It’s hard to deny that songs like “Thriller,” “Time Warp” and “Monster Mash” are Halloween playlist classics. Every Halloween party will play at least one of these songs at some point during the night. But, if Halloween playlists are getting a bit too repetitive, here are a few unorthodox additions for any spooky season playlist:
“Black Juju” by Alice Cooper
The shock rock legend has many songs that would fit this list perfectly, but the eerie “Black Juju” is a particularly great choice for a seasonal playlist. This song is classic, horrifying Alice Cooper, and early live performances prove just that. Themes of dark magic, death and evil, coupled with Cooper’s low, snarling voice, already mark it as a spooky classic.
“The Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson
This concert classic from Marilyn Manson’s second studio album “Antichrist Superstar” is a suggestion from Georgia State student Raven Ferguson and is a song that never fails to get her into the Halloween spirit. Marilyn Manson commonly plays off of horror elements in his music, and the corresponding music videos enhance the horror factor even more. “The Beautiful People” is no exception with the band’s dark makeup and use of medical imagery in a setting that looks like an abandoned church.
“The imagery puts me in a dark, creepy forest at night by a creepy church,” Ferguson said.
“999 Happy Haunts” by The Happy Haunts
This suggestion comes from Georgia State student and Disney fan Shelby Copeland. This song is on the soundtrack that plays at The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland.
“I think I like it because it’s spooky but still happy,” Copeland said. “I don’t like things that are too spooky.”
“Nightmare” by Offset
To add more hip-hop into the mix, Cade Rushing, a Georgia State film student, says that this song is one of his picks for a Halloween playlist. With lyrics inspired by imagery from the horror classic “Nightmare on Elm Street,” the song can tie the horrors of Halloween to the horrors of reality, specifically when it comes to gang violence. Produced by Metro Boomin’, the spooky beats in the background are characterized by piano sounds that are reminiscent of creepy nursery music.
“Horror isn’t often related to hip-hop, but it doesn’t stop some rappers from making quality spooky music,” Rushing said.
“Moonlight” by Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt was often known to add spooky elements into his past music. A former member of Odd Future, a group known for making edgier hip-hop tracks, he fit right in with his style showcasing darker lyrical themes and eerie, self-produced beats and samples. The album art alone is unsettling, but this song, in particular, uses a paranormal-inspired beat and eerie imagery to paint a picture with music that is truly horrifying.
“If someone is easily creeped out by horror, listening to this song while alone at night can really make your skin crawl,” Rushing said.
If classic Halloween music is starting to get a bit repetitive, these are just a few suggestions to spice up any spooky season playlist that are sure to get anyone into the Halloween spirit.
