Halloween: a time for regrettable costuming decisions, novelty props, worm-shaped sweets and, of course, a load of banging Halloween songs. Halloween music is among the most ephemeral of the year: its brief life-span makes it all the more essential that we blast it out every year on October 31 and get everyone in the spooky zone. So, with that in mind, NME has compiled a Halloween playlist of 66 songs to make your Halloween experience truly freaky.
Some of them are genuinely horrifying propositions – Slayer‘s ‘Raining Blood’ is literally a nightmare scenario – but some of the choices are slightly more tenuous (that’s you, ‘Batdance’). In the mix we’ve got creepy cuts from David Bowie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kanye West and – of course – the cast of TheRocky Horror Picture Show.
Listen to our playlist of the ultimate Halloween songs to make your party extra spooky below, and check out all of NME‘s Spotify playlists over on our Spotify page.
The Cure – ‘Lullaby’
David Bowie – ‘Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)’
The Black Keys – ‘Howlin’ For You’
The Horrors – ‘Mirror’s Image’
Kanye West feat. Jay Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver – ‘Monster’
Outkast feat. Kelis – ‘Dracula’s Wedding’
Iron Maiden – ‘The Number of the Beast’
Michael Jackson – ‘Thriller’
Siouxsie and the Banshees – ‘Spellbound’
Creedence Clearwater Revival – ‘Bad Moon Rising’
Godsmack – ‘Voodoo’
Dead Kennedys – ‘Halloween’
Bauhaus – ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’
Cathy Davey – ‘End of the End’
Rihanna – ‘Disturbia’
Nine Inch Nails – ‘Closer’
Metallica – ‘Am I Evil?’
Kings of Leon – ‘Closer’
Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Bark at the Moon’
The Cranberries – ‘Zombie’
Alice Cooper – ‘Bed of Nails’
Rockwell – ‘Somebody Is Watching Me’
Lady Gaga – ‘Judas’
Eminem feat. Dr. Dre – ‘Guilty Conscience’
Tyler, The Creator – ‘Yonkers’
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But…’
Japan – ‘Ghosts’
Iggy Pop – ‘Vulture’
Bert Convy – ‘The Monster Hop’
Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘Ghost’
Joy Division – ‘Dead Souls’
Death From Above 1979 – ‘Blood On Our Hands’
Tom Waits – ‘Little Drop of Poison’
Ray Parker Jr. – ‘Ghostbusters’
Slayer – ‘Raining Blood’
Queens of the Stone Age – ‘Burn the Witch’
The Rocky Horror Show Original Cast – ‘Time Warp’
Deftones – ‘You’ve Seen The Butcher’
Metric – ‘Monster Hospital’
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – ‘Red Right Hand’
Childish Gambino – ‘Boogieman’
Bloc Party – ‘Hunting for Witches’
Prince – ‘Batdance’
Jamie T – ‘Zombie’
Iron Maiden – ‘Run to the Hills’
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – ‘A Nightmare On My Street’
