Earworm

It is All Hallows’ Eve on Thursday, so it seemed only appropriate to celebrate the best spooky songs to kick off Halloween the right way. From petrifying pop to revolting rock and roll, this week’s monstrous music playlist has you covered for bloodcurdling bops. There are no tricks – only treats!

Grab your faux fur, fangs, and fake blood, because it is time to get your Halloween hobnobbing started. Crank these kooky tunes and you will be sure to have a memorable fright night!

Suggested Music Listening

1. Thriller – Michael Jackson

• Genre: Pop
• Album: Thriller
• Year Released: 1982

The King of Pop arguably created the king of Halloween pop songs. Released in 1982 off Michael Jackson’s eponymous sixth album, Thriller is just as the name describes it. It is a deliciously terrifying track that gives a taste of the undead, exuberant with elements of pop, rock, and funk.

Not only that, but who could forget the accompanying music video? With Vincent Price’s chilling narration, the iconic red jumpsuit, and the zombified dancing, Thriller is the perfect Halloween cocktail of music and film. I know for one that I have gone full 13 Going on 30 on many an occasion, spicing up a Halloween party with the dance moves – albeit with less panache than Jennifer Garner’s character, Jenna Rink.

2. Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers

• Genre: Pop
• Album: The Original Monster Mash
• Year Released: 1962

This 1962 ‘graveyard smash’ from Bobby “Boris” Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers is certainly on the quirky end of the spectrum of songs released that year. Monster Mash is a Frankenstein-esque classic about a mad scientist whose creepy creation conceives the next hit song and dance combination. It is a spirited little number, emboldened by Pickett’s unmistakeable vocal performance, and it is a must-listen at Halloween gatherings.

Monster Mash may have been released as a novelty song, but that did not stop it becoming a hit. In fact, it managed to knock down Sherry by The Four Seasons to second place on the Billboard Hot 100, with Monster Mash reaching the top spot in October of 1962 after only seven weeks. It seems old Bobby may have had some supernatural powers of foresight: the song actually ‘caught on in a flash’ as predicted by the lyrics. Spooky!

3. Goo Goo Muck – The Cramps

• Genre: Horror punk
• Album: Psychedelic Jungle
• Year Released: 1981

Anybody that saw Netflix’s hit series Wednesday will instantly recognise this nightmarish number from Jenna Ortega’s dance scene. In fact, The Cramps may have a lot for which to thank the Addams Family spin-off, given that their reimagination of Goo Goo Muck, off their 1981 record Psychedelic Jungle, was ‘streamed on-demand over 2 million times in the U.S.‘ in the week after Wednesday was released.

Originally performed by Ronny Cook and the Gaylads, The Cramp’s version of Goo Goo Muck is the perfect embodiment of teenage rebellion. From Lux Interior’s cool-as-a-cucumber vocal to the spring-tank, surf rock guitar lines, Goo Goo Muck is a suave song that will get even the most cautious chorophobes dancing.

4. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon

• Genre: Rock
• Album: Excitable Boy
• Year Released: 1978

Anybody else hungry for beef chow mein? You may well be after giving Warren Zevon’s darkly humorous Werewolves of London a listen. Released in 1978 on Excitable Boy, the song’s contemporary legacy likely more resides in its piano riff being sampled in Kid Rock’s All Summer Long. Nonetheless, that takes nothing away from its enduring appeal.

Zevon’s humour and distinctive vocal are timeless, with the lyrics blending horror and satire in a way that shows the best of the songwriter’s unique style. Werewolves of London may not get you dancing in the same way as some of the other suggestions on this week’s Halloween playlist, but I guarantee that it will have you and your friends howling along to the chorus.

5. Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne

• Genre: Heavy metal
• Album: Bark at the Moon
• Year Released: 1983

Last but not least is another Werewolf-fueled track from Ozzy Osbourne, Bark at the Moon. The leading track from Osbourne’s 1983 album of the same name is a powerhouse of guitar and keyboard riffs, topped off with the Brummie’s signature wail. Although this was the first album release not to feature Randy Rhoads on an Osbourne solo album, the legendary guitarist having tragically died in a plane crash the year before, Jake E Lee stepped up and delivered a guitar performance no less impressive than his predecessor.

Interestingly, Bark at the Moon was accompanied by Osbourne’s first ever music video. The macabre mini-film took inspiration from an unlikely source: a Jekyll-and-Hyde episode of the Benny Hill Show. What adds to the monstrous motif is that it was partially filmed in Surrey at the Holloway Sanatorium, a Victorian institution for the treatment of the mentally ill. What else would you expect from the Prince of Darkness?

Final Thoughts

Whether you are going to be out trick or treating or having a party with the rest of the boys and ghouls, adding these classics to your Halloween playlist is sure to set a great tone for a spooky night.

What other frightful favourites do you have on your playlist? Let me know in the comments.

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About the Author

Lewis Brown

Lewis is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Earworm. His deep passion for music is what inspired him to create Earworm as a music magazine for lovers of all genres.

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