Party Through the Past!

All Hallow's Eve. Samhain. Halloween. The names of one night dating back centuries, many traditions were lost throughout the years, a few stayed. People would dress as saints and sinners, knock on neighbours doors and sing silly songs, children were passed treats known as "soul cakes". Halloween today is much more embedded in popular culture and celebrated widely with each year many people trying to host the perfect spooky party. Costumes, treats and music have evolved through the decades. If Halloween wasn't enough of a theme for your party, how about an 80's themed Halloween party? Madonna or a white sheet both appropriate costume choices, perhaps recreate Michael Jackson's iconic Thriller video and host 80's zombies at your party.

Its spooky season!! Here's a playlist full of inspiration for your Monster bash. A trip from the 1960's to now.

Starting the party off in the spooky 60's. The Munsters and plastic masks of John Lennon and Ringo Starr were all the rage. Popular snacks included malt bars and teeth breaking treacle toffee. The Rolling Stones open our playlist with "Sympathy for the Devil", 1969's "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and seeing out the decade is a song that has truly given me the heebie-jeebies since I was a child, it's "They're coming to take me away, ha ha" by Napoleon XIV.

Psycho 70's, the age of the serial killer and Star Wars, you could expect to see rubber faced presidents dancing the night away to The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Halloween festivities in this decade. Kicking off the 70's on our Party Through the Past playlist is the Blue Oyster Cult classic "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Psycho Killer" by the Talking heads is then followed by something to really get everyone up and dancing (don't pretend you don't know the moves) from Rocky Horror it's the "Time Warp".

The eerie (?) 80's leg warmers, E.T and a whole lot of "sexy" costumes rather than spooky. Continuing the party with some Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff with "Nightmare on my Street" and getting everyone warmed up, ready for the song that is a must have for any Halloween party in the 80's and every year thereafter, it's Michael Jackson's iconic "Thriller". As we leave the 80's "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus helps us make the transition to a more chilled dark vibe going into the 90's part of our playlist.

Ah, the Nightmare-ish 90's and you're at a soiree filled with Spice Girls and children in costumes makeshift from bin bags, the first song from this decade "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is guaranteed to add a creepy mood to your party. "Living Dead Girl" by Rob Zombie keeps the 90's slasher vibe going, followed by "Zombie" by The Cranberries and then one of my personal favourite songs to play whatever the season "Creep" by Radiohead.

Britney Spears, Mean Girls and cheerleader costumes everywhere! We must be in the naughty 00's. "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" from My Chemical Romance leads us into some banging dance tunes promising to get everyone raving from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Rhianna with "Heads will Roll" and "Disturbia" respectively.

It's the (I don't have any clever alliteration) 2010's to finish out the playlist, everyone is as blue as an Avatar or as fabulous as our first artist from this decade, the queen that is Lady Gaga with "Bloody Mary". A sexy spooky song to slow things down, from Sky Ferreira "Night Time My Time" is our penultimate song with "Ultraviolence" by Lana Del Rey ending our journey through the past 6 decades of modern Halloween music.

I hope you enjoy this playlist and taking a nostalgic trip through time with me. Please feel free to tell me what songs you think belong on this playlist!