25 songs for a Halloween mix-tape

The first thing you’ll realize is that we’re liars: There are way more than 25 songs contained on this list — one of perennial classics, one filled with rock staples and a final 20 comprised of offbeat and lesser-known gems. Plenty of other selections have been drizzled like blood from an unhealed wound into these blurbs. You could easily patch together a wide enough web of fiendish delights to last your Halloween bash all night.

Some overplayed hits, like “Thriller” and “Dead Man’s Party,” we simply couldn’t refuse. Others, like “Monster Mash” and “Ghostbusters,” we’ve relegated to the kids’ party to make room for the likes of Rob Zombie and Rihanna. Download ‘em all (we’ve indicated what albums you can find them on, but iTunes has the overwhelming majority for individual sale), load up your MP3 player of choice, hit shuffle … and let the spooking begin.

Rihanna

The Horrorpops

Michael Jackson’s Thriller

PJ Harvey

Marilyn Manson

Photos: Our top selections

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“Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” Bauhaus

If there’s a quintessential spooky song for All Hallow’s Eve, it has to be this nearly 10-minute, grimly fiendish epic about the most famous portrayer of Transylvania’s blood-lusting count. The first half, all dubbed-out click-clack confusion complemented by Daniel Ash’s squalls of noise, can still creep newcomers out. The second half, filled with Peter Murphy’s cries of “undead, undead, undead!,” is like giving yourself over to a vampire’s kiss. A must, to be played VERY loudly. (From the compilation “Crackle,” 1998)

“Disturbia,” Rihanna

A newbie to the list, this dark ‘n’ bumpin’ track has fast become a party essential. The music video, featuring zombie-like dancers jerking and jiving, is reminiscent of Jacko’s “Thriller.” Who knows if the song will spawn its own specially choreographed dance, but it’s definitely a track scantily costumed ladies will groove to on Halloween night. (From “Good Girl Gone Bad,” 2007)

“Dead Man’s Party,” Oingo Boingo

Come on, you know the lyrics: “It’s a dead man’s party, who could ask for more? Everybody’s comin’, leave your body at the door.” Danny Elfman’s middle name should be “Halloween.” Up until the band retired in 1995 its annual Halloween shows were insanely popular, but the spirit of Boingo lives on year after year as radio stations and record stores across the country play the heck out of this. (From “Dead Man’s Party,” 1985)

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” Blue Oyster Cult

All right, so it might have lost a little of its spookiness when Christopher Walken demanded “more cowbell” as Will Ferrell jiggled his belly fat in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch about this. But the song is still perfectly chilling. Beware, though: Horror flicks often use it to set the mood while two unsuspecting teenagers are getting it on. Then they get killed. (From “Agents of Fortune,” 1976)

“I Put a Spell on You,” Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s cover is perfectly acceptable as well, but Hawkins’ signature song is best heard from the crazed, skull-cane-toting voodoo huckster himself. CCR’s is for grooving; Hawkins’ version is for giving you the willies while cracking you up. (From the compilation “Cow Fingers & Mosquito Pie,” 1991)

“Dragula,” Rob Zombie

All hail the new king of horror cinema. Zombie’s “Dragula” is a high-energy, bloodthirsty track with a hard-driving chorus: “DIG through the ditches and BURN through the witches/I SLAM in the back of my … DRAGULA!” Of course, you could do an entire disc of Zombie’s solo stuff as well as White Zombie songs, from “Living Dead Girl” to “I’m Your Boogieman” — all Halloween-appropriate. As a bonus, throw on one of his films as background (“The Devil’s Rejects” is the best by far) or the soundtracks to both that flick or “House of 1,000 Corpses.” Easy choices for extra eerie sounds. (From “Hellbilly Deluxe,” 1998)

“The Killing Moon,” Echo and the Bunnymen

A less obvious (and arguably more sensual) choice would be “Nocturnal Me,” from the same album as this track. But “Moon,” which a whole new generation seemed to discover (alongside Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”) thanks to its use in “Donnie Darko,” is a gorgeous gothic-romantic masterpiece that only sounds richer as the years go by. (From “Ocean Rain,” 1984)

“People Are Strange,” the Doors

Even more appropriate for Halloween ‘08 is the title track of the album it comes from, but how can you refuse it? You also could substitute Echo and the Bunnymen’s version from “The Lost Boys,” but why? Jim Morrison’s vocal on the original is much richer, and Ray Manzarek’s much-mimicked tacked-piano feel (Danny Elfman, say thank you) is as playfully ghostly as ever. To add sheer terror, place Morrison’s howl of poetry reading “Horse Latitudes” just before it. (From “Strange Days,” 1968)

“Thriller,” Michael Jackson

Well, short of “Monster Mash” it is just about the most recognizable Halloween song the world over. Expertly crafted hokum it may be, but slip it on in the thick of your bash and watch — half the room if not more will spontaneously break into the video’s dance sequence. If you’ve got serious cash, hire a local choreographer to teach it to your guests. (From “Thriller,” 1982)

“Psycho Killer,” Talking Heads

Qu’est-ce que c’est? David Byrne’s vivid portrayal of the sort of title character that became a national phenomenon at the time the song first appeared (when the Son of Sam was terrorizing NYC) still retains stark power and an ability to unnerve. Because of that, the original version is probably preferable — but for parties, try the slightly more beat-driven rendition on 1984’s “Stop Making Sense.” Also fun: “Stay Up Late.” Even weirder: “Drugs (Electricity).” (From “Talking Heads 77,” 1977)

“Superstition,” Stevie Wonder

As funky as hell is hot. But the best part of it is how Stevie weaves in so many superstitions into such a short space of words: “Thirteen-month-old baby broke the looking glass/Seven years of bad luck/Good things in your past.” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s smokin’ remake is also acceptable. (From “Talking Book,” 1972)

“Halloween Theme,” John Carpenter

Bernard Herrmann’s strings-slashing theme from “Psycho” is probably more recognizable, Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” (aka the theme from “The Exorcist”) possibly more creepy. You should have ‘em all on your mix discs, and maybe leave room for “Jaws,” too. But if you can only fit one, go with Michael Myers’ ominous instrumental motif. (From “Halloween: Original Soundtrack,” 1978)

“The Time Warp,” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

You remember. It’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the ri-i-i-eee-i-i-ight. With your hands on your hip, you bring your knees in tight. But, you know, it’s the pelvic thrust that really drives you insaa-eee-aaaa-eee-aaane. Add lyric-parodying gags as you see fit. (Best found on “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 25 Years of Absolute Pleasure,” 2000)

“Werewolves of London,” Warren Zevon

In which the title characters go hunting for beef chow mein, drink pina coladas at Trader Vic’s and run amok in Kent — ahhh-wooooo indeed. Picturesque nuttiness from the late, great singer-songwriter that never gets old at Halloween. (From “Excitable Boy,” 1978)

“Welcome to My Nightmare,” Alice Cooper

On second thought, “Dead Babies” or “Billion Dollar Babies” or “Is It My Body” or “Cold Ethyl” or “Sick Things” or even the positively silly “Feed My Frankenstein” would be cooler than Coop’s most obvious fright-night staple, which is now a fairly moldy piece of cheese. Still, you can’t avoid it. (From “Welcome to My Nightmare,” 1975)

And for the kids …

No, we didn’t forget some all-time faves. We just figure they can do the trick-or-treat-in-daylight thing now — the equivalent of sitting at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving. For the youngsters, try the Steve Miller Band’s grab-ya hit “Abracadabra,” the Who’s creepy-crawly “Boris the Spider,” Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” Bow Wow Wow’s version of “I Want Candy,” Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s classic “Monster Mash,” DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Nightmare on My Street,” Sheb Wooley’s “The Purple People Eater,” Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” the Classics IV’s “Spooky” or David Seville’s ooh-eee-ooh-ahh-ahh-ing “Witch Doctor.”

HEAVY HALLOWEEN

Fifteen favorites to help you bang your head while frightening trick-or-treaters:

“Bad Moon Rising,” Creedence Clearwater Revival

Stephen King used it for foreshadowing in “The Shining,” then ended “Silver Bullet” with it. Bands from Social Distortion and Rancid to Type O Negative and Rasputina have covered it. It’s not terribly scary, of course. But despite its seemingly chipper exterior, it’s sense of foreboding runs deep. (From “Green River,” 1969)

“Bark at the Moon,” Ozzy Osbourne

There’s at least a disc’s worth of Black Sabbath songs you could include, and more than a few other Ozzy solo cuts. Yet everything about this charging rocker screams Halloween, from its silence-shattering opening to its grave-digging lyrics to its howling finish. (From “Bark at the Moon,” 1983)

“Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” Santana

True, as with “Evil Ways,” this one seems to be on the radio every half-hour. But how can it be denied? (From “Abraxas,” 1970)

“Helter Skelter,” the Beatles

“I’ve got blisters on me fingers!” The opening guitar salvo still sends chills, McCartney has never seemed so possessed, and the droning stomp toward the fadeout is still so hypnotizing, it’s not hard to see why Charles Manson thought he heard secret messages. For further hair-raising chills, add in Siouxsie and the Banshees’ version. (From “The Beatles,” 1968)

“Hells Bells,” AC/DC

“Highway to Hell” fits, too, but the tolling title sound of this heavy-metal staple will, as the song says, “give you black sensations up and down your spine.” Were it not for the Stones selection below, this would be Satan’s anthem. (From “Back in Black,” 1980)

“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” U2

OK, so it’s not really very scary sounding, more hyper-dramatic. Still, it’s mood that matters, and Bono has rarely sounded so over-the-top — and the near-operatic music matches. (From “The Best of 1990-2000,” 2002)

“Lucifer Sam,” Pink Floyd

“That cat’s something I can’t explain.” A bit of Syd Barrett’s surrealism always goes down unsettlingly this time of year, and this ode to the familiar that follows witch Jennifer Gentle around is one of the late drug-damaged madman’s finest. The ghoulish, descending-into-darkness riff, like “Batman” on acid, will prick up ears that haven’t heard it for sure. (From “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” 1967)

“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps),” David Bowie

The title kinda says it all. There are plenty of other Bowie selections to fill up your soundtrack, from spooky (“Warszawa”) to rockin’ (“The Jean Genie”) to downright loopy (“TVC15”). But with party tunes, sometimes it’s better to be obvious. (From “Scary Monsters,” 1980)

“Frankenstein,” the Edgar Winter Group

Duh-duh dunn-dunn da-dunn-dunn-dahhh. Need we say more? (From “They Only Come Out at Night,” 1972)

“Strange Brew,” Cream

“Kill what’s inside of you.” Another haunted rocker centered on another witchy woman. Play it before or after the Eagles track below. (From “Disraeli Gears,” 1967)

“Sympathy for the Devil,” the Rolling Stones

Please allow him to introduce himself. Frankly, you could put together an entire box set of songs devoted to Beelzebub. Suggestions: Van Halen’s “Runnin’ with the Devil,” INXS’ “Devil Inside,” the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” the B-52’s “Devil in My Car” and Mitch Ryder’s “Devil in a Blue Dress.” We’d also toss in Robert Johnson’s “Hellhounds on My Trail” as a corollary, but you can’t really dance to it. For thematic thrust plus dark delight, however, nothing beats the Stones’ woo-hoo-ing classic. (From “Beggars Banquet,” 1968)

“Burn the Witch,” Queens of the Stone Age

Josh Homme & Co.’s “Hangin’ Tree” and “Into the Hollow” are also worth considering, but we’ll take this fiery stomper about mob rule. “The first to speak is the first to lie/The children cross their hearts and hope to die.” Dread-filled … yet sexy! (From “Lullabies to Paralyze,” 2005)

“Witch Hunt,” Rush

Part of the Canadian trio’s “Fear Trilogy,” this menacing third piece actually came first, followed by second part “The Weapon” (on 1982’s “Signals”) and first installment “The Enemy Within” (on 1984’s “Grace Under Pressure”). In 2002, Rush added a fourth part, “Freeze,” but stick to the darker original. Eerie fact: the mob noise in the opening moments was recorded the night John Lennon was killed. (From “Moving Pictures,” 1979)

“Witchy Woman,” Eagles

“See how high she flies,” and then take note of her other freakish characteristics: “Sparks fly from her fingertips,” “she got the moon in her eye,” “she can rock you in the nighttime till your skin turns red.” Well, OK, that last one doesn’t sound so bad. Still … watch out. (From “Eagles,” 1972)

“Zombie,” the Cranberries

It’s actually about the killing of two boys in an IRA bombing in Northwest England. But when Dolores O’Riordan cries out “zombie! zombie! zombie-yuh-ah-yuh-ah!” for the umpteenth time, your party guests probably won’t be thinking about that. (From “No Need to Argue,” 1994)

THE DARKER SIDE OF HALLOWEEN

Not all spooky songs need be so obvious. Here are 10 offbeat, lesser-known and darker-edged drops of musical blood to savor.

“Cemetery Polka,” Tom Waits

There are so many choices from the frog-voiced cult hero. His rendition of “Heigh-Ho (The Dwarfs’ Marching Song)” from the Disney tribute “Stay Awake” is as dark as a mine ride to hell with the lights out. “Underground” packs both stalker menace and sinister invitation, and “Earth Died Screaming” is self-explanatory. But this off-kilter track, a litany of dead relatives in just under two minutes, will surprise and unsettle your guests. (From “Rain Dogs,” 1985)

“Climbing up the Walls,” Radiohead

The wall-bending, witching-hour delirium of “The Gloaming” is a close second, and probably works better as background noise. But this one arrived before it, and its sense of obsession is still harrowing. “If you get too far inside you’ll only see my reflection,” Thom Yorke tells us. “So lock the kids up safe tonight / Shut the eyes in the cupboard/I’ve got the smell of a local man/Who’s got the loneliest fear.” Watch out! Other fine Radiohead picks, depending on your mood: “Pyramid Song,” “The National Anthem,” “Exit Music (For a Film),” “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box,” “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors,” “I Might Be Wrong,” “Sit Down. Stand Up” (especially how Yorke sings “the raindrops! the raindrops!”) and “We Suck Young Blood.” (From “OK Computer,” 1997)

“Ghouls,” HorrorPops

A prime example of the psychobilly trio’s devil-may-care attitude, this cut is straightforward rock ‘n’ roll with a swingin’ beat and fun lyrics: “It’s like I’m the wife of Halloween / Hey! It’s a horror movie theme.” For more instrumental good times, the group’s “HorrorBeach,” parts one and two, is pretty spectacular. (From “Hell Yeah,” 2004)

Our choice for filthy beasts from the ocean deep goes to the quirky, long-defunct Finn-brothers band out of New Zealand, if only because it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it. Other suitable selections: “Swamp Thing” by the Chameleons and “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” by Dave Edmunds. (From “Time and Tide,” 1982)

“Down by the Water,” PJ Harvey

“Working for the Man,” from the same album, is another wicked pick; in it, an apocalypse-possessed serial killer prowls streets aiming to rid them of sin. But this tale of a woman drowning her daughter — why is anyone’s guess — chills as much with its skeletal riff as its horrifying lyrical details or Leadbelly-revival coda (“Little fish big fish swimming in the water/Come back here, man, gimme my daughter”). Never fails to prick up ears. (From “To Bring You My Love,” 1995)

“Spellbound,” Siouxsie and the Banshees

There are so many selections from the spooky Queen of Goth, it’s almost insulting to limit her and the Banshees to just one. For something harsher, seek out either “Night Shift” or “Voodoo Dolly” in their scorched live incarnations on “Nocturne” (1983). For something more playful, dig out the loopy loonies of “Happy House” or the party groove “Peek-a-Boo.” For more atmosphere, try “Slowdive” or “Face to Face” (from “Showgirls,” of all things) or, natch, “Halloween.” But for something that combines all of those moods then adds galloping forcefulness, stay entranced by the “rag doll dance” of this rush of blood to the head. A true thriller. (From “Juju,” 1981)

“I Am Stretched on Your Grave,” Sinead O’Connor

“… and I’ll lie there forever.” Over a jittery hip-hop loop laced toward the end with jig-worthy fiddle, the Irishwoman with the angelic voice declares her undying love by waiting … and waiting … and waiting … until “I smell of the earth and am worn by the weather … with you in your cold grave, I cannot sleep warm.” Poe would approve. (From “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” 1990)

“Rose of the Devil’s Garden,” Tiger Army

For those tortured zombies holding their hearts in their hands this Halloween, this sweet-yet-deadly track is just for you. Vocalist Nick 13 toys with his heart dangerously and refers to his love as the “black rose” (aw, how romantic). “Death is pure — life is not. So ask yourself, what do you want? As for me, well, I want you. So pick the black rose and let its thorns cut you.” If you weren’t already dead inside, your heart would pitter-patter. See also: “Annabel Lee” (from “Tiger Army II: Power of Moonlite”), a song ripped straight from the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, and another haunting moment from this dark, emotionally charged trio. (From “Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise,” 2004)

“Life Is a Grave & I Dig It,” Nekromantix
Pretty much any song by this rockabilly trio could be used in a stellar Halloween mix, but this catchy track will surely inspire some dancing. With lyrics about monsters, vampires, graveyards and death in general, the band aims for darkness. To spice up a party, also throw on the Nekro’s “Horny in a Hearse” — not for kids, obviously. (From “Life Is a Grave & I Dig It,” 2007)

“Pet Sematary,” Ramones

Essential to any Halloween punk mix. Recorded for the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s creepy novel of the same title, it became one of the band’s better-known radio hits — a little cheesy, sure, but still a staple to sing along to. (From “Brain Drain,” 1989)

Okay, plus one more …

“This Is Halloween,” Marilyn Manson

Everything Manson touches is creepy — look what he did to Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” When he got his hands on this song, from Tim Burton’s cult classic “The Nightmare before Christmas,” he managed to make it pretty creeptastic as well. The theatrical track, with lots of vocal inflection and character impressions (Manson does ‘em all), is spooky yet magically appropriate. Now imagine Manson’s black teeth and white-out eyes and try to get a good night’s sleep. (From “Nightmare Revisited,” 2008)