By The Epigram Music Team
Arguably October is terrifying enough, what with pending mid-term assessments and the nail-biting debate as to what temperature warrants turning on the heating (if your breath isn’t frosting the mirror then it's positively balmy), it's also fancy-dress-lovers most anticipated night of the year - Halloween. Need a new soundtrack for your party or pre drinks? We've got you.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
By Benji Chapman, Music Editor
Watch any good documentary about the music of Michael Jackson, and you'll quickly realise that he would be lost without the production of Quincy Jones. Its layers of percussion, synthesisers, and syncopated guitar lines are just crisp to the touch- a track that proves how underrated Jones was in the production process when you listen closely. 'Thriller' is indlugently horrifying: from the crisp monologue segment by Vincent Price, theatrical structure, soaring bridge, and haunting basslines.
It's everything a good Halloween song should be. I've been obsessed with it every since I watched the music video when I was five, and have suitably had nightmares about it ever since.
Bon Jovi - Livin' On a Prayer
By Megan Foulk, Co-Deputy Music Editor
A household classic for any occasion, 'Livin' On A Prayer' is as much costume inspiration as it is a crunching treat for the ears. Paired best with heavy eyeliner, dark leather and plenty of hairspray, the more glam metal on the playlist the more at home the fishnet-wearers will feel. Complete with an exceptional guitar solo and countless opportunities to scream for fun (the key change easily being the best one), if this isn't enough, you can always follow with 'You Give Love A Bad Name', an equally dramatic favourite from Slippery When Wet.
Monster Mash - Bobby Pickett and Leonard Capizzi
By Amelie Peters, Music Subeditor
It hits that point in the night, one too many jello shots have been consumed, stray costume parts lay strewn across the floor, the chat is at a lull - some might say the energy is undead. There is one solution - the monster mash. Infectiously spooky and ghoulishly fun, Monster Mash rides on the back of the dance trends of the time - The Twist' and 'the Mashed Potato' (which I strongly believe need to be brought back into common practice). Meant to lift people from their seats, if ever the energy needs a pick me up, this is the song.
Jamie T - Zombie
By Sophie Scannell, Music Subeditor
The jagged, jangly guitar and maniacal ‘mwahahaha’ running under Jaime T’s 2014 tune takes it to the number one spot just ahead of The Cranberries for best songs called ‘Zombie’. What's spookiest about the song is its lyrics - it laments the later teen years emerging into adulthood where you find yourself gormlessly wandering around your twenties like you’ve just risen from the dead. Whilst it will be successful in getting your party guests up and dancing, it also runs the risk of slapping them in the face with the realisation that they, too, are a ‘sad sad post teen, caught up in the love machine’, and that they'll be ‘walking like a zombie’ to that deadly 9 AM that seems to be looming closer and closer.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - David Bowie
By Aditi Hrisheekesh, Co-Deputy Music Editor
Spooky with a side of glam-rock edge, David Bowie’s ‘Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)’ is undeniably perfect for Halloween—merging a chilling narrative with art-rock beats. It’s Bowie at his most theatrical—menacing and feverish. He growls and sneers throughout the track, musically building a haunting house—like staring into the dark and finding it staring back. Entirely unhinged, the song feels like a slasher movie soundtrack, propelled by Robert Fripp’s jagged, discordant guitar work. The synths are haunting and uncanny; the lyrics are obsessive and alienating. Bowie leans into the grotesque, like the inevitable post-party hangover, he delivers a paranoid thrill ride staring you down.
Wolf Alice - Ghoster
By Benji Chapman, Music Editor
Whatever your opinion about the Ghostbusters sequels, you have to admit that the only thing stranger than seeing Paul Rudd dressed in the classic boiler suit get-up is listening to the acapella version of the 'Ghostbusters' theme from this album. Whilst I was tempted to pick Ray Charles' classic theme from the franchise, I have to give it to Wolf Alice simply for proving that even when they only make a spinoff single, it's still killer: this track feels like it belongs on Blue Weekend even though it's five years younger. A total headbanger, and most importantly, spooky too.
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
By Megan Foulk, Co-Deputy Music Editor
Perhaps it's the Thriller-effect that's led me to believe Halloween tunes need synthy, whimsical introductions but 'West End Girls' definitely fits the brief. Creepily monotone in its lyric delivery, 'call the police there's a mad man around', it's understated but undoubtedly spooky. If you don't believe me, watch the music video and look out for the creepy shop window dolls at the beginning.
Psycho Killer - Talking heads
By Amelie Peters, Music Subeditor
It's time to 'face up to the facts': if Psycho Killer isn't on your Halloween playlist, you need to have a long hard look at yourself in the mirror. With lyrics perfectly echoing the awkward Halloween party interactions, 'you're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything' and a creepy set of conspiracy theories surrounding the release date and the murders of serial killer Jefferey Dahmer only add to this murderously eerie number.
Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil
By Sophie Scannell, Music Subeditor
This one’s sure to restore some much-needed rock n’ roll to the playlist queue, although the blaring car horn noise that opens the track erupting on shuffle might make a few jump (pun entirely intended). It’s not the only boisterous entrance being made though: ‘Runnin’ with the Devil’ is Van Halen’s opening track on their first ever album in 1978 and having made their name at this time playing at raucous house parties that went down as legendary (for better or for worse), this punchy, loud and proud anthem is perfect to bring the noise to your Halloween party.
The screeching adlibs alone invites you to get your Gene Simmons on (who recorded and produced the demo for the song!) – heavy black and white face paint is strongly advised.
Jennifer's Body - Hole
By Aditi Hrisheekesh, Co-Deputy Music Editor
For anyone who enjoys grunge with teeth—unashamed and addictive—Hole’s ‘Jennifer’s Body’ is the ultimate Halloween track, with snarling vocals and gritty guitars. It hits like a horror flick and is Halloween-ready, boiling over with dark charisma that teeters between threat and seduction (the album cover would also make the perfect Halloween costume).
Courtney Love’s vocals—part-snarl, part-siren—are powerful, steering the song through seething verses and full-throttle choruses. A haunting tour de force, Love taps into a dark realm of femininity and desire. It’s visceral and wholeheartedly grunge, mirroring the themes of the eponymous cult classic film ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ starring Megan Fox. Embodying ‘90s angst, throw this track onto your Halloween playlist for the full blood-red vibe—dangerous, seductive, and a little out of control—a perfect touch of spooky cool.
Slint - Nosferatu Man
By Benji Chapman, Music Editor
Ok, now for an actually scary one. I wouldn't normally recommend sticking on Slint at your own halloween party, but when you've got a 9 AM the next morning, you have to do what you have to do to clear the room. Rest (or perhaps more accurately wake) assured, this is a song that probably won’t let you get any sleep afterwards though, thanks to its necrotic subject matter and grating guitar leads that will leave your ears ringing. Maybe best to keep this one on the headphones?
B*Witched - C'est La Vie
By Megan Foulk, Co-Deputy Music Editor
Balancing out the terror with some bubblegum pop laced with tongue-in-cheek Little Red Riding Hood references ('I'm the wolf today, hey, hey, hey, I'll huff I'll puff, I'll huff I'll puff I'll blow you away') the charming 'C'est la Vie' offers the chance to showcase your Irish reel if you've tired of moonwalking a la MJ. Sure to go down a treat with the Spice Girls costume-wearers in attendance, maybe it's worth swapping Geri Halliwell's union jack dress out for an Irish flag number instead.
The Time Warp - Patricia Quinn, Charles Gray, Nell Campbell, Richard O'Brien
By Amelie Peters, Music Subeditor
Whilst not strictly a Halloween song , 'The Time Warp' is a classic. It has all the components of what you need for your stocking clad evening- a parody dance, crude lyrics and great costume ideas. I myself know of at least two Rockwells that will be in attendance this Halloween. With wacky lyrics like 'with voyeristic intention' and 'it's the pelvic thrust', this cooky number is sure to bring a smile to even the gloomiest skeleton.
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
By Sophie Scannell, Music Subeditor
Surrealist, eccentric, and excellently named Oingo Boingo have the perfect party tune if you, like the song’s mysterious narrator, are ‘all dressed up with nowhere to go’. It’s a song about a funeral, admittedly, but the jaunty refrains of ‘it’s a dead man’s party, who could ask for more?’ makes it difficult to ponder death for too long before noticing your leg bouncing to the captivating synths and crashing drumbeats.
As part of their brilliantly experimental concept album of the same name, the album cover’s bopping skeletons perfectly encapsulate the song’s fusion of sinister lyrics with masterfully tight basslines and strident Ska-esque horns, perfecting the groovy yet creepy combo every Halloween party is yearning for.
Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees
By Aditi Hrisheekesh, Co-Deputy Music Editor
For a witchy, goth-punk Halloween, dip into the musical cauldron of ‘Spellbound’ by Siouxsie and the Banshees—brewed with post-punk magic and eerie swirling guitars. The riffs of McGeoch are razor-sharp, and Siouxsie’s vocals are intoxicating and hauntingly magnetic.
The song is like a séance for your speakers; it conjures the thrill of Halloween without any need for ghosts. It’s post-punk at its most cinematic—witches, rituals, and something that lurks just out of sight. Like the spine-tingling rush you can’t shake, with a repressed urgency, this song indeed ‘sends you spinning, you have no choice,’ leaving you spellbound.
Featured Image: Megan FoulkWhat is your favourite song for Halloween?
