Halloween Mix Tape

C’est Halloween! EYE WEEKLY plans your pre-game party (but not your costume) with our seasonal playlist, sure to tantalize, terrify and torment. Though keep in mind, there’s no such thing as playing too much “Thriller.”

25. Echo and the Bunnyman: The Killing Moon
Echo and Bunnyman were just a late 80s causality until their luminous ode to spookiness got revived as the definitive Halloween jam, thanks to a soundtrack nod in Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. 

24. Siouxsie and The Banshees: The Killing Jar
Though arguably about the ramifications of political violence, post punk outfit Sioxusie and the Banshees create an icy jam that repeats the word “killing” endlessly. 

23. Bauhaus: Bella Lugosi’s Dead
Was there ever a creepier looking band than Bauhaus? The first instance of “gothic rock”, “Bella Lugosi’s Dead” is a tale from the crypt you can grind to.

22. Sonic Youth: Death Valley ‘69
Here, director Richard Kern instructs the iconic noise rockers to “Kill! Kill! Kill!” with a plunging noise assault that only an emotional vampire could love.


21. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: I Put A Spell On You
The first shock rocker in history, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins sings of transforming a lover into his own creepy possession with one of the best operatic caterwauls in history. Truly music of the dammed.

20. Fleetwood Mac: Sisters Of The Moon
There was only one witch in rock n’ roll and that was Stevie Nicks. Off the infamous Tusk, here Stevie paints imagery of black widow spiders and a woman clad in trailing robes, howling at the night. 

19. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown: Fire
Yes, that’s a real flame on top of English musician Arthur Brown’s helmet. Reportedly the headgear was created by fixing a leather skullcap onto a bolted metal dish holding lighter fluid. Due to poor insulation, the fuel would quickly conduct through the bolt, lighting the musician’s head on fire while he performed live.

18. Screaming Lord Sutch: Jack The Ripper
Before his political career took over, English singer Screaming Lord Sutch would often dress as Jack The Ripper when he performed live, beginning his concerts by coming out of an onstage coffin.

17. The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff: Nightmare On My Street
Released in 1990, the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff took the piss out of Freddy Kruger in their popular rap song, “Nightmare on My Street.” One reason not to be so scared? “He wears the same hat and sweater everyday/and even if its hot outside he wears it anyway.”

16. The Specials: Ghost Town
Currently ranked as the 90th Greatest Song Of All Time by website Acclaimed Music, The Specials might have been talking about the radical economic policies of Margaret Thatcher that led to gross unemployment in the small town of Coventry - but we’ll always remember it for the call out “too much fighting on the dance floor!”

15. The Talking Heads: Psycho Killer
While the call out “Psycho Killer - what is it?” doesn’t have the same ring, The Talking Heads created deceptively killer new wave in their 1977 breakout single.

14. The Pixies: Gouge Away
While singer Frank Black misconstrues emotional violence for doing too much pot, “Gouge Away” underlays thick streams of power bass and guitar with images of broken arms, fingers and limbs. Freddie and Jason approved.

13. Black Sabbath: Children Of The Grave
Was there ever a Black Sabbath song that you couldn’t play in a graveyard? “Children Of The Grave” in particular could awaken the dead, as long as Ozzy didn’t drunkenly trample over them.

12. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Time Warp
It’s a just a jump to the left and then a step to the right - before you find yourself every Friday dressing up in lingerie and thrusting your hips at an unwitting audience. Doing the time warp is every bit as iconic today, even if the sight of a young Tim Curry makes the mind wander.

11. Warren Zevon: Werewolves Of London
A song so good even Kid Rock couldn’t help but meld it into his revision of “Sweet Home Alabama”, Warren Zevon’s lackadaisical “Werewolves Of London” are cool and easy listening (and eat beef chow mein to boot).

10. KISS: Creatures Of The Night
KISS wear Halloween costumes every day, except that the Halloween costumes are their face. “Creatures Of The Night” unveils the foursome in their black metal glory, fighting off the monsters with sonic guitar weaponry.

9. Bow Wow Wow: I Want Candy
Admittedly less terrifying and more self explanatory, Bow Wow Wow’s sugary pop confection tells it like it is.

8. Various Artists: Do They Know Its Halloween?
This 2005 parody of charity song “Do They Know Its Christmas?” also had proceeds that benefited Unicef, whose iconic orange boxes were an unwieldy accessory each season. This song features contributions from the likes of David Cross, Beck, Thurston Moore, Karen O and naturally, Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark, written by Islands’ Nick Diamonds and Adam Gollner.

7. The Eagles: Witchy Woman
Apparently written while he was delirious with the flu, “Witchy Woman” chronicles a highflying babe “with the moon in her eyes." Hard to believe that its pre Don Henley's love affair with Stevie Nicks.

6. The Misfits: Dig Up Her Bones
Truthfully any one of The Misfits’ ghoulish punk jams would be perfect for a Halloween throw down. We just happened to like the direct drama “Dig Up Her Bones” commands - if loving her is wrong, they don’t want to be right.

5. Ray Parker Jr.: Ghostbusters
Though it lost its Oscar nom to Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You”, they sure as hell don’t play Stevie when it comes to . May Ray Parker Jr. live off his royalties until the end of time.

4. Bobbie “Boris” Pickett and the Cryptkickers: The Monster Mash
As necessary to the season as slutty witch costumes, Bobbie “Boris” Pickett took inspiration from cheesy horror classics to create this infectious narrative of a lab experiment gone wrong. A graveyard smash hit, indeed.

3. The Ramones: Pet Sematary
Not even Stephen King would want to be buried in a pet sematary. The Ramones channel the inherent creepiness of such a fate with immaculate punk rock.

2. Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare
The titular track of Cooper’s first 1975 solo album, this song is frenzied collision of funk, disco and classic rock made for terror sweats.

1. Michael Jackson: Thriller
Regarded as the greatest, most expensive and most successful music video of all time, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson changed MTV from two bit experiment to a music video powerhouse and moved over 9 million units. Who knew the director of Animal House would be up to the task?