The type of music you choose to put on your Halloween playlist has a lot to do with the type of Halloween party you are hosting as well as the guests who will be attending. Be aware of your audience and their specific tastes, and you are sure to have a playlist that will appeal to guests of all ages.
Halloween Party Music Playlist Selections
The following is a list of popular songs that often make a Halloween party music playlist. Before you choose these songs, however, be sure you listen to them to determine if they are appropriate for your party guests. For example, while "Monster Mash" would be fine for a group of elementary students, you might want to avoid using any Marilyn Manson tunes.
Fun for Kids
Kids of all ages can have fun dancing along to any of the following:
- Bobby Picket - "Monster Mash"
- Doors - "People Are Strange"
- DJ Jazzy Jeff - "Nightmare on My Street"
- Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
Just for Adults
These songs may be more appropriate for adults than kids. Consider adding a few of these favorites to your playlist this Halloween:
- Marilyn Manson - "Voodoo People," "You Spin Me Right Round"
- Misfits - "Day Of The Dead," "Die Monster Die," "Ghouls Night Out," "Halloween," "Monster Mash," "Pumpkin Head," "Some Kinda Hate"
- Nine Inch Nails - "Dead Souls"
- Ozzie Osbourne - "Zombie Stomp"
- Pixies - "Gouge Away"
- Ramones - "Pet Sematary"
- Rasputina - "Transylvanian Concubine"
- Violent Femmes - "Country Death Song"
Perfect for Anyone
These songs work well for guests of all ages:
- Alan Parsons Project - "The Raven"
- Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
- Charlie Daniels Band - "Devil Went Down to Georgia"
- Concrete Blond - "Vampire Song "
- Creedence Clearwater Revival - "I Put a Spell on You"
- Dave Mathews Band - "Halloween"
- Dropkick Murphy - "Halloween"
- Edgar Winters Group - "Frankenstein"
- Eagles - "Witchy Woman"
- Eels - "Beloved Monster," "Friendly Ghost," "Teenage Witch"
- Grant Lee Buffalo - "Dixie Drugstore"
- Jane's Addiction - "Paint It Black"
- Jimi Hendrix - "Voodoo Child"
- Jimmy Fallon - "Halloween Medley"
- Mike Oldfield - "Tubular Bells"
- Natalie Merchant - "Sympathy For The Devil"
- Nina Simone - "I Put a Spell On You"
- Oingo Boingo - "Dead Man's Party," "Weird Science"
- Phish - "Wolfman's Brother"
- Prodigy - "Voodoo People"
- Ramrod - "Ghost Riders in the Sky"
- Rocky Horror Picture Show - "Hot Patootie," "Science Fiction Double Feature," "There's a Light""
- Rolling Stones - "Sympathy For The Devil"
- Santana - "Black Magic Woman"
- Screaming Jay Hawkins - "Whistling Past The Graveyard," "I Put a Spell On You"
- Smashing Pumpkins - "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
- Sneaker Pimps - "6 Underground"
- Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Hell"
- Stevie Ray Vaughn - "Voodoo Child"
- Sublime - "Under My Voodoo"
- The Cure - "Burn," "Lullaby"
- The Residents - "Hello Skinny"
- The Specials - "Ghost Town"
- Tim Curry - "Wild And An Untamed Thing"
- Tito & Tarantula - "After Dark"
- Tom Waits & Primus - "Coattails of a Dead Man"
- Tom Waits - "Cemetery Polka," "Everything Goes to Hell," "Hang Me In A Bottle"
- Virgin Prunes - "Baby Turns Blue"
- Voodoo Glow Skulls - "Closet Monster"
- Warren Zevon - "Werewolf In London"
- Ween - "Voodoo Lady"
- White Zombie - "I'm Your Boogie Man"
- Wonderwall - "Witchcraft"
Theme Songs and Soundtracks
Theme songs and soundtracks for popular scary Halloween movies make great additions to a Halloween party playlist. Add these to yours:
- The Addams Family theme song
- The Halloween movie theme song
- The Munsters theme song
- The Craft soundtrack
- The Crow soundtrack
- From Dusk till Dawn soundtrack
- Lost Boys Soundtrack
- Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack
Fun for All
Some of these songs are fun, and some are actually quite spooky. Some you can dance to, and some are great for actually scaring your party guests. As you make your list, consider what is actually going on during your party. Are guests simply mingling and enjoying the treats you've prepared while they meet and greet, or do you want to set a darker theme to coincide with darkened rooms and ghoulish decorations?
Have fun creating your Halloween music playlist. Choose songs that are fun for you and are sure to be a hit with the guests at your next Halloween party!
