Halloween is all about setting the mood, so now that you’ve got your costume, you’ve got to figure out what tunes you’re going to do the Monster Mash to while you’re getting ready for our Gods and Heroes party. Here are thirteen of our personal favorites: Some spooky, some goofy, some about Halloween, some about the frights in everyday life, and all pretty awesome. Click ctrl + left click and “save as” at your own risk.
1. I Put A Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins + She & Him’s cover
This is an absolute classic. A tortured and howling (and screamin’) plea for a girl to stay true. Good for Halloween time or any time.
For a perfect Halloween drifting down a haunted stream or driving through the woods.
3. If I Only Were a Goth – Thoushaltnot
To the tune of “If I Only Had a Brain.” It’s ridiculous but highly addictive.
4. She’s Fallen In Love With A Monster Man – Screaming Lord Sutch
Haven’t we all? I think this one is literally a monster, though.
5. Monsters – The Boy Least Likely To
This one is not literally about monsters. But still scary.
Haunting and wonderful. CocoRosie should have lots of experience with Halloween, since they’re basically in costume all the time.
Sometimes you have to side with the ghosts.
“High pitch travel monster lives in puke / Stings my tummy and my eyes /Pokes me with needles too. /Low pitch bass monster lives inside of the books. /Nobody really knows /exactly how he looks.”
9. Excitable Boy – Warren Zevon [Live Version]
Sounds like fun: punchy piano, some sweet jamming, Warren’s dulcet tones… until you listen to the lyrics. “He dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones”? Gah.
10. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) – David Bowie
Bowie is the master of all the best parts of Halloween – illusion, mystery, makeup, and duh, sequins.
11. Haunted House – Sam the Sham
A 1960’s rock n’ roll jam about moving into a haunted house. Moral: Be a man and don’t let the ghosts scare you out of your own house (of which you are boss).
An aspiring Jack the Ripper bemoaning the fact that she’s a girl. Brilliant and very very creepy. Don’t listen to this when you’re up alone at night in a strange, ramshackle radio broadcast room researching murder weapons. Trust us.
13. This Is Halloween – Danny Elfman (The Nighmare Before Christmas) + really weird Coconut and the Duke cover
Because you just can’t have a Halloween playlist without it.
Now watch Tim Curry pretend he’s David Bowie in The Worst Witch. If anyone has the MP3 version of this song, email us.