Halloween Songs

I want to make a mix CD for my Halloween party. There is a lot of scary music I could include, but I don't want to listen to silly sound effects all night, and I don't want to be actually traumatized by death metal bands. I want my guests, from three generations, to be able to enjoy the music together.

Popular media culture provides many ideas for such a soundtrack. Themes songs from horror flicks like the Exorcist are a good place to start. There is Michael Myers' pulse-raising Halloween theme, or the eerie child-like music from Poltergeist. Edward Scissorhands has some nice instrumental tracks, but it will need to be balanced with something more fun for a party. The Purple People Eater by the Big Bopper would be an interesting inclusion, and maybe something exciting from the Beetlejuice soundtrack. I don't want to include much from wordy musicals, but the instrumental tracks from Dracula are good, and everyone either loves or hates the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is Halloween from the Nightmare Before Christmas will be recognized by the kids, and my generation will remember David Bowie's Magic Dance from the Labyrinth. Spiderman by the Ramones will unite the generations-- And I better not forget the theme song from Ghostbusters! And Alfred Hitchcock! The cinematic inspiration goes on and on.

Halloween-like television programming has also been available year-round since the '60's, and I'll be sure to include some theme songs. There are the Adams Family and the Munsters, then the original Scooby Doo. Casper the Friendly Ghost has some nostalgic value, but hearing the whole repetitively cheerful song might be annoying. The opening credits of a cartoon from the '80's called Count Duckula, on the other hand, are richly entertaining with many layers of sound and meaning. The music from Tales from the Crypt could be an impressive trivia question, but everyone will recognize the distinctive theme from the X-files.

No Halloween soundtrack could be complete without the Cryptkickers classic Monster Mash, but there are other songs with more year-round appeal that might make there way onto my disc: I ain't Superstitious by Howlin' Wolf; Feed My Frankenstein by Alice Cooper; Witchy Woman by the Eagles; Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group; I Want Candy by Good Charlotte; Candyman by the Grateful Dead; The World is a Vampire by Smashing Pumpkins; Michael Jackson's Thriller; Jack the Ripper by the White Stripes; Ozzy Osborne, Mr. Crowley; Morphine, Head with Wings; Ween, Voodoo Lady; Blue Oyster Cult, Don't Fear the Reaper; Rolling Stones, Paint it Black; Marcy Playground, Sex and Candy; The Doors, People are Strange; Type O Negative, Bloody Kisses; Stevie Wonder, Skeletons; Marianne Faithful's Sister Morphine; Dig Up Her Bones by the Misfits...

Maybe I will need two discs-- or three!