Top Halloween Songs

Along with the 8 regular scheduled show programs, RadioHalloween.com also plays the Top Halloween Songs to give our hosts a break from time to time.  Also every morning from around 4:00 AM to 5:00 AM depending on how long Hector The Headless Horseman is able to stay up with his Hard Rock Halloween Show.  He has been known to go all night long and even bring in his friend Egore.

With the Halloween season comes all of it’s spooky charms, including festive Halloween music. The Halloween Season gives horror fans everywhere a reason to enjoy these creepy tunes as the spirit of Halloween is welcomed into a warm embrace. Halloween music can be enjoyed all year long for free on RadioHalloween.com.

1. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – The Monster Mash (1962) – The Monster Mash continues to be a classic, graveyard smash, just as it was when it was released in August ’62, when it became a #1 single on the Hot 100 chart during October 20-27 in ’62.

2. Michael Jackson – Thriller – Michael Jackson, as a musical pioneer, was the first pop star to dress up as a zombie, who grooved along with other zombies in a choreographed dance masterpiece video for a horror-themed song. Vincent Prince contributed to this memorable little number with his notable voice-over where he recited a spooky speech in his famous voice that enriched so many classic horror films to add to the novelty of this early 80’s super hit!

3. The Misfits – Halloween (1981) – The Misfits redefined punk rock when they mixed 50’s rockabilly lyrics, themes, and motifs with the punk rock music sound of the early 80’s and songs that tell horror-themed stories. This new sound bridged genres into one little sinister package. The Misfits’ Halloween anthem is a classic that brings a little delightful darkness into the hearts of horror fans everywhere, especially during the Halloween Season!

3. Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare All) – Type O Negative (1993) – Type O Negative, similar to the Misfits and other horror rock bands that preceded them continued in the tradition of both titillating and terrifying horror music fans everywhere. This anthem reminded those who’s roots were showing to, “Dye ’em black!”.

4. I Put A Spell on You – Jay Hawkins (1956) – This soulful tune was selected to be one of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 tunes that shaped Rock & Roll and even ranked at #313 among Rolling Stone’s, “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

5. Welcome to My Nightmare – Alice Cooper (1975) – Alice was a pioneer in horror rock, who paved the way for artists, such as the Misfits, Type O Negative, and especially for Marilyn Manson, to create creepy, horror-themed tunes. Alice showed other musical artists that one could gain mainstream popularity using horror motifs to create amazing music that the masses would be able to digest and enjoy.

6. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Marilyn Manson – This cover of the Eurythmic’s 80’s hit of the same name, Marilyn Manson took this Synth-pop, Dark Wave hit and made it even darker. Marilyn Manson performed the 80’s Synth-pop song with heavy guitars and Marilyn sang the song in a deep, nearly guttural voice in some portions of the song that transformed this mainstream 80’s hit into a spooky alternative delight.

7. Li’l Red Riding Hood – Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs (1966) – Based on the Grimm’s Fairy Tale of the same name, “Little Red Riding Hood”, this song brings mid-60’s flair to a classic fairytale with a dark and spooky twist for everyone to enjoy, not just children. This tune was Sam the Sham & the Pharaoh’s second top-10 hit, which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1966 when the hit became certified “gold”.

8. Cher – Dark Lady (1974) – This spooky song tells a sinister story sung by Cher in her deep, sultry voice with mystical music that accompanies her voice in a masterful way. This musical tale spins the story of a mysterious fortune teller from the point of view of one of her female clients, who suspects her husband is having an affair.

9. Ave Satani (The Omen Theme) Jerry Goldstein (1976) – The Omen’s Theme, Ave Satani, which has a title that literally pays homage to the devil and achieves a terrifying sound through the use of a traditional Gregorian chant one would expect to hear in a church. This chant was expertly transformed from the type of chant that is used in church to something dark and ominous! It’s used to build an unsettling atmosphere in the film, “The Omen”, when a majorly scary scene is about to happen.

10. This is Halloween (Nightmare Before Christmas Theme) – Danny Elfman (1993) – The Nightmare Before Christmas’ delightful theme song pays homage to the Halloween Holiday by the residents of “Halloweentown”, in the film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, as their high holiday. Marilyn Manson even covered this tune in 2006 for the special edition release of the Nightmare Before Christmas’ film soundtrack. In addition, it was also covered by Panic! at the Disco for the film’s 2006 soundtrack re-release.

11. Spooky – Classic IV – (1968) – One of Classic IV’s better known tunes, “Spooky”, tells the tale of a guy who falls in love with a “spooky girl”. When “Spooky”, was released as a single, it soared to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and weighed in at #46 in the United Kingdom’s pop chart.

12. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969) – This tune was written by John Fogerty, reportedly after he watched, “The Devil and Daniel Webster”. This well-loved, rock classic has been covered by numerous bands subsequent to it’s release by Creedence Clearwater Revival in many different musical styles since it’s original release.

13. Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones (1968) – Sympathy for The Devil is among one of the Rolling Stones’ darker tunes, but this tale told in the point of view by the Devil is performed as a riddle, which is reminiscent of when in the story, “Rumpelstiltskin”, the title character, a nasty little imp, asks the miller’s daughter to guess what his name might be, which is quite original among rock songs that tell a story.

14. Ghost Busters – Ray Parker, Jr. (1984) – This theme song for the 1984 film of the same title experienced wild popularity during the film’s successful run and has continued to be popular during the Halloween Season for every year subsequent to it’s release!

15. Devil Went Down to Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band (1979) – This spooky song’s melody was written in the key of D minor, which gives the tune it’s dark feel that’s enriched by the tale that the song narrates. The song’s verses are nearly spoken as opposed to being sung as the tale of Johnny’s fiddle playing showdown with the Devil is woven.

16. Johnny Cash – The Long Black Veil (1959) – This somber country ballad was written by Marijohn Wilkin and Danny Dill and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell, followed by Johnny Cash. The Long Black Veil sings the tale of a man who was falsely accused of murder from the accused man’s point of view. The storyteller adamantly refuses to offer his alibi to prove his innocence, as while the crime was being committed by another person, the storyteller was romantically entangled with his best friend’s bride. His tale is told from his point of view after death, where from the great beyond, he observes that his best friend’s wife visits his grave in a long black veil.

17. Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult (1976) – This tune is about the inevitability of death and how it’s silly to fear it. This sinister song discusses dark subject matter, while it urges the listener not to fear the reaper!

18. Season of the Witch – Donovan (1962)– Strangely enough, though this song was both written and recorded by Donovan, originally, a cover version recorded by the Pandemonium was released in the UK in November of 1966 as a single when in fact, Donovan’s version wasn’t actually released until June 1967.

19. Witchcraft – Frank Sinatra (1957) – This jam was composed by Cy Coleman as an instrumental piece for the revue, “Take Five”. It’s lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh. Frank Sinatra released, “Witchcraft”, as a single that spent several weeks on the United States pop charts. Elvis Presley performed “Witchcraft” at a Frank Sinatra show. The hit was also covered by the sultry, Peggy Lee.

20. That Old Black Magic – Peggy Lee (1952)– This classic tune, recorded by the illustrious Peggy Lee is a love song, but romantic chemistry is referred to as, “that old black magic” in the song. “That Old Black Magic”, was initially recorded and released in 1942 as a single by Glenn Miller with music written by Harold Arlen and lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. Mercer later released a version, as did Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., along with many other performers, such as Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and even Marilyn Monroe in her film, “Bus Stop”, in 1956.