Popular Halloween Songs to Play

Halloween nears and it is time to get ready for your ghoulish party and listen to your all-time favorite songs. In order from number 10 to number 1, I have created a list of my favorite Halloween songs that I like to listen to or play on a keyboard, digital piano or organ!

Hell's Bells by AC/DC is featured in the Stephen King movie, "Maximum Overdrive." The song brings back the creeps that I had while watching the movie. If you haven't seen the movie, I definitely recommend it.

Coming in at ninth is the Addams Family. While this is a popular song that most know, it really is not my favorite. If you want to play it with an audience around, you can definitely get them to participate with the snaps and maybe even belt out the lyrics from this classic past-time show.

The Ghostbusters theme is fun to play on a keyboard even though it is very repetitive. Rather than play the music yourself or listen to it on the stereo, you can sit down in front of the tube and watch the old Ghostbusters movies. If you have kids, sit down and watch the movie. Use your own discretion as to whether they are old enough to watch it. They too will then enjoy the Ghostbusters theme song and crack jokes about the big marshmallow man.

Monster Mash is a great song to bring back those old memories of trick or treating as a kid. Well, that is depending on your age. I had not heard this song in so long that I had to pull it up on good old YouTube. I love to listen to it to bring me back to, well, if I say then I will have just given away my age.

The Tales From the Crypt theme song gives me the chills. Do you remember the days when this show aired on television? I could not wait for the next episode! The bizarre, strange outcomes in the end always surprised me. This is a great song to play even if others have never heard it before. There are enough eerie sounds within it to creep out anybody!

Another good song is titled, "The Mobster." Most have never heard of it. If you are into piano or organ music, get the sheet music for this song. I bought the digital sheet music online. It had a groovy style to it when I listened to it played on the web site that I purchased it from. I chose a soul piano rhythm at a tempo of 116 and let my fingers do the rest. It is so much fun to play. I was going to leave this song out of the list but could not resist. I have never heard the song played on the radio and searched the internet for it. The only version I know is my own. It would be interesting to hear the original version.

I have to add the Eagles into the equation. Even though this song is not on most lists, the "Witchy Woman" title is enough to grasp others to listen at Halloween. The lyrics are not spooky at all, but the dreamy music can really make your mind wander.

"Spooky," a song by the Atlanta Rhythm Section has been a favorite of mine for a long time. An old coworker of mine played it on a Technics KN-7000 and it rocked. It was a lot of fun for him to sing too. Not only a great song to play on a keyboard, Spooky is even better to crank up on your home stereo during a Halloween party. The song brings the dead to life at your party.

Into the number 2 slot is "Phantom of the Opera." I do not think I have ever went to a Halloween function without the Phantom song playing. It is spooky, fun, eerie, creepy, hair raising, and a great song to play at a party or other Halloween function.

My number 1 song is one that some can identify when they hear it, but have a tough time if you just mention the title. Toccata & Fugue in D Minor is the top Halloween song of all time. Who can resist the eerie organ sounds? Without organ sounds in your Halloween music selection it would be quite boring. The reason why is because most relate organ music to death and funerals. While nowadays organs make more than just organ sounds, the true organ sounds played in a minor key can scare anyone.

If your party has a music theme, I have a fun costume suggestion. One year during a musical Halloween event I dressed up as "sheet music." I used a plain white sheet, cut holes for the arms and head and drew a musical staff on the front with a permanent Sharpie marker. While at the party I made the guests guess what I was. It was so much fun listening to their costume guesses. Finally I had to point at the sheet and then pointed out the music. They laughed so hard once they figured it out. The key point for prizes, if you wish to give any out, is to put a real Halloween song on the music staff you drew on the sheet. I did the first few lines of "Toccata & Fugue in D Minor." The first person to spout out what song is on the sheet wins the prize. There's nothing like getting them to sight read!