Halloween music is a bit of a nebulous thing. Obviously, there are things like “Monster Mash,” “Thriller” or “Ghostbusters,” the novelty hits that only apply to Halloween. But who actually wants to listen to “Monster Mash?” 

This playlist opens up the criteria a bit. I have designed the playlist for an imagined Halloween party with a very open-minded audience. The songs either have imagery of death, darkness, ghosts, monsters or a certain Halloween vibe that you could imagine in a horror movie.

For instance, The Weeknd’s “Gasoline” is a Halloween song to me because he uses a weird voice that sounds like Dracula. That is the level of Halloween standards I am working with.

Starting off with a bang I have Vancouver, B.C. punks the Subhumans with “Death To The Sickoids,” which I imagine playing over a montage of zombies being killed. This leads into Nelly Furtado’s classic “Maneater,” which is followed by the clanging cannibalistic spoken word piece “Friends Laughed At Him” by unsung sound art pioneers Intersystems, a song that actually kind of scares me. 

Some of the songs here are a bit scary, like Backxwash’s harrowing “WAIL OF THE BANSHEE” or Alex G’s whispery “Blessing,” but mostly this playlist is a raging good time.

Listen in a dark forest or while dancing costumed. Happy Halloween!

 

Death To The Sickoids — The Subhumans, Vancouver Complication

 

Maneater — Nelly Furtado, Loose

 

Friends Laughed At Him — Intersystems, Peachy

 

Heads Will Roll – A-Trak Remix Radio Edit — Yeah Yeah Yeahs, A-Trak

 

Gasoline — The Weeknd, Dawn FM

 

WAIL OF THE BANSHEE — Backxwash, SurgeryHead, I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

 

Yes Love, My Soul is Black — Venetian Snares, Winter in the Belly of a Snake

 

Vamp Anthem — Playboi Carti, Whole Lotta Red

 

Graveyard Chamber — Gravediggaz, 6 Feet Deep

 

Oblivion — Grimes, Visions

 

Far Too Frail — Skinny Puppy, Remission

 

Nicki Inside — Howard Shore, Videodrome (The Complete Restored Score)

 

Blessing — Alex G, God Save The Animals

 

Corpse Pose — Unwound, Repetition

 

Obedear — Purity Ring, Shrines

 

The Killing Moon — Echo & the Bunnymen, Ocean Rain

 

Hammer Horror — Kate Bush, Lionheart

 

The Mad Scientist — The Zanies, Make Mine Mondo!

 

666 — Anvil, Metal On Metal

 

Disturbia — Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded

 

SCARED 2 DEATH — Black Dresses, Peaceful as Hell

Listen to ’Toban Tracks — Halloween Party on Spotify here: