Halloween is swiftly approaching, and these six songs are the perfect way to set the mood for the spooky season. From eerie classics to pop hits, these next six songs capture the spirit and fun of Halloween.
1. “Thriller” — Michael Jackson
“Thriller,” the title track of Jackson’s 1982 album, is arguably one of the most recognizable Michael Jackson songs—and for good reason. Unlike typical song intros, “Thriller” begins with non-musical sounds: a creaky door slowly opening followed by footsteps, wolves howling and a windy thunderstorm. Shortly after the thunder crashes, the drums jump in, followed by classic synths that build up to lyrics that begin a minute into the song. In the third verse, Jackson sings, “All through the night / I’ll save you from the terror on the screen,” which shifts the tone from Jackson’s being the victim of a horror movie to observing someone else’s being the victim or being the savior. I love that the song ends with a spoken word section by Vincent Price, an actor known for his work portraying horror villains. — Sarah Levinson-Waldman
2. “Wuthering Heights” — Kate Bush
Bush’s debut single, “Wuthering Heights,” was a dramatic departure from the popular hard rock styles of the 1970s from bands such as Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin. I like that a classical piano accompanied by orchestral strings drives the melody. The piano and the strings create a light atmosphere that helps Bush’s vocals float along the track in a dream-like fashion. The lyrics are inspired by Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights, and Bush sings from the perspective of the ghost of a character named Catherine Earnshaw. In the song, Earnshaw pleads with another character, Heathcliff, to let her into his house: “Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy / I’ve come home I’m so cold” and “I’m coming back love, cruel Heathcliff.” The lyrics read as a gothic love song and put the listener in the position of Heathcliff—the person Cathy’s ghost is haunting. — Alex Hughes
3. “Somebody’s Watching Me” — Rockwell
The synth-funk instrumentation in this song reminds me of the music often associated with aliens in movies, which fits perfectly with the theme of the song: paranoia about being watched, stalked or haunted. The lyrics, “When I’m in the shower, I’m afraid to wash my hair, / ‘Cause I might open my eyes and find someone standing there,” seem to allude to Psycho, in which a killer stabs the female lead to death while she’s showering. I like that these lyrics strengthen the unsettling tone of the song. The song actually features Michael Jackson with uncredited guest vocals that you can hear most noticeably in the chorus. Jackson and Rockwell’s voices blend together perfectly for the tone of the song. The sound is funky and almost off-putting, giving the listener a taste of the paranoia Rockwell sings about. — Sarah Levinson-Waldman
4. “Season of the Witch” — Donovan
“Season of the Witch” has very minimalistic instrumentals. A repetitive bassline anchors the track, and a couple of blues riffs weave through the song. However, the spaces in between the bassline and the riffs are the most captivating. If you listen closely, you can hear a faint organ that slowly builds into an eerie solo, but the song does not end with any sense of resolution. Donovan’s lyrics evoke suspicion with the lines “And when I look in my window, / So many different people to be. / It’s strange.” His lyrics fill the song with a sense of mystery that is perfect for the Halloween season. — Alex Hughes
5. “Spooky” — Dusty Springfield
Springfield’s vocals create a flirtatious atmosphere filled with many spooky allusions to ghosts and haunting, for example, “Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little boy like you.” I most enjoy the sections where Springfield uses percussion and horn. There’s a constant tambourine that gives the track a cool, laid-back vibe that fits perfectly with the smooth saxophone solo halfway through the song. Springfield does a great job of balancing the love story trope with more sinister themes in a way that doesn’t seem stalker-like. — Alex Hughes
6. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” — Blue Oyster Cult
“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is a hypnotic song with beautiful electric guitar and somewhat chilling lyrics. The song was inspired by lead singer Buck Dharma’s reflection on what would happen if he died young, touching on themes of youth and eternal love. In the second verse, he sings, “Romeo and Juliet / Are together in eternity / (Romeo and Juliet) / 40,000 men and women everyday / (Like Romeo and Juliet).” The song’s production gives the lyrics, which deal with the inevitability of death and the cycle of life, a sorrowful beauty. I especially loved the song’s outro. The instrumentation is the same electric guitar progression that played in the introduction, but another electric guitar melody overlays it. The instruments’ slowly fading out accurately represents the message of the song: the acceptance of death as a natural cycle. — Sarah Levinson-Waldman