6 Months To Go: Soundtrack to the Season

I find that one of the first things that I do when I start to feel that "Halloween itch" is to break out my favorite Halloween music.  And mind you, it comes out probably way earlier than is socially acceptable.  Do you have some favorite songs of the Halloween season?  Outlined below are the top 10 songs that I feel, in my humble opinion, are a must.  After the countdown, check out a widget of my complete Spotify Halloween playlist.  You can bet that I'm totally starting to annoy my loved ones and co-workers with this music.  And now you can, too.

10. "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

If ever there existed a song that can get people to sing loudly and act ridiculous at a moment's notice, it's "Time Warp." Yes, this song can get annoying, but I think that the month of October would just not be right without a play or two (or five) of this song.  Complete with its own dance (detailed instruction found here!), the whole ritualistic, mischievous, and rowdy nature of this song all encapsulate the spirit of Halloween.

9.  "People Are Strange" by The Doors

This is a great song and the title tune from 1987's "The Lost Boys." I did not see this film until my first year of college at University of California, Santa Cruz during welcome week.  Shot mostly in Santa Cruz, "Lost Boys" features a spectacular view of the UCSC campus (at about the 2:00 minute mark on this video). The whole vibe of the movie, and this song, feels like an ode to the campy and unique character of Santa Cruz--a city that embraces Halloween wholeheartedly with a downtown blowout party and all of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" participations you could "jump to the left" to. Whenever I hear this song I am instantly reminded of waning summer and the onset of a damp fall in beautiful, weird Santa Cruz.  And obviously, vampires.

8.  "Haunted House" by Jumpin' Gene Simmons

This song released in 1964 and is one that most people do not know. My sister and I were introduced to it thanks to the fabulous Rhino Records CD, "Halloween Hits."  Anna Belle and I played the hell out of this CD.  Our friends from next door came over and we made dances to each of the songs and practiced for hours. The CD was on non-stop the week leading up to Halloween.  Our parents, though Halloween fans themselves, consequently pulled their hair out.  This may explain why neither Anna Belle or I can find this CD to this day.  It conveniently disappeared.  Thank you, Spotify, for reuniting me with this fantastic song!

7.  "I Put A Spell On You" by She & Him

Released in 2010, this song has quickly become a favorite.  The bluesy, gorgeous sound of Zooey Deschanel's voice and M. Ward's stellar guitar skills make for an excellent cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins's original 1956 song (which is frighteningly awesome).

6. "This is Halloween" from Nightmare Before Christmas

I'm a child of the '90s, so you can't be too surprised that one Nightmare Before Christmas is showing up here.  While Danny Elfman's score is stunningly perfect in its entirety, I think the song that introduced us all to Halloween Town is by far the best and most memorable.  Any song that sings about a "clown with a tear-away face" is okay in my book.

5.  "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult

 

Blue Öyster Cult's first hit, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" plays in the film soundtracks of two of my favorite horror films, "Halloween" and "Scream." It's a no-brainer why I and many other Halloween-philes love it.

4.  "Spooky" by Atlanta Rhythm Section

I was turned onto this song last year after reading a top 10 list of Halloween songs on someone else's blog.  May I add that it was the perfect song to bake Pumpkin Cupcakes with Crushed Heath Bars and Harvest Pumpkin Cookies to.

3.  "Rock Lobster" by The B-52s

The fun, bizarre, and improvisational feeling of this song has always made it a Halloween favorite of mine.  Maybe that's because those three words describe Halloween perfectly, but who knows.  Spanning seven minutes and including "nonsensical lyrics about a beach party and excited rants about real or imagined marine animals," the B-52s created a song that doesn't obviously scream Halloween, but nonetheless fits.

2. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson

I was born just as it was getting slightly "uncool" and uncomfortable to admit that you loved you some Michael Jackson, but "Thriller" is an indelible contribution to the music library of most Halloween fanatics.  Yes, it's been overdone and you can't go through one season without seeing multiple people doing the "Thriller" dance, but the power of this song cannot be denied.  The music video is absolutely one of the greatest music videos of all time. I have vivid memories of watching that video as a little kid and thinking, "Damn, that is cool."  And I would be regret not to mention the absolutely fantastic narration performed by the one and only, Vincent Price.  Sources cite that Price recorded his portion of the song in only two takes.

1. "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Borris" Pickett

 

There is no way that this song cannot be #1 on every Halloween-lover's playlist.  It's classic.  One of my favorite Halloween memories is sitting in the car singing along to this song on the radio with my sister, Anna Belle, and my Dad as he drove us to our Nana and Oompa's (affection moniker for Grandpa) house for Halloween trick-or-treating.  It always makes me smile.

Am I missing your favorite Halloween song?  Share with us!