ghost” — Ella HendersonYou might have caught this recent hit by X Factor contestant Ella Henderson on the radio.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 47. “Witchy Woman” — The EaglesSure, it’s a classic Eagles track, but the witch-themed lyrics fit the holiday theme.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 48. “Midnight City” — M83This lead single hit it big back in 2011, yet the synth-pop track is still the perfect after-dark groove over a decade later.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 49. “True Blood” — Justin TimberlakeNot the HBO series of the same name, but this Justin Timberlake song sounds like someone’s a bloodthirsty vampire. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 50. “Spooky” — Dusty SpringfieldThe name of this song is literally spooky — and it’s all about love. You might remember it from the 2008 rom-com How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 51. “Boogie Monster” — Gnarls BarkleyIs the boogie monster real? Just listen to this creepy song and maybe you’ll find out.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 52. “Skeleton in the Closet” — Louis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong is telling the terrifying story of a haunted mansion that’s filled with ghosts and goblins — eek! ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST53. “Super Freak” — Rick JamesChange the mood a bit with this classic, which will have everyone in the room bopping along. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST54. “Blinding Lights” — The WeekndGet some strobe lights out and start blaring this song. If you really want to set the mood, play the video for everyone to watch. ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST55. “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” — Ella FitzgeraldThe famous tune from The Wizard of Oz is an obvious classic, but Ella Fitzgerald’s cover version puts on a jazzy twist that’s perfect for any party.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST56. “Ghost” — Halsey Okay, this is a love song. But every party needs a few mixed in, and this track does the trick with the haunting music and the line: “My ghost, where’d you go?”ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 57. “Look What You Made Do” — Taylor Swift Even if you’re not a fan of Taylor Swift, you can’t deny how amazing this song is, especially around Halloween.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST 58. “Don’t Fear the Reaper” — Blue Oyster Cult The song deals with death and how it’s inevitable and isn’t something that should be feared. And yes, there’s cowbell.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST59. “Who Can It Be Now?” — Men at Work Once you really dig into the song, it’s not too scary. But during a Halloween party, the sentiment of feeling a little on edge rings truer than ever.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLIST60. “Run” — Michael Abels There are no lyrics in this song from the classic psychological thriller, Us. And no lyrics are needed as the instruments and sounds are terrifying.ADD TO YOUR PLAYLISTRosamelia is an Editorial Intern at Good Housekeeping. She’s also a graduate student in NYU’s Magazine and Digital Storytelling program. In her free time, you can find her reading and reviewing books on her bookstagram: amelias_biblioteca.Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.
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