6. Bette Midler – I Put a Spell On You
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins first recorded this blues classic. Nina Simone made it famous. DJ Sonique covered it successfully for the clubs back in the 90’s, while Annie Lennox… well, she has nailed it in every possible way during her live shows. BUT! Bette Midler’s interpretation in the film “Hocus Pocus” is definitely the most fun version of all. The costumes, the dance sequence, the movie itself and, of course, her angel voice are indisputably the reason why “I Put a Spell On You” puts a spell on me every year. Grrrr.
5. Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters
Ray Parker Jr. is not a one hit wonder, but this global pop hit led many people to believe he is. An Oscar nominated song (the second Oscar nominated song on this Halloween list), it was inspired by a cheap TV commercial for a local service and was written as a pseudo-advertising radio-oriented jingle, which the same local service could have hypothetically used for advertising reasons. If your Halloween costume theme is ghosts, consider yourself completely attached to the “Ghostbusters” punchline. Which is… “Ghostbusters”, duh.
4. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (movie) – Time Warp
During the Annual Transylvanian Convention, “Time Warp” happens. The film adaptation of one of the most prolific and famous stage musicals in history, 1973’s “The Rocky Horror Show”, is nothing but extravagant, hilarious, mocking, scary and fun. Which is weird, considering the fact that it has become a cult classic, without ever becoming an actual hit. The reason? Put this on your Halloween list, play it loud and check if there’s a single person not dancing to its intoxicating rhythm.
3. Miguel ft. Natalia Lafourcade – Remember Me (from “Coco”)
I cannot find the ways to express how much I love “Coco”. And I totally admire and respect Robert Lopez (a two-time EGOT winner and a modern icon) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who have written some of the best music in modern TV/Cinema/Broadway history. “Remember Me”, originally performed by actor Benjamin Bratt and later by neo-soul artist Miguel, has been adopted by many families around the world as a way to help their kids cope with death and loss, while channelling Mexican culture in the best possible way. A Halloween classic? To hell with that; an all-time classic. Period.
2. Danny Elfman – This Is Halloween
So many things I can say about Danny Elfman, but only his talent can speak the truth about his body of work and his legacy as an artist. Let’s start by admitting he’s a genius. Composer, producer, arranger, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and loyal Tim Burton collaborator, he has paved the way for many score composers during the last decades. “This Is Halloween”, the main theme song from the 1993 film “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, is probably the most recognizable Halloween melody ever written and a fine example of how a musical composition can boost a film as a whole. Needless to say, Jack Skellington’s timeless trademark.
Honorable mentions:
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – A Nightmare on My Street
Florence + the Machine – Seven Devils
John Carpenter – Halloween (Movie theme)
Alice Cooper – Feed My Frankenstein
The Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
Beyoncé – Haunted
Outcast ft. Kelis – Dracula’s Wedding
The Munchkins – Ding, Dong, the Witch Is Dead!
The Black Keys – Howlin’ For You
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
Jace Everett – Bad Things (True Blood theme)
1. Michael Jackson – Thriller
I know it’s super obvious and ridiculously expected, but it would be awfully pretentious not to place “Thriller” on the top of this Halloween list. I mean, I hate clichés, but this is the one cliché I cannot do without.
Michael Jackson’s choreographed dance routine as a zombie with his fellow zombie friends is the most iconic music video scene, while his 1982 album of the same name is the the world’s best-selling album, having sold more than 60 million copies.
Apart from the video and the epic Quincy Jones production, the song’s highlight is actually based on the sound effects, which include thunder sounds, howling dogs and creaking doors. Heavily inspired by horror films, this pop classic by the King of Pop is everyone’s No 1 Boo-factor in these difficult spooky times.
You may also like:
55 Famous + Original Exciting Halloween Quotes
10+4 Scary Halloween Costumes and Masks
“Boogeyman is Coming!” | 21 Quotes from the Movie “Halloween”
