Pick a Monster and I’ll Treat You With a Playlist

Calling all monsters! (And mortal music-lovers who wish they were monsters.) Have you ever been out partying with your fellow creatures of the night only to have a disappointing selection of tunes? There's nothing worse than getting yourself dolled up for a blood-sucking masquerade ball or undead graveyard smash only to dance to rehashings of "Monster Mash" and "The Addams Family" theme song. Is the DJ playing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for the upteenth time? It's no use wasting your immortality or afterlife on cliché Halloween tracks.

Say goodbye to all the tricks...because I've got a treat for you. Below you'll find 5 wicked playlists perfectly tailored to your monstrous tastes. Pick your favorite creature - or the one you identify with the most - and save the accompanying playlist to your music library.

No need to fear! Every mix has been carefully crafted by a connoisseur of creepy composition (AKA me), and contains underrated tunes that will suit your specific Halloween party needs as well as a few classic picks here and there.

Whether you sparkle in the sun, howl at the moon, love pointy black hats, wear bedsheets, or eat eyeballs, there's something in here for every devilish being. Scroll down to find 5 monster-themed playlists complete with tonal descriptions and song breakdowns. Play one - or all of them - at your next Halloween party...if you dare!

Vampire

{ sultry // fierce // punk // grungy }

Hello fanged friends! As one of the most feared and powerful monsters in the book, your song mixes deserve to have the same gusto and alluring traits you possess. Vampires have a sense of superiority over other more mindless monsters, so their music can't just be loud. It needs to have something more.

If you call yourself a vampire, you're probably a person who finds it easy to command a room. All eyes are on you - which is good, because that's more blood to suck. You need tracks that are deep and fierce, but also a little sexy and grungy. And maybe a little nostalgic, too...you are immortal, after all.

So before you transform into a bat and leave the party for your private castle in Transylvania, play this mix to perk up your next vampiric gathering. It'll have you and your blood-sucking friends partying all evening. Just make sure to get home before sunrise!

Song Breakdown

1. "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" (Concrete Blonde) - A vampiric international anthem of sorts, this classic 90's grunge song is something to sink your teeth into.
2. "Taste" (Betty Who) - Even though this succulent pop song was written about a Norwegian candy, the lyrics in the chorus - specifically "all my cravings come at night" - make the song totally suitable for vampires. You'll lick your lips after listening to Betty's ravishing vocals.
3. "I Feel Like a God" (DeathbyRomy) - There's no better way to celebrate the joy of your immortality than with this braggadocious song! It's vulnerable, but also self-confident.
4. "Dragula" (Rob Zombie) - A good song for joy rides in a fast car, this classic Halloween rock track is Rob Zombie's ode to Bram Stoker's famous Transylvanian vampire.
5. "Possum Kingdom" (Toadies) - This grungy song’s origins lie in folklore from the band’s native state of Texas. While it's mainly about a couple getting it on by a lake, many theorize it's about vampirism due to the narrator's "dark secret" and his promise to the lady she'll stay young forever so long as she's with him.
6. "Nosferatu" (Blue Oyster Cult) - Another rockin' ode to Count Dracula: this time softer in tone and with a reference to his first movie appearance, Nosferatu (1922)
7. "Release the Bats" (The Birthday Party) - This one's very fun to rave to. Whip your hair back and forth and shapeshift into your bat form while boogieing to this jam!
8. "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" (My Chemical Romance) - My boyfriend told me he would break up with me if I didn't put this beloved MCR song on the mix. (I'm kidding.) But seriously: it's a crime not to include this suspenseful and rebellious bop considering its relevant story about a man who doesn't want to turn into a vampire.
9. "Decode" (Paramore) - I put another early 2000's jam next to continue the punk nostalgia, and what would the early 2000's be without vampire phenomenon Twilight? Made specifically for the first movie, this haunting Paramore song tells the story of Bella and Edward from the perspective of Bella.
10. "Closer" (Kings of Leon) - A little dreary break from the heavy rock on this mix, this track is about a lovesick blood-sucker crooning about the consequences of his actions. The lyrics may be sad, but seriously: this chill bop is such a vibe.
11. "Baby I'm Dead Inside" (KOPPS) - A finale with some sweet electronic goodness. This KOPPS jam honors the fierce, fearless, and flirtatious nature of vampires. While it nods at the fact that the species is technically dead, the funky beat is anything but lifeless.

Werewolf

{ old-school // feral // fuzzy // entertaining}

While lycanism may be a curse, the music that's made for werewolves is far from that. Tons of great classic rock, folk, and alternative songs make nods to the howling canine creature.

If you relate to werewolves, you've probably got some old-school charm with a wild side. You're the kind of person who wants to party with your pack of feral friends. So of course, you need a warm, fuzzy playlist that's entertaining enough to keep you and your loyal pals going all night long!

Make no mistake - this playlist highlights the sharp, scary aspects of werewolves, too. In fact, it'll transform before your very ears from cute and cuddly to savage and primal. Check it out!

Song Breakdown

1. "Hungry Like the Wolf" (Duran Duran) - This big bad song is a joy for werewolves everywhere. Because of how easy this beloved 80's song is to bark along to, it's a great opener!
2. "Changes" (David Bowie) - Why is this early 70's Bowie song on the mix? Because it refers to a werewolf's transformation under the full moon, of course! Time may change werewolves, but werewolves can't change time.
3. "Werewolves of London" (Warren Zevon) - Another classic 70's bop that'll make you howl with Warren Zevon in delight. It's no wonder this grim-yet-groovy song is popular every October.
4. "Run with the Pack" (Bad Company) - A rockin' song about the importance of travelling with your loyal wolfpack. Great for nighttime hunts!
5. "Full Moon" (The Black Ghosts) - This folk song is an ode to the power of the moon and Mother Earth. What would werewolves be without those two things? "Full Moon" also tells the tale of a faithful lover who remains with their beau despite the distance between them.
6. "Werewolf" (Fiona Apple) - Here's where things start to "transform" on this playlist. In this grim piano ballad, Fiona Apple likens her ex-lover to a conniving werewolf, but remarks that she "provided the full moon."
7. "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (The Cramps) - There's the cult classic TV show Teen Wolf, the Michael J. Fox movie with the same name, and then there's this song by the Cramps which brings all the grungy, angsty, adolescent vibes to the table.
8. "Magnum Opus" (Kansas) - Get ready for 8 minutes of pure rock goodness from Kansas! The erratic sounds and change in pace highlight the chaotic back-and-forth transformation all werewolves endure. Rockin' and rollin'? It's only howlin' at the moon.
9. "Werewolf Heart" (Dead Man's Bones) - This tune starts off slow, only to recite gloomy lyrics darker than a winter's night. Then, when you least expect it...HOWLING! AMPED UP GUITAR RIFFS! CHAOS!!!
10. "Feral Love" (Chelsea Wolfe) - Made popular from a Game of Thrones trailer (who can forget those cute direwolves?), this chilling Chelsea Wolfe song honors the loyalty - and wild, primal nature - of wolves. It's a perfect spooky finale.

Witch

{classy // chill // spiritual // psychedelic}

Where are all my weird sisters at! While witches may not technically be "monsters," (although they totally are according to the residents of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692), they're still wicked enough to deserve their own special Halloween party playlist.

If you identify as a witch, you probably have a lot of class, elegance, confidence, and proud feminine energy. You also know how to chill out for an evening ritual with your circle of fellow magic-makers and have a dark side when provoked. I think everybody secretly wants to be a witch, or at least very connected to the spirit world like witches are.

Below is a playlist you can use to amplify your witch within. Besides parties, it's a perfect soundtrack for brewing potions at your cauldron, long commutes on your broomstick, and dancing naked in the woods with your fellow coven members!

Song Breakdown

1. "Witchcraft" (Frank Sinatra) - Dreamy, grand, fancy, and romantic. There's nothing like a little Sinatra to get the gathering started.
2. "I Put A Spell On You" (Nina Simone) - You'll be transfixed by Nina's jazzy vocals in this classic 1960's track. Need a background track for a binding ritual? This is it.
3. "Spellbound" (Siouxsie and the Banshees) - Rock up the night with some punk girl energy! Dance in a circle with your fellow coven mates, and this Siouxsie and the Banshees song will "send you spinning."
4. "Strange Brew" (Cream) - Another 60's track about bewitching a romantic prospect. This time with stoner energy, great guitar riffs, and cauldron imagery!
5. "Season of the Witch" (Donovan) - Creating a witchy playlist without this psychedelic Donovan classic is a crime. Sultry and seductive, it's a perfect song to dance to when trying to entrance a cute mortal.
6. "Rhiannon" (Fleetwood Mac) - This song is about a Welsh witch goddess and has come to be known as one of Stevie Nicks' signature songs. If you really like this bop, be sure to check out Stevie's other magical hit, "Sisters of the Moon."
7. "My Girlfriend Is a Witch" (October Country) - Witches aren't totally loveless...sometimes we commit to our muggle (or warlock) companions. This song celebrates everything witches can do: from flying on broomsticks to casting spells.
8. "Magic Is Easy" (Guerilla Toss) - You'll "hypnotize yourself" with this acid trip-like jam. Maybe you don't have a reptilian master to talk to, but this track is a hip ode to sorcery.
9. "Love Potion No. 9" (The Clovers) - Looking for something that'll make you cackle in delight? Play this classic 60's song! It's hard not to love the tale of Madame Ruth. Y'know, that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth?
10. "Me and the Devil" (Soap&Skin) - The beginning of a dark finale to this playlist, Soap&Skin's haunting tune references the "signing the devil's book" aspect of witchcraft. Instead of damning the act, it takes pride in the power with operatic instrumentals and folksy vocals.
11. "Double Trouble" (John Williams) - Sorry...couldn't help but stick my Harry Potter guilty pleasure song at the end! While it has some childlike tones with the Hogwart student choir and frog croaks, there are some dissonant notes and Scottish Play quotes that give it an evil edge. Something wicked this way comes!

Ghost

{ moody // contemplative // chilling // eccentric }

It's easy to feel sorry for ghosts. They moan in despair, make places cold, and wander around abandoned haunted houses aimlessly. And with Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" playing every Halloween, it almost feels like there's a stigma against them.

Well...we say "boo" to that notion! If you know you're a ghost (presuming this isn't The Sixth Sense), you're more than just an entity that wears a white sheet over your head. You're in-touch with your emotional side and need tracks that are contemplative, chilling, and a little different from the typical mainstream riff-raff.

Some might call the mix below edgy, but I know it's "boo-tiful" and totally appropriate for your tastes! The songs in the beginning are more on the gentle acoustic side, but things get more party-ish around the middle and end. Just because you're a solemn ghost, that doesn't mean you can't dance with your fellow spirits.

Song Breakdown

1. "The Ghost" (Fleetwood Mac) - This gentle, funky song could be about the apocalypse, or maybe even Judgement Day. In any case, Fleetwood Mac captures the loneliness and spooky nature of ghost life in this 1972 track.
2. "You're Dead" (Norma Tanega) - This is the theme song of the vampire show What We Do In the Shadows, but the lyrics also apply to ghosts. Like vampires, they are also dead. You'll love the melody and beat of this Norma Tanega song. It's "out of this world."
3. "Midnight In Montgomery" (Alan Jackson) - This song may sound corny if you're not into country music, but it's actually a captivating story about a man who encounters the spirit of Hank Williams while driving through Alabama. The narrative and imagery are great - it's almost like you're there with Jackson.
4. "Misguided Ghosts" (Paramore) - The acoustic strumming and Hayley Williams' vocals are gorgeous in this melancholy Paramore track. It's a bit of a downer, but it really does capture the hollow loneliness of the afterlife.
5. "Possession" (Sarah McLachLan) - Alluding to the spectral power of being able to control someone's living body, this song is actually McLachLan's understanding of an obsessed fan. But putting that meaning aside, it's actually quite romantic, spiritual, and great for cool fall days and deep breathing.
6. "Wuthering Heights" (Kate Bush) - Kate Bush's shrill, wispy vocals feel oddly appropriate for a playlist like this. "Wuthering Heights" alludes to the book of the same name, and is from the perspective of Catherine (Cathy) Earnshaw following her death. So yes - she's singing as a ghost!
7. "Spirits In the Night" (Manfred Mann's Earth Band) - This groovy song raises the energy a bit with a tale about a creepy lake where gypsies and spectres dance in the night. It's soft rock with a supernatural edge. Let the spirits shoot through you!
8. "Came Back Haunted" (Nine Inch Nails) - A more eclectic pick, this techno-heavy track manages to be very eerie while making your toes tap. The dissonant sounds - similar to technological glitches - are perfect for any phantom freshly risen from the grave!
9. "Somebody's Watching Me" (Rockwell) - This is a standard Halloween song, but what makes it perfect for a ghost playlist is the narrator's confusion about feeling eyes on him but no one being there. It's like a ghost's stalking him! Moaning synths and organ bits cement this as something "from the Twilight Zone."
10. "GHOST" (Jaden, Christian Rich) - Cool, crisp, and criminally underrated. This haunting Jaden bop is rapped from the perspective of his character ERYS, who has a "dark soul and twisted mind." Be like ERYS and go to the club even though you're a ghost!
11. "Haunted" (Evanescence) - A spooky playlist like this has to end with Amy Lee's amazing vocals. "Haunted" is terrifying and gothic, but also uplifting. Don't leave this song's business unfinished!

Zombie

{ hardcore // quirky // irreverent // fearless }

In my opinion, zombies are the best monsters to have at a Halloween party. They typically travel in packs, are always moving and roaring, and do not fear danger in the slightest. No seriously - you can point any weapon at a zombie and they won't run away! They're brave as hell! That's what makes them deadly. And perfect for some daring party games.

If you live your undead life as a zombie, you're hardcore, energetic, a rule-breaker, and unafraid to be irreverent. You need stuff to speed you up while you're chasing fresh meat. Fortunately, there's tons of great songs for you and your fellow munching monsters to chow down to.

I hope you have an appetite for the picks below! They're perfect to rave to in a zombie pit of chaos. But the mix isn't too loud that it'll blow your rotting eardrums out; I made sure to add some less-intense tracks here and there. I hope it makes you feel like you're living in your own little apocalypse!

Song Breakdown

1. "Zombie" (Family Force 5) - Starting things off with a bang is this rowdy and braggadocious dance bop. The apocalypse has never sounded this funky.
2. "Living Dead Girl" (Rob Zombie) - Things are taken up a notch with this equally loud hit from the undead king of Halloween rock, Rob Zombie. "Living Dead Girl" is audibly and lyrically filthy, but in totally fun ways.
3. "Infected" (Bad Religion) - This jam compares the dangerous process of falling in love to a disease: just like how zombies become zombies from infection. You can even take those pre-chorus lyrics, "let's talk about no one," to mean the couple will lose basic human abilities (like talking) when they turn undead.
4. "Zombies" (Childish Gambino) - Is consumerism a modern zombie apocalypse? Perhaps, and Childish Gambino makes the case for it in this swanky R&B tune.
5. "My Body's a Zombie For You" (Dead Man's Bones) - This serenade is like a romantic Elvis tune if it were sung from a rotting corpse. It's quirky, but still headbang-worthy. The chorus of yelling children make it ten times better.
6. "I Could Always Eat Your Brain" (Harley Poe) - The cutest ukulele tune about cannibalism ever written. I don't know how on earth I found this gem, but it's a perfect song about unrequited dead love. Heads off to Poe's vocals and the nifty harmonica solo.
7. "Eat Them" (Lady Pills) - When Riot Grrrl gets zombified, it's hardcore as hell. This cathartic feminist tune is worth a good mosh pit.
8. "Zombie Zoo" (Tom Petty) - A good late 80's oldie made for a rave of corpses. A celebration of being in a pack or a dig at conformity? Who knows. But it's damn catchy.
9. "Maneater" (Daryl Hall & John Oates) - Another Halloween classic. The crazy woman is actually a personification of greedy, spoiled New Yorkers in the 80's. Considering the carnivorous title and famous chorus, it would be a crime not to stick this one in.
10. "Dead Man's Party" (Oingo Boingo) - Time to shuffle in a group and do some growling to this dancy tune! It's 6 minutes long, but never loses momentum. As the lyrics say, "it's a dead man's party, who could ask for more?"
11. "Live Undead" (Slayer) - And for the grand finale, we circle back with one last heavy metal tune. Like a horde of zombies picking at a guy's innards, the guitarist rips his solo to shreds just before the three minute mark!

One Last Treat

If you're like me and enjoy listening to a mix of monster-related tunes, I've got one last treat for you. Below you'll find a candy bowl assortment of all the songs listed above. That's right - if your graveyard smash is an integrated mix of all kinds of creatures and music tastes, you've got something to play in a pinch! Just make sure to start this mix on shuffle.

Have fun, be safe, and have a happy Halloween!

_______________________

Damn, I just made five playlists in one week...with beat-matching and everything. If that doesn't deserve some likes and a tip or two, I don't know what does. (Just kidding. But if you do decide to like, tip or subscribe, thank you so much and I greatly appreciate it. <3)

As always, thanks for reading! If you liked this playlist, make sure to check out my other ones on Vocal (like my COVID-19 Valentine's Day playlist, Quarantine playlist, and Rainbow Pride playlist), and follow my music blogging work on Live365.

Until next time,

-katy