Spook-ish 2021

It’s time to get ooky-spooky!

It is officially October, and that means pumpkin spice everything, jack-o'lantern contests, Halloween Pinterest boards, Amazon wish lists, and of course, the perfect playlist for your Halloweekend.

This playlist follows the arc of a late-night Halloween party. Starting the night off at a high energy, the party needs to have a good beat to dance to. As the night begins to settle, the songs will get slower...and of course, spookier. This precisely curated order is one that needs no skips and can be left on while dancing.

High Energy Beats

Clearly, the obvious choice is to start the party right with the underrated song, “Calling All the Monsters” by Disney star, China Ann McClain. This song came out in 2011 and the generation that grew up with A.N.T. Farm is bringing it back into mainstream media. It is undoubtedly a bop and one that will set off the party...and probably get stuck in your head for the next week.

There are also the obvious classics on this list, with songs from Hocus Pocus, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Scooby-Doo, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Nightmare Before Christmas. The songs from these shows and films are the epitome of Halloween; it would simply not be a Halloween party without them.

You also get the popular songs that were not necessarily written for Halloween but have made their way to become Halloween staples. These are the songs that you can always sing year-round, but pack more of a punch in the fall. Here we have some of the throwbacks like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” “(You’re The) Devil in Disguise” by Elvis Presley, and “Hungry Like The Wolf.” More contemporary pop songs that have slowly merged into Halloween-time include “Toxic” by Britney Spears, “Monster” by Lady Gaga, and “bury a friend” by Billie Eilish. Also on this playlist is the newly reimagined version of “Zombie” recorded by Miley Cyrus, which perfectly mixes new and old sounds.

Slowing Down The Night

Now as we begin the progression to slow down the night, the songs begin to match this energy. We ease into it with “In the Model,” which is an instrumental orchestration from the Beetlejuice soundtrack. This would be a good time for a quick snack break of bat cupcakes and chocolate-covered fingers or to sip on some witch’s brew. To further incite this transition, songs like “Frankenstein” by Disco Inc, and “The Twilight Zone” by The Ventures are thrown into the playlist.

And the slow beats start to stream in from here. The night moving forward mixes sounds like Phoebe Bridgers’ “Halloween,” and iconically known for her spooky depth, Lorde’s “Glory and Gore.” Some more songs that fall into this category are “Talk” by Hozier, “Drunk on Halloween” by the Wallows, and “Mad Hatter” by Melanie Martinez.

Getting into the swing of things, there is some classic jazz in the playlist, with “Spooks” by Louis Armstrong, Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra, and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered.”

Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

To end off the night, we have “Haunted Heart” by Christina Aguilera, which is the perfect combination of spook and soul. And lastly, to send a shiver down your guest’s spines as they are leaving, the “Halloween Theme” from the iconic movie, Halloween, will do the trick.

Whether you are throwing your own party or are in control of the aux cord on the way to a haunted house, this curated playlist is sure to get you in the right spirit.

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