A Playlist to DIE For...

Playlists can be tricky things, and there is no one-size-fits-all.

Sure, there are some staples, like Nutbush at an Australian Wedding, or Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (or desperately trying to hide under the nearest table when Macarena starts playing and Great-Uncle Bob gets that gleam in his eye...). Overall, however, a party playlist should be tailored to the occasion, and Halloween parties are no exception.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my halloween playlist...

I should probably preface this with the announcement that I am an introvert, as are most of my friends, so the majority of the parties I attend are fairly low-key buffet and socialising events, rather than raving dance parties with spiked drinks. The playlist is designed to reflect that.

Halloween - Aqua

A band familiar to any 80s or 90s kid, "Halloween" has a very upbeat rhythm 86% guarenteed to have guests in the partying mood before they've walked in the door. The verses mostly reflect horror movie tropes, but the chorus is intensely catchy.

Moon Dance - Corpse Bride Soundtrack

For ethereal background music, it's hard to beat this orchestral and vocal piece from the Tim Burton movie "Corpse Bride", invoking a feeling of a haunted winter wood without being overwhelming. If you haven't seen the movie yet, go watch it.

This Is Halloween - Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack

Another Tim Burton movie, the opening sequence strikes a perfect blend between upbeat and chilling and will have any kids in attendance dancing along within seconds. Another non-traumatising Halloween movie for the family to watch, and the music is awesome.

Transylvanian Lulluby - Erutan

An original composition by Indie Musician Erutan, I don't have much to say about this one, other than that it makes great background music and a break from lyric-heavy songs.

Come Little Children - Edger Allen Poe(?), musical cover by Erutan

While the lyrics are popularly claimed to have been written by the Gothic Poet Edger Allen Poe, there is some debate over this. The first verse was made popular by the 90s movie "Hocus Pocus", and Indie Singer/Songwriter Erutan originally covered the full version on YouTube, before making it available for purchase on other platforms. Much like Moon Dance, the song invokes a haunting tune and lyrics perfect for a Halloween party.

They're also good for slow-dancing, or a solo interpretive dance, if you've fail to guard the punch bowl from alcoholic tampering.

Dark Music - Adrian von Zeigler

White Spectre - Adrian von Zeigler

Bed of Roses - Adrian von Zeigler

Tainted Heart - Adrian von Zeigler

Grief - Adrian von Zeigler

I'm grouping these songs together, mostly to avoid copy-pasting five almost identical descriptions. Instrumental with a hint of techno, these songs strike a different note to Moon Dance or Transylvanian Lulluby, but fill the same purpose of background mood music that people don't have to shout over to be heard.

Jenny of Oldstones - Florence + The Machines/Cover by Ginny Di

Originally recorded by Florence + The Machines for the TV Series "Game of Thrones", the song was covered extensively by multiple artists, but this c0ver by Indie Singer/Songwriter Ginny Di is one of my favourite versions. I've never watched Game of Thrones beyond the first few episodes, but this song kind of makes me want to go back and give it another go.

There's also a Rock cover by Mark Tinsdall that's quite good, if you're in the mood for that.

Wave-Soaked Maiden - Ginny Di

By this point in the evening, someone has either spiked the punch, or brought their own alcohol, making this shanty-like song the perfect addition to the playlist. Upbeat, catchy and chilling, this song was also the inspiration for my Foggy Waters Challenge submission. Not much else to say, other than to make sure the computer or ipod is out of reach to stop people from putting the song on infinite repeat.

Danse Macabre - Camille Saint-Saens

A classical ballet, Danse Macabre is fairly fast-paced, while still retaining a slightly spooky air. Whenever I play it, I envision a ghost ball or party at a haunted mansion, or a vanishing village; otherworldly music and festivities doomed to fade at sunrise...

Night on Bald Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky

Made popular by the Disney Animation "Fantasia", this is another tune that should be instantly recognisable to anyone born before the turn of the millenium. Telling the story of St John coming across a Witches Sabbath, the music invokes a feeling of powerful forces beyond your control, as you stand a helpless witness.

In The Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg

Composed for Henrik Ibsen's play "Peer Gynt" (a Norwegian fairy tale), "In The Hall of the Mountain King" is good background music, but doesn't strike quite as powerful a tone as the preceeding two.

Dance of the Witches - Niccolo Paganini

Concluding the classical section of this playlist, "Dance of the Witches" falls somewhere between haunting and upbeat, and the shifting tone and tempo make this an enjoyable melody for parties.

Awakening - Midnight Syndicate

Crypt of the Forsaken - Midnight Syndicate

Again, I'm grouping these two together for convenience. A musical duo based in the United States, Midnight Syndicate writes music for Horror or Gothic movies that don't exist (yet). The result is a complete soundtrack that leaves me personally offended that no-one has yet made a movie to match it.

All Souls Night - Loreena McKennitt

A Celtic/New Age Indie musician popular in the 90s and early 00s, "All Souls Night" was one of Loreena McKennitt's earlier songs, inspired by a rememberence ceremony she witnessed, where candles were set adrift on a lake.

The Highwayman - Loreena McKennitt

Based on the poem by Alfred Noyes, this song inspired the first book I published, "The Highwayman's Legacy". Telling the story of a highwayman (popularly believed to be based on Dick Turpin) who plans a secret meeting with his lover, an innkeeper's daughter, only to be thwarted and killed by a troop of redcoats, the strings-heavy music is perfect for any haunting playlist.

Night Ride Across the Caucasus - Loreena McKennitt

This song doesn't stand out to me in any particular way, other than as another very worthy background song to round off Loreena's contribution to the playlist, and wind down from the emotional upheaval of the previous song.

Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Because it wouldn't be a Halloween playlist without this crowd favourite, and because I've been envisioning readers slowly getting more and more indignant as they scroll through, wondering if I'd actually dare to leave this song off the list.

Monster Mash is another great dance song to round off the night before guests have to go retrieve children from trick-or-treating, or older kids from parties, or start making jokes about pumpkin hour and old people's bedtime.

And that is my Halloween playlist for your enjoyment. It sees the most action as my driving playlist during the month of October, but is also my go-to party playlist.

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