Devils, Witches and the Supernatural, Grisly Death, Evil Laughter and Sinister Chord Structures
Sometimes you need a little music to set the mood. Maybe you're going to a Halloween party, maybe you're just eating little Snickers bars waiting for the doorbell to ring, but Bobby "Boris" Pickett just doesn't move you the way you need to be moved. Allow me to suggest a few good songs with supernatural content - witches, ghosts, or just minor chords and evil harmonies. This is largely stuff from the "Classic Rock" era, and not excessively obscure, I trust.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - Nancy
Not scarey, but Love Potion #9 surely is in the spirit, so to speak. Then there's a little ditty (forget who did it) about Maxwell's Silver Hammer....
27 - Vern
Bauhaus' "bela Lugosi's Dead" has been on my short list of Halloween songs for years. Glad to see I'm not the only fan.
Others:
Concrete Blonde - "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)"
Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Hell"
Oingo Boingo - "Dead Man's Party"
Sting (surprise!) - "Moon Over Bourbon Street"
Dave Mathews - "Grave Digger"
AC/DC - "Highway to Hell"
Seems like Johnny Cash should have something other than "Ring of Fire"..."Hurt" sounds right even if it is off-topic.
Have a creepy Halloween.
28 - scott
Great list everyone - really deep and cool. It might be a lame addition, but how about Rockwell's "somebody's watching me" ?
29 - craig
I do a halloween show on my radio station every year and searched for a site like this. i found songs that i already had on my list but a few that i did not such as the Fripp tune and Flying Dutchman. Great suggesstions.
Here are some but not all that are on my list that you do not have in your blog:
bloodrock - breach of lease
alice cooper - black ju ju (evil sounding tune)
spooky tooth - evil woman
judas priest - the ripper (sad wings of destiny lp)
just some as i said. some great suggestions in the responses above too including zappas' the toruture never stops.
cheers,
DJ Craig
30 - Chris
Opeth "The Grand Conjuration"
Cannibal Corpse "Unleashing the Bloodthirsty"
I'm not really suprised these two have not been added. They're new and metal so...
The second one is a band about zombies making a song about zombies, the growling and low guitar parts are pretty creepy.
But the first one I like best for a Halloween song. Equipped with awesome growls, strange whispers, creepy keyboards, and demonic lyrics; this one spooks me at night in my car sometimes, not to mention it has great length and is progressive so it has good "meat" to listen to.
31 - Chris
ACDC "Hell's Bells"
Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast"
Black Sabbath "Children of the Grave"
32 - J
anything off of marilyn manson's "antichrist superstar" album. especially "man that you fear" even though most people dig it when you play "beautiful people" and/or "sweet dreams."
33 - gonzo marx
what, no White Zombie?
fucking philistines...
::insert wink here::
Excelsior?
34 - Vern Halen
All time scary song: "It's Halloween" by the Shaggs. Un-capital-B-elievable - an otherworldly performance if there ever was one.
35 - sippicancottage
I thought of one or two. Gimme Shelter sounds like the soundtrack to some sort of dreadful sitzeeation, don't it?
Mannish Boy has some very fine voudou in it too.
I got a black cat bone
I got a mojo too
I got a John Lee Conkaroo
I'm gonna mess with you.
36 - Becky
How about
"Wicked old Witch" by John Fogerty
"Deja VooDoo" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd
"Hypnotized" by Fleetwood Mac
"Orisha Dance", "Yellow Moon", "VooDoo" Nevilles
37 - Ally
What about the brilliant Zombina and the Skeletones?
Loads of their tracks are great for a spooky halloween
Nobody likes you when you're dead
Can't break a dead girls heart
Frankenlady
Horror High School
or what about 'Feed my Frankenstein' ALice Cooper rocks
38 - JC Mosquito
Hallowe'en by the Dream Syndicate - stunning.
Halloween by the Shaggs - gives a whole new dimension to the term "scary."
39 - Zed
Forgot "Dead or Alive" by Oingo Boingo. Along with about three quarters of their other stuff...
40 - Lauren
I've been thinking about this all day actually, I'd have to go with Alice Cooper's "Feed My Frankenstein", Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and possibly Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13's "Scary Song".
41 - Eddie Riff
Great list and comments. I'd recommend "The Unquiet Grave" by Gryphon to go with Fairport Convention & Steeleye Span. What's Halloween without crumhorns & sackbuts?
I also recommend:
David Lindley - Werewolves Of London (rocksteady)
Gary Hoey - Frankenstein (shreds it)
Roky Erickson - Night Of The Vampire (anything else from The Evil One will work)
Mel Torme - Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives
The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Werewolf
Bo Diddley - Bo Meets The Monster
Rocket From The Crypt - I Drink Blood
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Halloween
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - Halloween Spooks
The Upsetters - Vampire
S.C.O.T.S. - Werewolf
42 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Yea..It was a pretty damn good list. Here's some great tunes to spice up your ghoulish evening:
John Carpenter - "Halloween Theme"
Helloween - "Halloween"
King Diamond - "Halloween"
Overkill - "Frankenstein"(Edgar Winter Cover)
Fantomas - "The Devil Rides Out"
The Misfits - "Halloween","Pumpkinhead" & "Monster Mash"
Tiger Army - "Fog Surrounds"
43 - Mary K. Williams
on a classical bent, check out Franz Liszt's "Mephisto Waltz" It's not horror inducing exactly - but it has a certain creepiness to it. It's a little more intense if you see the movie by the same name, starring Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset, a bizarre story about a music journalist (Alda)who has a chance to interview his hero, a famed pianist. The virtuoso however, has different plans - quite macabre. Talk about your deals with the Devil!
And did anyone mention that Charlie Daniels song, "Devil Went Down to Georgia"?
I finally found a decent audio link (Classical.com - search on Mephisto Waltz - Waltz#1 'Dance in the Village Inn)
44 - Ellen
Another great source of spooky Halloween songs is a band called "The 69 Eyes" Very gothicy and if you have the ear drums for it Cradle of Filth simply is Halloween...all the time. Don't forget Swan Lake. It's used in the open of Dracula with Bela Lugosi and a couple of other old monster movies. Makes me think of Halloween now. There's a wacky little song by the White Stripes called "Little Ghost" that could qualify as well. A lot of the suggestions being made are great! Hope to see more.
45 - Zed
Somehow I think we have to wedge in the Grateful Dead, "Dire Wolf" and maybe "Friend of the Devil"...?
46 - Ellen
Wanted to recommend another few songs....."October" by London After Midnight..great song. "All Hallows Eve" by Type O Negative. "Possum Kingdom" by the Toadies.
Happy Halloween everybody!
47 - Zed
Oh Man, how could we miss "Season of the Witch" by Donovan and "Witchy Woman" by the Eagles?! Too obvious.
"Welcome to my Nightmare" by Alice Cooper is also a must.
My badysitting sister used to lock me in her bedroom and force me to listen to "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors, which tweaked me out seriously. Gets an honorable mention in my book, just for underlying spookiness...
48 - Ellen
There's an artist called Voltaire that has cool, spooky songs. One called "Brains" is awesome and would be a lot of fun in any Halloween collection. His others have creepy or paranormal subjects as well. check him out.
49 - John
What? Nobody mentioned BOC's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"?
50 - wildhether
Some further classical additions: Night on Bald Mountain (Rimsky-Korsakov), Rite of Spring (Stravinsky), In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg), In Memoriam Dresden 1945 (Daniel Bukvich), The Divine Comedy Suite (Robert W. Smith), 'Mars' from The Planets (Holst).
Indie horrorpop rockers Schoolyard Heroes give us Curse of the Werewolf and Sincerely Yours, Jonathan Harker.
And anything by Black Eyes and Neckties, particularly Walk Like a Zombie.
Ncik Cave anyone? The entire Murder Ballads album is scary as hell.
51 - wildhether
Dang! Almost forgot the O Fortuna section of The Carmina Burana!
52 - Mary K. Williams
Ooohh! "O Fortuna!" Love it, especially this part:
"Hac in hora sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!"
Best at full volume.
Oh, I like the Grieg too.
53 - Mary K. Williams
Ooohh! "O Fortuna!" Love it, especially this part:
"Hac in hora sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!"
Best at full volume.
Oh, I like the Grieg too.
54 - Mary K. Williams
wow - a Doublemint Twin moment.
55 - Dave H
I'm a volunteer dj at a puny li'l Community Access station here in the wilds of Central Illinois, and here are some of the tunes I roll out every Halloween.....
“Banshee Beach”, the Ghastly Ones
“Bloodletting”, Concrete Blonde
“Boris The Spider”, the Who
“Cannibal’s Hymn”, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“Creature From The Black Lagoon”, Dave Edmunds
“Demonologist”, Alice Donut
“Demons”, Yo La Tengo
“Dig It Up”, the Hoodoo Gurus
“A Fistful Of Horror”, the Bomboras
“Hall Of The Mountain King”, the Who
“Halloween”, the Dream Syndicate
"Halloween", Sonic Youth
“The Halloween Song”, the Reverend Horton Heat
“Hamburger Lady”. Throbbing Gristle
“Horse Latitudes”, the Doors
“House On The Hill”, the Mummies
“How Come I Can’t See You In My Mirror?”, Tonio K
“Hungry Cannibals”, Radio Birdman
“I Ain’t Superstitious”, Howlin’ Wolf
“Ichabod”, th’ Legendary Shack Shakers
“If You Have Ghosts”, John Wesley Harding
“I Hear Voices”, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
“I’m Gonna Kill My Baby Tonight”, the Mummies
“Ingeborg, Mistress Of The Dark”, Maggie Estep
“Inhuman”, Sonic Youth
“I Walked With A Zombie”, Roky Erickson
"I Want Candy”, the Count Bishops
"Jack The Ripper, the Horrors
“The Jezebel Spirit”, Brian Eno & David Byrne
“Let The Devil In’, TV On The Radio
“Meet Ze Monsta”, PJ Harvey
"Mr. Hyde, the Coach Whips
“Narrator”, the Hindu Love Gods
“No Costume, No Candy”, the Swingin’ Neckbreakers
“Nosferatu”, the Blue Oyster Cult
“Pardon This Coffin”, Jon Rauhouse
"Paris 1919", John Cale (Live solo version, “In Their Own Words, vol II”)
“The Petrified Florist”, Lambchop
“Psycho”, Leon Payne
“Season Of The Witch”, Richard Thompson, Luna
"Something To Be Scared Of”, the Mekons
“Strychnine”, the Sonics, the Surf Trio
“Tiab Guls”, Throbbing Gristle
“Timothy”, the Buoys
“There’s Always Room On The Broom”, the Liars
“Werewolves Of London”, Warren Zevon (Live version from “Stand In The Fire”)
“What’s Behind The Mask?”, the Cramps
“When You Die, Your Eyes Pop Out”, the Donner Party
"The Witch”, the Sonics, the Mono Men, the Coach Whips
“Witch Queen Of New Orleans”, the Pirates
“Witches Song”, Marianne Faithfull
“Workin’ In The Cemetary”, the Aquavelvets
“Young, Fast And Scientific”, the Dictators
The “Young Frankenstein” theme
...What the Hell, right? You Bet.....
56 - Dave H
p.s. - and a compilation album, "Closed On Account Of Rabies" - Christopher Walken, Marianne Faithfull, Ken Nordine, Iggy Pop and others reading the works of Edgar Allen Poe. How ya gonna top that?
57 - Mames by James
Any one heard Bray's "Dracula?"
And Linkin Park's "What Have I done?"
A couple nice newbies.
58 - dan
Lover of the Bayou ......The Byrds
59 - Musiclover
How about Sutherland Brothers and Quiver's 'Sweet Cousin', which speaks of a spookily seductive relative boasting 'gypsy eyes and a witches' brew', while 'telling full moon stories of things unknown'. Haunting and captivating little song, from their mid'70s 'Slipstream' album.
On a more fun note, the late, great Sandy Denny, First Lady of British Folk, did a good version of 'Let's Jump The Broomstick'. Anyone who hasn't yet heard this woman's amazing voice, do yourself a favour and check her out...
60 - Musiclover
Oh, had to add the wonderful Peter Hammill/Van Der Graaf Generator's 'Still Life', a creepy prog rock number. On their 'An Introduction to...' album, for interested parties. Not specifically about Halloween, but the ending in particular has a sinister ambience and lyrics.
61 - Zed
Came across one the other day:
Monster au Go-Go by the Suicide Commandos.
It's enough to get you kicked out of the Longhorn in 1980.
62 - PageAgainstTheMachine
I have to admit, thanks to you guys my list is qute a bit longer but I think you guys forgot a really obvious one that would scare any kid.
This is Halloween by Marilyn Manson
I also really enjoy Ghost Town by The Specials, the time warp, spooky by classics iv, and probably one of my favorites even if it isn't scary - Goblin Girl by Frank Zappa
63 - mel
i always found tempus vernum to be a really good halloween song. lol. listen to it and you'll see what i mean.
64 - Drew
Aphex Twin's 'Come to Daddy' would certainly scare most trick or treaters as they approach the door. "I WANT YOUR SOUL!"
65 - Laurel
More in the classical vein, but very creepy... Hector Berlioz: Dreams of a Witches Sabbath
66 - Tom
I have a few songs to add to the list. I do not think any of these songs are as lame as the "The Monster Mash" - however, everybody's taste in music is different. I hope you find these songs to be suitable for your Halloween party, radio show, etc.
1) "Vampires, Mummies And The Holy Ghost" by Jimmy Buffett - a faster up tempo song with a "Caribbean" flavor. Pairs well with "Hell" by the Squirle Nut Zippers
2) "Desperation Samba (Halloween In Tijuana)" by Jimmy Buffett
3) "Spooky" an alternate version by Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings
4) "I Put A Spell On You" an alternate version by Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings
5) "Take The Devil" and "Good Day In Hell" by the Eagles
6) "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd
7) "Zigzagging Through Ghostland" by The Radiators
the following are Blues genre songs:
8) "Let The Devil Drive" and "Murder" by Jay Stulo
9) "She Got the Devil in Her" by Buddy Guy
10) "Black Witch" by Otis Taylor
11) "The Voodoo In You" and "Devil At My Door" by Jim Nalls
12) "The Healer" by John Lee Hooker - eerie music but not reaally halloween verses.
also,
13) "I Want To Be Evil" by Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings is kind of lame but you may like it
14) "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" is a great halloween song but avoid the version by The Outlaws as they ignore the whole last verse of the song. The version by Jonny Cash is very good.
67 - charlee 2
There was an old woman all skin and bones &
The Ghost of John.
68 - JC Mosquito
"She's a Real Good Kisser (for a Zombie)" by The Jangle - destined to be a Halloween rock classic.
69 - don rauf
"Dead Get Down" by life in a blender. So spooky. Listen to it.
70 - C.S.Turner jr
What I've Done- Linkin Park has made it on my short list
71 - Scott
I would like to add:
'Goodnight Moon' by Shivaree
Someone else beat me to 'Ghost Riders in the Sky' but I'd like to suggest version from the Blues Brothers 2000 OST (Which also includes a fantastically spooky version of 'Season of the Witch' by the Blues Brothers and Dr. John.')
'Sredni Vashtar' from Faith and the Muse is fairly ominous an based on the O. Henry story.
'Visions' also by Faith and the Muse. Both of these songs are on the albut 'The Burning Season'
And to continue the list of appropriate Halloween fare from Faith and the Muse:
'Patience Worth'
'The Haunted Palace (in 3 acts): Porphyrogene'
'The Haunted Palace (in 3 acts): Through the Pale Door'
'The Haunted Palace (in 3 acts): And Laugh; But Smile No More'
'Denn Die Todten Reiten Schnell'
'Cernunnos'
Pretty much anything on The Alan Parsons Project
album "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" but especially:
'The Raven'
'The Tell-Tale Heart'
'The Cask of Amontillado'
And all 5 parts of 'The Fall of the House of Usher'
And with the other things from B.O.C. maybe we should add 'Joan Crawford (Has Risen From the Grave)' and 'Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria'
Genesis offes us 'Home by the Sea' and '2nd Home by the Sea' on their self titled album.
Trick or treat.
72 - bearbones
I'm working on a Halloween comp i'm calling "13 Tracks to Traumatize Tricker-or-Treaters By", so far i have:
Impaled - Introduction 1:26
Rwake - Intro 0:43
Reverend Bizarre - Harbinger
Monster Magnet - Goliath and the Vampires
Bethlehem - Verschleierte Irrelgiosität
Fantomas - The Devil Rides In
Return of the Living Dead Soundtrack - Trioxin theme
Mogwai - Nativity in Black
Ministry - Tonight We Murder
Misfits - Halloween
Entombed - Hellraiser
Beatallica - Thing That Should Not Let it Be
Kontrovers - don't know the name of the song but it starts w/ a sample of Bruce Campbell from Evil Dead, might be one of these songs, don't have speakers today
73 - arcasis
Not a bad mix of song. Honestly, a lot better than most of those hokey Halloween tunes we all are accustomed to. I created a list of my own on site. Somewhat more diverse combining many different styles. Check'em out :)
74 - Charley
Just found a cool cover of "Zombie" by a band called The Antique Toys. You can download it free from their site.
Enjoy.
75 - Mike
Jonathan Coulton:
Re: Your Brains (Thing A Week Two) and Creepy Doll (Thing A Week Four)
and Skullcrusher Mountain (Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow) You can hear samples at the link above. I've got Re: Your Brains as a karaoke disc. I get the strangest looks when I sing it. It's one of the funniest Halloween songs ever.