From “Monster Mash” to “Thriller”: the songs that made Halloween soundtrack history

Every October 31, as pumpkins glow on doorsteps and ghosts appear in shop windows, a familiar soundtrack returns. Some songs summon supernatural creatures, others turn monsters into dance-floor celebrities, and a few have become so closely associated with Halloween that it is almost impossible to imagine the holiday without them. Behind these seasonal favourites are stories of unexpected chart successes, cinematic revolutions, musical legends and even a surprising case of radio censorship.

The story begins with Bobby “Boris” Pickett and “Monster Mash”, the 1962 novelty hit that remains one of Halloween’s defining anthems.
Inspired by Pickett’s impression of legendary horror actor Boris Karloff, the song tells the story of a mad scientist whose creation rises from the dead and introduces a new dance to an assembly of monsters. Recorded with the Crypt-Kickers, it reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1962.
Its success came with an unexpected twist. The BBC banned the song in Britain, reportedly considering it too morbid for broadcast.
Yet the monster eventually had the last laugh: when the single returned to the UK charts in 1973, it climbed to No. 3. A playful song about dancing monsters had somehow become too disturbing for British radio.

If “Monster Mash” gave Halloween its comic side, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” gave it a cinematic dimension.
Released in 1982, the title track from Michael’s landmark album became inseparable from its groundbreaking music video, directed by John Landis. With werewolf transformations, elaborate makeup, an army of dancing zombies and Vincent Price’s chilling spoken-word performance, the nearly 14-minute production transformed a pop song into a miniature horror film. Its choreography remains a Halloween party favourite more than four decades later, while the video’s selection for preservation in the US National Film Registry in 2009 confirmed its cultural significance.

Ghosts have their own musical superstar, too. Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters”, written for the 1984 supernatural comedy starring Bill Murray, became a major international hit and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its instantly recognisable chorus turned ghost-hunting into a pop-culture catchphrase, proving that a song about the paranormal could be just as irresistible as any conventional dance anthem.

For something more theatrical, “This Is Halloween”, written by Danny Elfman for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), transports listeners to a world of ghouls, skeletons and mischievous creatures celebrating their favourite night of the year. Its carnival-like atmosphere and eccentric characters have made it a perennial favourite, especially among fans who prefer their Halloween with a touch of gothic fantasy.

However, not every classic needs lyrics.
John Carpenter’s “Halloween Theme”, composed for his 1978 horror film, demonstrates how a handful of carefully chosen notes can be more frightening than an entire orchestra. Its repetitive piano motif and unsettling rhythm create an atmosphere of mounting dread, becoming one of cinema’s most recognisable musical signatures. Sometimes, the scariest thing is what the music makes us imagine.

The tradition stretches much further back than the golden age of music videos.
Sheb Wooley’s “The Purple People Eater” (1958) introduced a wonderfully absurd creature with one eye and one horn who arrives on Earth to join a rock ’n’ roll band. The novelty song became a major American hit, demonstrating that monsters could be funny long before Pickett’s laboratory opened its doors.
Another early classic is “I Put a Spell on You”, recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in 1956. Originally conceived as a blues love song, it became famous for Hawkins’ extraordinary, theatrical performance, complete with growls and supernatural imagery. His larger-than-life stage persona helped establish an approach to performance that would influence generations of musicians drawn to horror, shock and spectacle.
In 1966, Donovan released “Season of the Witch”, a psychedelic exploration of suspicion and unease. Its hypnotic guitar work and mysterious atmosphere make it an ideal soundtrack for a night when ordinary surroundings suddenly seem unfamiliar. A year later, Classics IV brought a different kind of mystery to the charts with “Spooky” (1967), a jazz-inflected pop song whose seductive, shadowy mood remains perfectly suited to Halloween.
The gothic side of the genre developed further with Bauhaus and “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” (1979).
Lasting around nine minutes, the atmospheric track is widely regarded as a landmark in gothic rock. Its title references the actor who famously portrayed Dracula, turning the vampire legend into a hypnotic musical experience. For a darker Halloween playlist, few songs capture the genre’s nocturnal spirit quite so effectively.

Halloween has also borrowed heavily from cinema and cult television.
Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” (1973) became internationally associated with supernatural horror after its opening section was used in The Exorcist. Its eerie, gradually unfolding melody acquired a life beyond the album itself, becoming one of the most recognisable pieces of music associated with the genre. Meanwhile, Vic Mizzy’s “The Addams Family Theme” (1964) gave television one of its most instantly recognisable melodies, complete with its famous finger-snapping rhythm. The macabre family at its centre made the strange and spooky feel wonderfully ordinary.

Not all Halloween favourites are about the supernatural.
Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” (1978) turned a mythical creature into the protagonist of a witty rock song, complete with its memorable howl.
Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (1976) approaches mortality from a more philosophical perspective, wrapped in one of classic rock’s most recognisable guitar riffs. And Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” (1969), with its deceptively upbeat rhythm and ominous lyrics about impending disaster, offers a reminder that a song can sound cheerful while predicting the end of the world.

The late 1970s and 1980s supplied even more possibilities. “People Are Strange” by The Doors (1967) captures the unsettling feeling of being an outsider, while “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles (1972) surrounds its mysterious central figure with supernatural imagery. Alice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare” (1975) invites listeners into the theatrical horror universe of one of rock’s most famous shock performers.

For those who prefer their Halloween loud, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark at the Moon” (1983) delivers werewolf-inspired heavy metal, while AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” (1979) supplies a suitably infernal hard-rock anthem. Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” (1998), with its industrial-metal sound and horror-inspired imagery, takes the same fascination with monsters into a more aggressive musical territory. Its title was inspired by the drag-racing vehicle from the classic television series The Munsters.

And then there is “Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo (1985), arguably one of the most obvious additions to any Halloween collection. Driven by an energetic brass section and an irresistible rhythm, the song imagines a dead man returning to join a party. Its theatrical sound makes it a natural companion to “Monster Mash”, although its musical style belongs firmly to the new-wave era.
The 1980s also produced Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984), featuring Michael Jackson on the chorus. Its lyrics capture the paranoia of feeling constantly observed, turning everyday anxiety into an infectious pop hook. Meanwhile, Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” (1982) was never intended as a Halloween song, but its animalistic imagery, jungle-inspired sounds and cinematic video make it a natural fit for a playlist built around nocturnal creatures.
Another important contribution came from The Specials with “Ghost Town” (1981). The song topped the UK charts, but its significance goes far beyond its ghostly title. Its eerie atmosphere and haunting arrangement reflect the social unrest, unemployment and urban tensions affecting Britain at the time. It is a reminder that some of the most unsettling music is inspired not by fictional monsters, but by the real world.

The punk scene developed its own horror soundtrack.
The Misfits’ “Halloween” (1981) is short, fierce and unmistakably devoted to the holiday, combining punk energy with the band’s characteristic horror aesthetic. Later, the Ramones delivered “Pet Sematary” (1989), written for the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. Its dark subject matter and melodic punk sound made it a natural meeting point between rock music and horror cinema.

For a more playful approach, “Time Warp”, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), remains a cult favourite. Its instructions for a bizarre dance have turned countless Halloween parties into theatrical performances. The film’s mixture of horror, science fiction, camp humour and rock music has ensured its enduring popularity across generations.

The 1990s brought fresh interpretations of Halloween music. Alice Cooper’s “Feed My Frankenstein” (1991) delivers theatrical monster-making with characteristic humour, later gaining additional exposure through its appearance in Wayne’s World (1992). Aqua’s “Halloween” (1997) offers a lighter, campier alternative, proving that even the group behind “Barbie Girl” could venture into spooky territory.
Meanwhile, The Cranberries’ “Zombie” (1994) became one of the decade’s most powerful rock songs. Despite its title, it is not a conventional Halloween track. Written by Dolores O’Riordan in response to the violence associated with the conflict in Northern Ireland, it carries a serious political message that should not be lost beneath its suitability for a spooky playlist.

More recently, Halloween music has expanded into contemporary pop. Rihanna’s “Disturbia” (2008) explores an unsettling psychological landscape through dark electronic production and an infectious chorus.
Shakira’s “She Wolf” (2009) takes a more playful, dance-oriented approach to animal transformation, while Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend” (2019) combines whispering vocals, disturbing imagery and minimalist production to create the feeling of being trapped inside a nightmare.
The internet has also given older songs remarkable second lives. Andrew Gold’s “Spooky, Scary Skeletons”, originally released on his 1996 children’s album Halloween Howls, became a viral sensation decades later through animated videos and online dance trends. Its transformation from a children’s Halloween song into an internet phenomenon shows how music can find entirely new audiences long after its first release.
Finally, there is Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse macabre” (1874), a reminder that the idea of the dead dancing together predates rock, pop and even recorded music. Inspired by the medieval image of the Dance of Death, the orchestral work imagines skeletons rising at midnight to dance until dawn. Its sinister violin melody and dramatic orchestration make it a classical counterpart to the graveyard parties of modern Halloween songs.

From Pickett’s dancing monsters to Michael Jackson’s spectacular zombies, from Bauhaus’ gothic darkness to the viral skeletons of the internet age, Halloween music has evolved alongside popular culture. Some songs frighten us, others make us laugh, and many manage to do both. Their enduring appeal lies in their ability to turn fear into entertainment, darkness into spectacle and an ordinary evening into something unforgettable.
So, on October 31, whether the soundtrack features “Monster Mash”, “Thriller”, “Ghostbusters”, “Dead Man’s Party” or Carpenter’s chilling piano theme, one thing is certain: Halloween would not sound quite the same without them.