There is no better way to get into the Halloween mood than by listening to a soundtrack filled with spooky tunes.
Alongside my own recommendations, featured University of Mississippi Rebel Radio DJs provide some ghostly songs that are sure to leave listeners feeling haunted.
Kicking things off with some bona fide Halloween classics, this playlist needs no explanation.
- “Disturbia” – Rihanna
- “Spellbound” – Siouxsie and the Banshees
- “Time Warp” – The cast of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
- “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell
- “My Girlfriend Is a Witch” – October Country
Amari Johnson, aka DJ Marz, provides a spooky slate of songs. Johnson hosts the radio show “How Y’all Doin?” which airs every Friday at 9 a.m.
6. “Land Of A Million Drums” by The Urban Underground Society
“It features Outkast, Killer Mike and Sleepy Brown, and it was released in 2002 for the live action “Scooby-Doo” movie,” Johnson said. “It’s highly underrated but has a fun bouncy beat that is perfect for a Halloween party. Also, everyone loves Andrè 3000.”
7. “Heads Will Roll” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This is another skele-fun classic that Johnson describes as a “queer Halloween staple.”
Next are some songs that I believe to be fan favorites:
8. “Cabinet Man” by Lemon Demon
Made by veteran YouTuber Neil Cicierega, this song tells the story of a man who turns himself into a creature that is part-human, part-arcade machine inspired by the urban legend Polybius, a fictitious video game that supposedly produced intense addictive behaviors in players in the 1980s.
9. “Calling All the Monsters” – China Anne McClain
Whether or not you have watched the Disney Channel classic “A.N.T. Farm,” you have most likely heard this song at least once. With strong vocals delivered by 13-year-old McClain, it has remained an iconic seasonal bop since the 2010s.
10. “Friends on the Other Side” – Keith David
Another Disney pick for the list is sung by the villain Dr. Facilier in “The Princess and the Frog.” This ghoulish tune gives the viewers an insight into the antagonist’s character and an initial taste of the supernatural elements of the film.
Next up are submissions from Hannah Rose Richards, one-half of “Song Chains,” with her radio moniker being DJ Mixxy Elliot. “Song Chains” airs every Wednesday at 12 p.m.
11. “Play Dead” – Bjork
“This song is all about ‘playing dead’ to avoid confronting conflict and instead wallowing in the hurt it causes. It denies the use of optimism and hopefulness, insisting that the pain is something (Bjork) must endure,” Richards said. “I think it’s spooky because she talks about being dead a lot and the themes are dark and dreary.”
12. “Spectre” – Radiohead
“This is a song about being a ‘ghost’ of a person, with your soul and emotions so powerful that they seem separated from your physical body,” Richards said. “The instrumental is also very haunting.”
To complement the previous tracks, a few Rebel Radio DJs curated some jams imbued with dark themes and textures.
13. “Tag You’re It” – Melanie Martinez
From her critically acclaimed “Cry Baby” album, “Tag You’re It” tells the story of a little girl getting kidnapped by a big-bad-wolf-like character. Using child-like metaphors and sugar-coated production, Martinez delivers a narrative about a predator and their victim that is downright disturbing.
14. “Bottom of the River” – Delta Rae
This track is soulful and bluegrass-influenced presenting themes of death and the occult, reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials.
Lastly on the featured lineup are submissions from Mailynn Nguyen, or DJ Mai. She hosts “Never A Phase,” which airs every Monday at 2 p.m.
15. “Halloween” – Phoebe Bridgers
“This song is obviously the epitome of Halloween, hence the name. (Phoebe’s) vocals for this track are haunting yet soothing at the same time. My favorite lyric is ‘Baby, it’s Halloween / And we can be anything / Oh, come on, man / We can be anything.’ The song is deeper than the surface-level idea of describing the holiday, as it captures the melancholic feeling of hiding behind a costume,” Nguyen said.
16. “Them Bones (2022 Remastered)” – Alice In Chains
“This Alice In Chains song is extremely catchy. Whether you’re listening to it in the car or on your way to class, it’ll have you wanting to break out into playing the air guitar,” Nguyen said. “The riffs are astounding, and the song surrounds the idea of mortality and piles of bones, which to me fits the spooky season perfectly.”
Finishing off this spooktacular playlist here are some energizing tracks that are guaranteed to get you boo-geying.
17. “There Will Be Blood” – Kim Petras
Sexy and sassy is the only way I can describe this song. With lyrics about giving in to temptation and an intense, punchy beat, it is irresistible. There is no possible way to sit still when it comes on.
18. “Halloweenie IV: Innards” – Ashnikko
This one is gross and ghoulish, with lyrics that reflect Halloween perfectly with the mentions of hexes, demons, guts and gore.
