The only Halloween Playlist you’ll ever need

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tOheVUi1QEGDOqCNiXBQo?si=93F5n-y4S6OfmBnfFlSg9Q&dl_branch=1

This is absolutely the most diverse and inclusive Halloween playlist you will ever come across, sure to send a shiver down anyone’s spine, no matter their genre preference. Every song is full of creepy, funky and nostalgic Halloween vibes that are enough to make even the stiffest skeleton tap their femurs to the beat. Plus, for extra spooky listening pleasure, this playlist goes on for 3 hours and 33 minutes so if you play it at midnight, you’ll end it just as the devils hour begins! From the classics to more new age sounds, you’ll definitely hear some old favorites but definitely make some new ones too, perfect for any party, roadtrip, or even listening alone if it doesn’t scare you too much. Some important mentions of this playlist include: “In The Room Where You Sleep” by Dead Man’s Bones, a terrifying tune that is sure to leave you frightened yet wanting more. Featured in the “Conjuring 2”, this song warns the listener of beings in their bedroom watching them sleep and could not get any more heart stopping. But this is not Dead Man’s Bones only spooky song in their discography, in fact they write some of the best gothic rock surrounded by all the best themes in horror history, go check them out! The next stand out song on this list is going to be “Mr. Sandman” by Pat Ballard and the Chordettes. While it’s a beautiful song on its own, it doesn’t necessarily scream Halloween to most. Used in John Carpenters Halloween II, the light cheery beat can soon turn sickening in the right context. The juxtaposition of happy and scared is enough for this song to properly unease you. And finally, the last but not least song that I think really makes this playlist what it is would be “Do You Believe in Magic” by The Lovin’ Spoonful. This song has no hidden scare, no horror flick feature and isn’t outright chilling at all, but what it is is the embodiment of nostalgia. It’s the scent of a bag of candy after trick or treating, the taste of pumpkin and cinnamon lingering in your mouth long after the season has past, it’s the chilly breeze that hits you as you walk home mid fall while you step on the crunchiest of leaves. It embodies the childish joy we all felt as kids who believed in all the tricks and treats of All Hallows’ eve. One of my favorite aspects of the playlist is how many of the songs are featured in favorite Halloween films. Some films that will be recognized through the playlist are, “Halloween,” “Hocus Pocus,” and “Jeepers Creepers.” I especially love listening to music from beloved films, as the songs transport me to the worlds of the films themselves. While listening, I replay the plots in my head and can remember the first time I saw the films. This nostalgia facilitates a memorable listening experience no matter how many times I listen to the song. In essence, the song never gets old. I will get older and be in a different place in life, but the song will never cease to transport me to the world of the film. These Halloween tracks are transformative and positively memorable in spooky films. I decided to enter this contest because Halloween is my favorite holiday, and music is my favorite hobby. Well, music is more than a hobby; it’s a way of life. I live and breathe these songs all year-round, not just during autumn. It did not take much time at all to craft this perfectly-chosen playlist, as virtually all the songs are on my weekly rotation regardless of the time of year. Also, I love creating meaning from my music choices, and this contest allows me to join together meanings from individual songs to create one large purpose. The overall goal of these combined tracks is to put the listener in the spooky mood, while eliciting nostalgic feelings. These nostalgic feelings are happy, creepy, funny, and scary. Combined together, these feelings are what Halloween is about. Halloween means many different things for many different people. To me, it means my favorite time of the year and my favorite music. While creating this playlist, I travelled through many periods of my life. I remember growing up and looking forward to Halloween every single year. The brisk fall air, the creepy decorations as I walked down the street, the stockpiles of hoarded candy: all of it a distant, yet distinct memory. As I am entering my third decade on Earth, these nostalgic moments seem further and further away from reality. However, this does not have to be the case; there is a way to bring them back. Through music, I can transport myself to those childhood memories of Halloween, while simultaneously creating new memories. Whether a classic Halloween song, or a more niche sound, each song I’ve chosen evokes the feeling that is the spooky season. There is no holiday better than Halloween, and the music certainly proves this.