40 Halloween Songs To Welcome Spooky Season

You can’t go wrong with a song about witches for Halloween, and Lana Del Ray’s sultry take on “Season of the Witch” is the perfect song to get you in the mood. For Halloween, that is.

Anything Nine Inch Nails is fair Halloween game in my book. Or anytime really. What isn’t spooky about screaming in the background of a song that just sounds like it would be played in the chase scene of a horror movie? If you want an existential crisis to scare you for Halloween, check out the eerie song “Right Where It Belongs” also by Nine Inch Nails. The haunting piano and thought-provoking lyrics are the stuff of nightmares.

Want to get pumped for Halloween? Slayer’s killer riffs, heart-pounding tempos, and signature scary vocals will be a perfect fit for your Halloween playlist. Obviously, this song is super on-brand for Halloween because the song is about black magic.

And now to take it down a notch. Lana Del Ray is a queen, and after listening to her cover of “Once Upon a Dream,” you’ll be even more terrified of Maleficent. The haunting beauty of this song would make for a great background song for a haunted house.

You can’t go wrong with Cat Power at any time, but her song, “Werewolf” would make for an excellent track on a Halloween playlist. The spooky cello and playful intonations with her vocals make this song just spooky enough for Halloween lite.

And now for something the kids would love. I don’t know of any child who doesn’t like The Kiboomers, and this adorable song will have your children bopping around the house yelling, “BOO!” Sorry parents, but it’s all in good fun in the name of the season, right?

A classic. The organ adds a nice spooky touch to this kid-friendly Halloween song where Mickey claims he’s not scared of lizards, snakes, earthquakes, spiders, witches, goblins, or zombies, among other things.

This fun little jingle is perfect to listen to before trick-or-treating. And Andrew Gold’s voice, as always, is top notch. The folk and bluegrass feel to this song is super fun for parents and children alike.

“Halloween Stomp” is awesome because it gives kids an opportunity to do fun movements while listening to music or watching the video on YouTube, which is always a win in my book. Who knows, if you get married on Halloween, this may be a fun replacement for the “Cupid Shuffle,” am I right?

I love sweet Tigger in this classic Disney Halloween song. He really wants to scare himself and everyone else by bouncing out of the shadows and having a Tigger-like roar. So scary, Tigger. Ferocious.

One of the greatest guitarists of all time, Jimi Hendrix nails it (as always) with “Voodoo Child.” For a grown-up Halloween playlist, this song should definitely be on there, because what’s scarier than a voodoo child, right?

This song from the Kill Bill Vol. 2 soundtrack sounds like a kitschy Halloween theme song with the driving baseline and the crooning of Ambrosia Parsley. This song is hauntingly catchy and a definite bop.

We all know and love the many renditions of “I Put A Spell On You,” originally sung by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and when it was blown off the charts by Winifred Sanderson at the community center in Salem, Massachusetts at a Halloween party. But this version by Alice Smith for Lovecraft Country is so spooky, so beautiful, and so intense, it just has to be added to the list of wonderful renditions of this Halloween song.

If you can get past the visual of Will Ferrell’s stomach hanging out of a too-tight shirt, banging a cow bell in Chris Kattan’s face, then this song is a great Halloween song. It’s a reminder to embrace death and don’t fear it.

The Doors are always a bit spooky and whimsy sounding, and “People Are Strange” definitely fits the bill. For an added bonus, if you watch the music video, the sideshow and freak show element is a bit spooky as well.

Of course everyone’s favorite monster has a Halloween song. This sweetly spooky song will win the hearts of everyone in the family, when Elmo’s saccharine voice sings about when Elmo says, “Boo!” And of course everyone’s favorite spooky counting vampire makes an appearance as well.

Classic. We all have those moments like Grover where we see the monster in the mirror, but we can’t be scared. We must prevail, like Grover. The only downside to this song is you’ll be singing Wubba wubba wubba wubba woo woo woo for weeks and weeks to come. Now that’s scary.

The howling of the werewolf, the creepy organ, and the subject matter of skeletons is perfect for a kids spooky Halloween song. Kids will learn a few things while they’re having their Halloween fun, too, in true Sesame Street fashion.

For all those Gecko’s Garage fans, this spooky song is a fun one with just a little bit of spookiness as Baby Truck gets scared of the different vehicles popping out of the shadows and getting scared.

Even though this song is a classic song, the fact that Count Von Count sings it makes it extra Halloween-official. Plus, spiders are spooky and ooky and definitely make for scary Halloween decorations, right?

This song can be scary for multiple reasons, the subject matter, the desperation in Dolores O'Riordan’s haunting voice, the haunting guitar riffs, the full driving and pounding baseline, and the name, “Zombie,” obviously.

Now this version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” feels like it should’ve been the original. The cadence of the original song didn’t seem to match the lyrics for me, but Rasputina definitely nails it in this haunting rendition, and makes it a perfect song for your Halloween playlist.

“Ghost Song” by The Doors is a Halloween must in my book. What makes this song even creepier is it was released after Jim Morrison’s untimely death. So not only does it sound haunting, but it kind of is actually haunting. A haunting from Jim Morrison himself.

You can’t have a Halloween playlist without “Witchy Woman” by The Eagles on there. It’s against the law. This seductively haunting song about a “witchy woman,” with raven hair is an awesome Halloween song to celebrate the witchy woman in your life on Halloween and every day.

Santana, as always, nails it with the soulful guitar and psychedelic elements in this Halloween song. Plus his velvety smooth voice singing about a black magic woman is pretty haunting and sexy. You’ll be so relaxed you won’t even care if a zombie showed up at your house.

Super Simple Songs pumps out banger after banger for kids, and while I want to put my head through a wall after listening to them for hours on end, my four year old just loves them and who could argue with that? This cutesy song about six little ghosts will definitely get your toddler and preschooler into the Halloween spirit.

A song about knocking on doors and trick-or-treating? It’s a must. Plus kids love to explain their Halloween costumes when they’re retrieving their candy (at least the kids in my neighborhood doo) and this song definitely highlights that.

The perfect Halloween song and music video for all ages. End of story.

What’s scarier than a creepy spider? Five creepy spiders. And also four boney skeletons, three black cats, two wicked witches, and one white ghost. A song to learn about counting down while celebrating Halloween is a great pick for a Halloween playlist for kids.

Like it or not, you can’t have a Halloween playlist for kids without featuring a Blippi song or two. In this song, Blippi is trying to figure out what he’s going to be for Halloween, and perhaps his list can help your child choose what they’re going to be as well.

For folks who also celebrate the Wheel of the Year, Samhain is another name for Halloween, and it’s the original Celtic celebration of when the veil is thinnest between the living and the dead. Loreena McKennitt is the best in the business when it comes to songs for each Wheel of the Year celebration and her song about Samain night is perfect.

“Burn the Witch” is an intense and electrifying song by Shawn James, and everything from the slow strumming of the guitar at the beginning to the powerful and emotional finish, this haunting song is the ultimate song for your Halloween playlist. There are layers to the lyrics about burning the witch, where there’s the literal witch, and also objectifying and destroying those who are different.

This song was also sung by Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games trilogy. “The Hanging Tree” is creepy and haunting in its simplicity and subject matter, where a man being hanged calls out to his love, and all the creepy things that follow after his body is gone but his spirit remains.

This song would be perfection to play on Halloween night, and its whimsical and eerie music will haunt you for days to come. The lyrics are Hungarian, but the English translation describes a spirit rising up from the darkness and a light being reborn from the darkness.

You can’t have a Halloween playlist without the witchy queen herself, Stevie Nicks, and her song about a witch — “Rhiannon.” You’ll be grabbing your flowy skirt, your scarves and your incense and be twirling around dancing in no time.

Whether you’re listening for instructions or for Halloween spooky fun, “This Is The Way We Carve A Pumpkin” is a bop through and through, and your kid will love it.

This is the ultimate Blippi Halloween song that will be stuck in your head for weeks and you’ll find yourself singing Haaaalllloween...Haaaaalllloween while you’re making dinner. Trust me. And the preschoolers will love it for the fun lyrics and poppy tune. Nicky Notes is pretty creepy with his haunting howls, too.

You’re not allowed to make a Halloween playlist for kids or adults without this classic song included. “Monster Mash” is the greatest Halloween song of all time, and I won’t be taking any arguments.

A fun spooky Halloween spin on everyone’s favorite childhood song, “Who took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar” comes “Who Took the Candy?” Was it you?

The show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a wonderful little remake of the original Mickey Mouse Club, but suited for preschoolers. The “Count Mikula” song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (starting at 1:25) is a super fun spooky song Mickey fans will really love.