20 songs to add to your Halloween playlist this year

There aren’t many clearly Halloween songs, and most of them are very cheesy, so a good Halloween playlist has to be chosen based on a song’s vibe and/or title. “Disturbia” by Rihanna fits the bill on both ends. 

“Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse being featured in a prominent scene in Twilight was the best thing that could’ve happened to it. The song became associated with vampires and, in turn, has become a great, albeit underrated, Halloween anthem. 

Stevie Wonder probably didn’t write “Superstition” with the intention that it would be a perfect song to play on Halloween, but that’s what happened. If you’re not going to listen to the song on Halloween, when else are you going to?

“I Put A Spell On You” by Nina Simone deserves a spot on Halloween playlists for obvious reasons. Halloween is the only day of the year when it’s acceptable to cast spells on people. And why not do it to one heck of a tune?

Nelly Furtado isn’t encouraging people to actually eat men in this song, but the title of “Maneater” makes it perfect for a Halloween playlist, metaphors aside. Plus, it’s got a bit of a haunting feel to it and a great tempo for parties. 

All the super freaks come out on Halloween, so it’s only right to pay homage to them with the Rick James hit “Super Freak.” If you’re not totally sold on this song, you can play “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj instead. 

When taken at face value, “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC is a Halloween song. It’s ostensibly about living your life in such a way that will get you sent to hell, which is what Halloween is ostensibly about to many people. 

Say what you want about Kanye West, but “Monster” is the perfect song to play at Halloween. It’s a night in which all the monsters come out. Jay-Z even lists some of said monsters in his verse. 

There’s a lot of spooky stuff that goes down on Halloween, but there’s also the time-honored tradition of people eating candy. And that’s what Strangelove’s “I Want Candy” celebrates when you neglect to listen to the other lyrics. 

Billie Eilish’s entire debut album could be considered a Halloween album, but none is quite as spooky as “all the good girls go to hell.” It inspires the scary and the disturbing while remaining fun and catchy, which are the exact vibes you want on Halloween. 

Halloween is the perfect time to creep, and “Creep” by TLC is the perfect song to play when you’re doing it. The song of the same title by Radiohead is an acceptable alternative. 

“Toxic” by Britney Spears is an absolute banger. Everybody knows that. But it’s time it gets added to some Halloween playlists. It’s chosen solely because of the name, but that’s reason enough when it comes to Britney. 

Don’t we all get shivers on Halloween? It might be because it’s cold or because it’s spooky, not because of a romantic interest in someone like the song “Shivers” suggests, but the Ed Sheeran bop still is worth putting on a Halloween playlist.  

“Zombie” by The Cranberries should be on everyone’s playlist for everything. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but it definitely needs to be played on Halloween. 

Any song that begins with a faint scream in the background deserves a spot on Halloween playlists. Even if “Sweet but Psycho” didn’t begin like that, the Ava Max track would still be worthy of play because it’s an underrated banger.

The Weeknd loves all things horror and routinely makes references to the genre in his music, but “The Hills” features a direct reference to the classic horror film “The Hills Have Eyes,” which is why it gets a nod ahead of some of his other tracks. 

“Unholy” by Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras is the ultimate modern Halloween song. It doesn’t have anything to do with Halloween directly, but it does talk about doing things that are, well, unholy, and it’s sinfully catchy. Therefore, it fits. 

Halloween is the season of the witch, and Lana Del Rey’s cover of this song is insanely good. “Season Of The Witch” needs to be added to your Halloween playlist immediately. 

“Black Magic” by Little Mix is like the kitschy, upbeat, worse modern counterpart to Nina Simone’s “I Put A Spell On You.” Still, it’s such a fun song, and what day other than Halloween can you joke about dabbling in the dark arts?

It’s clear why “Halloween” by Noah Kahan should be added to your Halloween playlist this year. No need to elaborate.