From Slayyyter and Lady Gaga to The Cramps and Siouxsie and the Banshees, these 20 tracks bring fresh picks and familiar classics to your Halloween party playlist.

If you’re anything like me, the spooky season started the moment September began. Playlists were curated, and parties were planned by the time the first crunchy leaves fell to the pavement. With Halloween right around the corner and most pre-made playlists chock-full of the same select songs known to please everyone from eight to eighty, it’s about time your spooky party playlists got a well-deserved update, with respect to the holiday’s classics, of course.

Whether it’s a raging Halloween house party or a more relaxed celebration, these tracks should get your guests into the spooky party mood.

‘CANNIBALISM!’ – Slayyyter

From her latest record, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, this Slayyyter track embodies the earthy, eerie feeling of autumn. Featuring heavy guitars, brief ominous laughter, prominent drums and a plucky bass, it’s a welcome recent addition to any Halloween party playlist.

‘Little Dark Age’ – MGMT

An uneasy gothic synth-pop track full of cryptic lyrics delivered in a psychedelic, lackadaisical haze, ‘Little Dark Age’ brings an apocalyptic atmosphere without losing its dancefloor appeal.

‘Ghost Town’ – The Specials

Opening with haunting wind sounds and police sirens, ‘Ghost Town’ sets blaring brass and reggae rhythms against deep, husky vocals, with ghostly ‘la’s colouring the chorus. The Specials’ track is a funky, unsettling addition to the spooky season.

‘Abracadabra’ – Lady Gaga

One of the more high-energy tracks on the list, this single from Mayhem is sure to fire up any Halloween party dancefloor while retaining the foreboding tension of more traditional Halloween tunes.

‘Freaks’ – Haute & Freddy

Centred on the familiar narrative of ‘the freaks come out at night’, this ’80s synth-pop-inspired song is frenetically fun and theatrical, perfectly suited to haunting the discotheque or, more likely, your mates’ cobwebbed living room or overgrown garden.

‘Sweet Transvestite’ – Tim Curry

Following the death of Tim Curry this year, his performance on this The Rocky Horror Picture Show track feels even more essential. ‘Time Warp’ could, of course, take its place, but there’s something about the campy glam-rock theatricality of Curry’s performance that is rightfully iconic.

‘Tear You Apart’ – She Wants Revenge

With its hypnotic bass, monotone vocals and sinister lyrical narrative, ‘Tear You Apart’ sets the tone for the season. My personal association of the track with a bloody, glamorous vampire Lady Gaga sucking the life out of her male lover in American Horror Story certainly cements its inclusion.

‘Funnel of Love’ – Wanda Jackson Featuring The Cramps

With Jackson’s prominent raspy vocals atop an eerie, slinky melody, this 2003 recording revisits her 1961 song with The Cramps in tow. Its raunchy lyricism about the disorienting feeling of falling in love makes it an easy fit for a Halloween event, no matter the vibe.

‘Spellbound’ – Siouxsie and the Banshees

A pulsing, fast-paced gothic banger full of sharp basslines, tight drums and melodic tension, the 1981 lead single from Juju captures the dizzying feeling of being caught under someone’s spell.

‘Magic Dance’ – David Bowie

One of the more upbeat additions, this Labyrinth song is as full of silly synth fantasy as its accompanying film. Laced with electronic whimsy, its famous opening exchange about ‘the babe with the power’ is enough to excite those in the know.

‘Up Jumped the Devil’ – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave’s 1988 track tells the tale of a man whose life is bound up with the devil, setting its dark narrative against an unrelentingly tense rhythm. The menacing song earns its place on a Halloween playlist through its storytelling alone.

‘Romance’ – Fontaines D.C.

Built on unnerving ambience, dark pangs of synths and delicate Mellotron textures, ‘Romance’ eventually rises into a heavy, distorted crescendo. The brooding title track of the band’s 2024 album fits comfortably alongside even the more traditional Halloween tunes.

‘Decode’ – Paramore

Forever associated with the Twilight film it was written for, ‘Decode’ is a spooky season staple, with its ghostly, winding melodies, moody guitars and Hayley Williams’ soaring vocals. It simply sounds like autumn.

‘AAAHH MEN!’ – Doja Cat

This ’80s-inspired, synth-driven track is a punchy tune with sharp rapping and gritty touches. Its chilly reverb and minor-key progressions give it a haunting atmosphere, an association made even more apparent by Doja Cat’s performances and stage looks on tour.

‘KGB’ – ADÉLA

Coming in swinging with her recently released debut album, Prima, ADÉLA is a welcome reminder of how exciting it can be to hear an artist who is visibly and audibly hungry for it. ‘KGB’ is a dark electronic banger that fits the mood of Halloween with a more playful edge.

‘Season of the Witch’ – Lana Del Rey

Recorded for the 2019 film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, directed by André Øvredal and produced by Guillermo del Toro, Lana’s cover puts her rich, drowsy yet sultry vocals to suitably eerie use.

‘Thriller’ – Michael Jackson

It wouldn’t be a Halloween playlist without, arguably, the Halloween song. No matter the time or occasion, ‘Thriller’ is a crowd-pleaser that never seems to get old.

‘Psycho Killer’ – Talking Heads

‘Psycho Killer’ remains a traditional addition to Halloween playlists, and rightfully so. A tense, stomping beat, a mesmerising bassline and a famously catchy chorus make it an easy fail-safe option for any spooky party.

‘Goo Goo Muck’ – The Cramps

Given renewed attention through its use in Netflix’s Wednesday, The Cramps’ campy track is a Halloween classic for a reason. A rockabilly tune about a nocturnal monster should be enough of a premise to get you to save it to your next Halloween playlist.

‘Dracula Teeth’ – The Last Shadow Puppets

Perhaps one of the more unconventional additions to the list, Alex Turner and Miles Kane’s dark, orchestral, mid-tempo track embodies the mood of the season while avoiding some of its cheesier lyrical clichés. Lingering strings and vampiric imagery create a cinematically spooky atmosphere fitting for autumn.

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