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A Playlist to Die For

11 Halloween Songs to add to your Playlist

By QuirkyMinPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Image from CuteWallpaper.com and edited using BeFunky.com

Halloween... the superior holiday has finally arrived once again. The seasons change, we get to dress up in scary spooky stuff, and free candy! What could be better? Perhaps some spooky tunes to accompany you on this spookiest of nights, when the veil between our world and the next is thinned?

Today I'm going to be sharing with you a playlist of 11 songs that make me think of Halloween most. This playlist will be, shall we say.. a ride. Well then! Buckle up and get ready for a trip you'll never forget. We're on the

Highway to Hell

By ACDC

Ah yes, the song forever burned into my brain for many a reason. This many seem like an odd first choice, but I could put no other in this introductory stop of the playlist. Cool fact I learned- "Highway to Hell" is the nickname of a stretch of highway in Australia, close to where the lead singer Bon Scott lived. The stretch of road ended at a rock n' roll pub. Seems fitting!

Okay, we've buckled in and we're a-riding. Perhaps you'd like to recline your seat, kick up your feet, and lay your head back while we listen. But don't get too comfortable or else some

Heads Will Roll

by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

This song has probably been forgotten by many, or perhaps remembered as a fever dream. It came out in 2009 and was played very often on the radio. This American band told the story of Alice in Wonderland from the Queen of Heart's perspective. Weather you look at it as a bumpin' indie rock song, or a creepy retelling of a children's classic; it's the perfect tune to add to your Halloween playlist.

Perhaps it's time to slow the car down. This may be the highway to hell but even a heathen with a taste for dread needs to stop and refuel. Just make sure if you're close to Hell's border you're watching out for

Demons

By Imagine Dragons

This one's a bit slower paced than the first two songs, but the unsettling beats of the drums and the lyrics help land this song on the list. After all, even on Halloween, it's not just physical demons you've got to worry about!

This next one might seem like a wild card, but after working at a daycare for four years, I couldn't create a list without throwing this one in there. Also sadly, this one has escaped the clutches of my play on words so all I've got for you are these terrible pun-kins.

5 Little Pumpkins

By Super Simple on YouTube

This is probably not a great choice for an adult Halloween get together, but is a great choice if you're throwing a party for your little one. The song's focus is on counting and connecting facial expressions with emotions. It's an upbeat song with some classic Halloween instruments making it a great spooky choice for a kid's Halloween party.

Keeping up with a kid- friendly theme, our next song is a great reminder of what this post- and this season- is all about. Perhaps without this next choice, you'd forget that

This is Halloween

From The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton is known for his Halloween/ Creepy films- animated and live action. But it's arguable that this one's his most known film. Personally, this film is tied for first place as my favorite; along with Corpse Bride. Both films have an amazing soundtrack you could listen to any day of the week. Yet it feels almost sinful not to listen to it during spoopy season.

Now that I might of made enough of you nostalgic to go re-watch this fabulous film, we'll keep moving along. We've reached hell. But this is not our final destination. So just remember

Dont Fear the Reaper

By Blue Oyster Cult

This ones a bit of an older tune, dating the album to 1976. I can definitely say that this one's aged well. It's the band's highest chart success, reaching #7 on Cash Box and #12 on Billboard Hot 100. Weather you're riding with the windows down on a summer day, or Listening to it as you set up your Halloween decorations, this is an all-rounder that I highly recommend adding to your list.

We've made it through hell, and we're on our journey back. The road is not what it looked like on our way there. Things have changed, full of goblins, ghosts and some

Spooky Scary Skeletons

By Walt Disney

The use of the xylophone (the most underrated instrument) and the jarring trumpet at the beginning, it gives a unique authentic feeling of fright and chaos. I can almost visualize the skeletons using their rib cages to play the introductory tune, like you'd do with a xylophone. While an older tune than most on this list, it's almost a classic you can't go without.

Shaking off the shivers of seeing such scary sights, we have to stop to re-fuel. As we fill up the gas tank, that's when we see it...

The Sinking Old Sanctuary

From Castlevania: Bloodlines

By Michiru Yamane

Yes, how could I make a playlist without including a song from the Castlevania video game franchise? This string of video games is literally about defeating Dracula and all of his creatures that roam. Of course, with it being a video game sound track, it's going to produce beats that get your blood pumping in anticipation, as you fight through a sea of monsters. This track was re-used in later games, including Legacy of Darkness and Circle of the Moon.

Now that we've been thoroughly creeped out by the sinking old sanctuary, we start moving along, getting ready to head back out onto the road. But what's that in the distance? A long, oblong building jutting up over the trees in the distance. As you get close, just be careful.. that's the

Cursed Clock Tower

By Michiru Yamane

From Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

yes, I included a second Castlevania song on this list. Honestly, I could of probably made this list completely of Castlevania soundtrack songs. But I felt most of you'd get bored. So I've only highlighted the two that remind me most of Halloween. Cursed Clock Tower gets you pumped up and has all of the elements of a 'scary' Fighting Game soundtrack from the early 2000's.

We're in the home stretch. The car's full of gas, and the skeletons and goblins are nowhere in sight. But, what's that? Someone's standing in the middle of the road. She entices you with a wink and the flutter of a wand, and that's when you know she's a

Black Magic Woman

By Santana

Black Magic Woman was originally produced and sung by Fleetwood Mac in 1968, then covered by Santana in 1970. While both versions are great, this was the version I felt fit better into the Halloween Playlist theme. While consisting of this beautiful mix of "jazz, Hungarian folk and Latin rhythms" it oddly comes across as a rock song for most listeners. the content of the song as well as the integration of many different styles of music is what ultimately made me pick this version of the song over it's original.

I've shared quite a few songs with you here today, so perhaps it's time for the

Final Scene

From Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber from Fleet Street

Perhaps not the most head bumping Halloween song, but it sure is a ride to listen to. If you're more into the traditional music structure, you can skip to 6:12. It's a truly horrifying yet somehow satisfying end.

This concludes my list of Halloween songs to die for. Are any of these on your Halloween playlist? Or have I inspired you to add a few of these to your existing playlist? Whatever the case may be, I hope you enjoyed this read (and listen). Have a safe and happy Halloween!

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About the Creator

QuirkyMin

Aspiring writer, sharing articles of personal interest as well as original short stories.

https://linktr.ee/quirky.min

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