Spooky Songs for Halloween – Guitar Noise

It’s crazy how much some people look forward to Halloween. It’s like Christmas and high school graduation all rolled into one. It’s the only made-up holiday where you get to dress up, and people give you free stuff. Here’s a quick selection of spooky, moody songs that are overlooked for most of the year. This list of rock and pop songs assumes you prefer power chords to pop princesses.

“Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon

“Werewolves of London” proves how just one song can make someone a household name. Most classic rock fans will know Warren Zevon’s name but have difficulty naming any of his other songs or claims to fame. The song’s sharp, witty lyrics are what make this song both fun and spooky at the same time. Martin Scorsese used the song to accompany Tom Cruise dancing with a pool cue in The Color of Money, which may have helped keep the song’s legacy alive.

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult

Rolling Stone magazine named “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” song of the year in 1976. Like the aforementioned “Werewolves of London,” it’s a song that serves as a gateway to everything else by Blue Oyster Cult. Reaper captures what the band is all about – a spooky brew of punk, prog rock, heavy metal and lyrics about dying. It also has a great guitar riff worth learning and adding to your repertoire.

“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC

What makes “Highway to Hell” one of the most enduring rock anthems is that singer Bon Scott is not just striking a rock and roll pose. AC/DC lived on the road so long that they felt like they were on a highway to hell. This song tells the story of the bad things they did and all the bad things that would happen to them. It was all in pursuit of making loud music that people would connect with. When people say AC/DC only has one song, this is the one they mean.

“Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell

Rockwell might be the biggest one-hit wonder of the 1980s. Fortunately, this song never fades into obscurity because it’s reborn every year just before Halloween. It’s a perfect mix of pop, R&B, rock and MTV video madness. This all makes sense. The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, lends vocals to the song, and that’s undoubtedly a big part of the song’s success.

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is the song on nearly everyone’s Halloween playlist. How can you listen to “Thriller” and not remember the 14-minute video/movie where Jackson leads a pack of zombies through a choreographed dance routine? The Walking Dead owes a considerable debt to Jackson for making zombies do silly things without being laughable.

“Season of the Witch” by Donovan

Scottish folk singer Donavan began experimenting with psychedelia in 1966 with songs like “Season of the Witch.” It features session player Jimmy Page on guitar. The sound is spooky, primarily when heard in contrast to the album’s other notable song, the sunny-sounding “Sunshine Superman.”

“People are Strange” by Echo & The Bunnymen

Echo & the Bunnymen’s version of “People Are Strange” is by no means superior to the original by The Doors. But it is a good choice for a Halloween playlist. It’s nearly twice as long as the Doors version, which raises the question of why it is one of the best Doors songs and also their shortest. But the real reason for choosing it is its inclusion on The Lost Boys soundtrack, the 1987 vampire movie with Kiefer Sutherland as the head vampire. This is a spooky version to check out this Halloween.

“Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads

Some people are afraid of clowns. Shouldn’t we be scared of psycho killers who sing confessions in English and French? “Psycho Killer” has a driving baseline that makes the song safe enough in the light of day, but at night, you’ll wonder who this killer is and why he hasn’t been caught yet. Ever notice that Talking Heads singer David Byrne looks a lot like Norman Bates from Psycho?

“Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield

What is “Tubular Bells?” Is it prog-rock or a movie soundtrack? It’s forever associated with spookiness owing to its use in the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist. Mike Oldfield played most of the instruments on the album, recording them one at a time and layering the recordings to create the finished work. Tubular Bells stayed in the British charts for 279 weeks. It climbed the charts slowly and eventually reached the number-one spot after a year.

“Doom and Gloom” by The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones continue to tour and release new music. “Doom and Gloom is a relatively recent song from 2012. It covers contemporary topics like fracking, class warfare, and fighting zombies. Mick Jagger might have just seen World War Z before writing it.

Those songs will get you started on making your own Halloween playlist. What other songs would you recommend for a Halloween party? Let us know in the comments.