Songs for Spooky Season

I'm a holiday girl.

Ever since I was little, I can remember preparing for every holiday with such vigor, you'd think I was hosting full turkey dinners at the age of five.

I would decorate my bedroom for Christmas, and dream about my Halloween costume, and had what I would consider a healthy fear of the Easter Bunny (it’s a giant man-bunny hopping around your house…that doesn’t sound scary to anyone else?).

Ah, but Halloween, I've loved Halloween ever since I dressed up as my first Disney Princess (which was inevitably ruined by my parents making me wear the PUFFIEST jacket underneath). I would search for the prettiest or most fun costume to wear to school. I even recall in high school my excitement when my best friend had opted to dress up as Batgirl and I as Robin, without us telling each other beforehand.

It wasn’t until I was in my twenties, however, that my appreciation for the holiday truly began to deepen. Halloween began to take up the entire month of October, completely skipping over Thanksgiving (for my Canadian folks), as my partner and I began our Epic Annual Halloween Party.

Nearly 5 years in the making, our Halloween party is not to be matched. All of our friends know it’s the only place to be on Halloween.

Truthfully, the party started on a whim, my partner and I having nothing to do one Halloween. So we said, “fuck it,” let’s throw our own party! Within the span of about 3 days, we borrowed decorations from his mother, thought of our costumes and invited our friends. It turned into an amazing night, and so the tradition was born.

Now, every year, by August our friends are asking us about our Halloween party. And this time, we are much more prepared. Deep thought goes into our costumes, decorations, food, and drinks. But, nothing is more important to me, than the music.

Over the years, I have carefully curated a Halloween playlist that is both on-theme and full of bangers, combining my adoration of the holiday and music into one perfect playlist (in my humble opinion).

This playlist boasts 80 songs, nearly 5 hours of music, (yes, 5 HOURS), and they all have a haunting title or an even more haunting vibe. Some are classics you’ve heard from childhood, some are new favourites that will remain on Halloween playlists for years to come.

I find that most songs fall into one of three categories…

• Spook-tacular Classics: Classic Halloween songs

• Bone-Chilling Vibes: Songs that are spooky in nature

• Raises the Dead: Modern dance bops with a Halloween twist

Here are just a few of my favourites from each category.

Spook-tacular Classics

• Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
• I Put A Spell On You by Annie Lennox
• Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett
• Pet Sematary by the Ramones
• Thriller by Michael Jackson
• Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
• Zombie by The Cranberries

Bone-Chilling Vibes

• Afterlife by Hailee Steinfeld
• bad guy by Billie Eilish
• Blood // Water by grandson
• Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
• Heathens by Twenty One Pilots
• Seven Devils by Florence + The Machine
• Tell Me It’s a Nightmare by Kim Petras

Raises the Dead

• 2 Heads by Coleman Hell
• Animals by Maroon 5
• Black Magic by Little Mix
• Disturbia by Rihanna
• Funhouse by P!nk
• Raise Hell by Dorothy
• Sweet but Psycho by Ava Max

There’s truly something for every ghost, zombie, and witch at your Halloween party. This playlist has been a labour of love of mine for many years. I’m incredibly happy to share it with my fellow Halloween fans. Check out the full playlist below...