My Halloween playlist is really getting me in the spirit.  Of course, it’s curated based on what my and my wife are into when it comes to music during spooky season.  Our playlist is only a year old and started how most of our playlists start.  We were in the backyard at night enjoying a beverage or two and one of us said, “I have to play you this.”

I Got Carried Away

When we started this I went completely rogue immediately.  Every day before I go on the air, I make a playlist with basically the same songs.  I then export that playlist to the radio and start on the next day.  In this case, an opportunity to create a themed playlist presented itself and I just couldn’t help myself.

It’s Not Generic

When we started building the playlist, we knew we didn’t want generic songs like Monster Mash or Ghostbusters.  Instead, we started with what we liked to watch or were watching at the time.  Last year we started watching What We Do In The Shadows on Hulu.  The intro to that show was the first song added to our playlist.  The second song added would have never made it if it weren’t for one popular Netflix series.

Stranger Things

Even though we finished season 4 of Stranger Things on Netflix months before Halloween, a song from the 80s resurged because of the popular Netflix series.  Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush became one of the most popular songs in the world at that time.  It became a fan favorite because of the impact it had on one of the characters and it grew from there.

Let’s Get To The Full List

If you need some ideas to add to or start creating your Halloween playlist, take a look at mine below!  My Halloween playlist is really getting me in the spirit.  And yes, Thriller’s on it.

• The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd

  It’s one of my favorite Johnny Depp movies and I love watching it this time of year.  This version is from the theatrical performance which is where it originated.

• Halloween by Dave Matthews Band

  I am a BIG  Dave Matthews fan.  Yes, I am the “deep cuts only” guy and that’s what this song is.  Every time I hear it I think of spiders and evil spirits and it’s also not your typical Dave song.

• Bodak Yellow by Cardi B

  This was the song playing when I went through a very scary haunted house and it’s been a Halloween song to me ever since.  It also mentions “Bloody Shoes.”

• Thriller by Michael Jackson(Steve Aoki mix)

  Steve Aoki did an awesome job adding to what was already THE song of Halloween.  He tweaked it slightly and gave it some youth.

  Here’s the video of the original version.

• True Blood by Justin Timberlake

  Back in 2013 when Justin Timberlake came out Part 1 and 2 of The 2020 Experience, he gave us what I consider his “Thriller.”  It’s on part 2 of the full album and the influence of the Michael Jackson hit runs very parallel.

• Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

  This is from Taylor Swift’s “Reputation Era.”  The overall vibe from this song, to me, says we can all go a little mad sometimes.

• Tom Sawyer by Rush

  The opening in itself makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time.  The high vocals mixed with the lower chords give off a rising spirit vibe.

• The Whole World by Outkast feat. Killer Mike

  This has always been one of my favorite Outkast songs.  The video itself is why I like it for Halloween.

• My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy

  A combination of darkness and fire brings hardcore spooky vibes.  A combination of that and the first time I saw Fall Out Boy perform this song on Jimmy Kimmel is why it’s a Halloween song IMO.

  Here’s the studio version.

• Disturbia by Rihanna

  My wife added this one.  I completely forgot about this Rihanna single but it makes total sense.

• You're Dead by Norma Tanega

  This is the song from the intro of What We Do In The Shadows that you can stream on Hulu.  It’s shot like The Office but with Vampires and it’s one of the funniest shows out there.

  Here’s the intro to What We Do In The Shadows.

• Red Right Hand by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

  Like a lot of kids in the 90s, I first heard this when Scream came out.  It’s also the intro song to Peaky Blinders.

• The Sound of Silence by Disturbed

  It’s a song about darkness and silence. Disturbed re-recorded it and added so much emotion and theatre to it.  That mixed with lead singer David Draiman’s vocals makes for a spiritual rage.  I like the live version the did on Conan better than the recorded version.

  Here’s the studio version of the song which was originally recorded by Simon & Garfunkel.

• Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga

  This became a pop culture phenomenon just last year.  It’s actually an older Lady Gaga song but was used in the Netflix series, Wednesday.  Netflix likes making old songs popular again.

• Goo Goo Muck by The Cramps

  I added this to the playlist as soon as we watched this scene from Wednesday.  Even the title sounds like something gross but terrifying.

  Here’s the famous dance scene from Wednesday.

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