De-composing our Immaculate Halloween Song Selection!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0WcvHCUkaoEM8jcY4iphkw?si=UIbU3PLsTdCPrRduCnZxcA&dl_branch=1

This is the link to the entirety of the playlist. If this does not work, please look up on spotify “cooperdylantighe” - the playlist is named “Hallo-scream!”.

Now to curate an impeccably blood-curdling, spine-chilling, Halloween music selection, our playlist must be accessible! Because what’s the fun in the spooky season if it isn’t for absolutely everyone to enjoy? Therefore the flawless playlist has been split into varying sections: Kiddies Party, Spooky Teenage Bash and the Oldies Freaky Shindig. The playlist goes for 3 hours and 32 minutes, so I will be highlighting the three best songs from each section, and explaining how they are each perfect for a Halloween Party.

KIDDIES PARTY

Halloween is a magic time for children, dressing up as their idols and walking from door to door collecting chocolate treats. Yet the majority of horror movies that are Halloween specials aren’t appropriate for children, so I have cultivated a collection of Disney villain songs and music from the more creepy children’s films.

THIS IS HALLOWEEN, from the motion picture THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, performed by DANNY ELFMAN.

This is Halloween is a gorgeous song from a Tim Burton classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas. But Charlotte you ask, is this not a Christmas movie? To that I rebuff that yes it is, yet the atmosphere Tim Burton provides, the song taking place in Halloween Town, solidifies it as a spooky must listen. It’s repetitiveness allows kids to sing along with ease, and its upbeat tempo creates a perfect dancing song. The beat changes mid way through the song disorienting the audience by shifting from a 4/4 time to 3/4. This alter in consistently further pushes the frightening sense of the song, then Halloween as a whole. The tune carries through a sinister yet fun vibe, ensuring to not scare the kids, and just get them into the Halloween spirit!

FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE, from the motion picture THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, performed by THOMAS SANDERS.

The villain from The Princess and the Frog is undoubtedly a malicious man, so his iconic tune is identical. It’s hypnotic melody draws the kiddies in then frightens them with the call and response from the mysterious voices. The frequent ad libs (actors dialogue) make it more personal as if he is speaking to you. The tension of the two characters shaking the villains hand at the end leads to the dramatic finale of the song. The build up is fantastic and the end is well deserved and infinitely fun to sing along to. This in addition curates a scarier vibe as our protagonist is tricked by the evil man singing, making him and the song more menacing. These elements foster a consistent eerie atmosphere creating the perfect Halloween vibe!

SHINY, from the motion picture MOANA, performed by JEMAINE CLEMENT.

Shiny is sung by the evil crab in Moana who holds Maui’s fish hook. The crabs' pure evil shows when he tries to appeal to our heroine at first in a vile attempt to trick her, yet she is too smart. We can realise this deception through the monophonic melody allowing focus on his words. This then makes it easy for the kiddies to sing along. Shiny maintains a fun demeanour which is important as the party is intended to be lively! The song, accompanied by the bioluminescent visuals, can also be defined as juxtaposition against Moana’s journey of self-acceptance, as the huge scary crab sings about his love for outer beauty while also arrogantly flaunting this point to Moana. Shiny is a brilliant Halloween song as it serves as a contradiction to our hero’s journey, while also having this mammoth villain to shock and terrify the audience.

SPOOKY TEENAGE PARTY

The teenage party tunes are a selection of relatively recent songs. The songs are remixes of chilling classics, and popular tracks from the 2000s and onwards. The 2000s are primarily dance songs that have a chilling atmosphere or scary titles such as “Toxic”, “Bad Guy”, and “Dead!”. All are perfect to have at a party - energetic songs for energetic teenagers.

SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS, by ANDREW GOLD

This classic has been remixed into a new song, It’s massive popularity shows how well of a job was done as youths listen to it consistently at Halloween. The exclusion of instruments and exploration of computerised beats means there is a beat to dance to throughout the whole track, its rising and dropping allowing audiences to slow down and slowly hype up their dancing until the beat drops allow them to go crazy. It could not be more perfect for our teenage party scenario!

HEADS WILL ROLL, by YEAH YEAH YEAHS

Heads Will Roll follow the same cues as Spooky Scary Skeletons in their techno-dance category. The drum beat serves as a heart beat for the song, creating a consistent rhythm making it inviting to dance to. The vocals and expertly and purposefully possess an airy quality to them to serve the spooky vibe more. Singing along is done with ease as the creepy lines are repetitive throughout the elongated choruses. I think the title alone cues us all in that this song is Halloween's essence.

BURY A FRIEND, by BILLIE EILISH

Bury a Friend has Billie Eilish’s eerie soft vocals over a beat with a hard edge. She makes intentional pauses in between the instrumental lines to emphasise her lyrics and melody. This is genius as it makes it sound disjointed and weird on purpose. What makes this song even creepier is the popular theories that circulate this song. Audiences believe it to be about Eilish’s involvement in the infamous cult, the illuminati. These brew the perfect creepy song for Halloween!

OLDIES FREAKY SHINDIG

This is for the Oldies shindig, it being a cultivation of our most classic Halloween songs, from obvious Micheal Jackson anthems to iconic scores from the most famous horror flicks!

MONSTER MASH, by BOBBY “BORRIS” PICKETT

Monster Mash may be one of the most iconic Halloween tunes, alongside powerhouses such as Thriller (which we have on our playlist as well!). Aside from the literal words Bobby Picket talks about the monsters hanging out! He sings in a consistent monotone, so when the chorus hits and the back up singers bring life to the tune through their high pitches it creates the most exciting parts of the song. Not only does Mr Pickett speak of the feared monsters, he adds small touches such as a cauldron bubbling to instil the Halloween vibe!

SHINING THEME, from the motion picture THE SHINING, performed by WENDY CARLOS and RACHEL ELKIND

The Shining’s main theme is a perfect example of non diegetic ambiance heightening the sense of hysteria and discomfort. The electronic organs of the theme suggest a hypnotic force of evil with sinister motivations never allowing the listener to breath and forcing dread to loom within us. The song itself can even be described as a meticulous clue to the true nature of the film’s intentions, shedding light on the themes of hopelessness and isolation, yet also not being in any discernible language, creating a threat of the supernatural. The theme’s uncanny feeling can also be a red herring to the domestic abuse that’s riddled within the film, forcing us to become distracted by the pernicious evil of Jack Torrance, making us consider the fact that a more malevolent force could be at play. On surface level, The Shining’s main theme can be simply defined as an eerie atmospheric piece of art, yet it’s subtle intentions leave grotesque and maniacal thoughts in the listeners head, setting the tone for the rest of the film and leaving listeners in utter dismay. These are all reasons why this iconic main theme is a perfect fit for Halloween.

SMOOTH CRIMINAL, by MICHEAL JACKSON

This classic Michael Jackson tune reinvented what it means to be a Halloween song classic, blending creepy music with sadistic lyrics to create an overall frightening experience for listeners to experience. With it’s grotesque undertones visible within the lyrics, clear juxtaposition is used to showcase the effects of home intruders, sending shivers up spines and making it a perfect Halloween party listen. The narrator within the song is also representing two sentiments that allow the listener to escape into the horrific world. One point of view has the girl “Annie” being a victim of a vile intrusion and assault, with the other point of view being about a concern for her mental health, wellbeing and safety. This callous narration creates a spooky vibe for all the oldies to sing along to at Halloween!

I hope you have enjoyed our hand picked selection of Halloween songs for everyone! Halloween is my favourite holiday so I am so enthused to share this playlist. If you take time to check out the full playlist aside from the highlights, thank you so much!