It’s Halloween in a few days. What better way to revisit some great songs from the 80s about Halloween, from a scary movie soundtrack, or just about being scared. Here are ten songs to put on your playlist for Halloween.
Somebody’s Watching Me
Rockwell (1984)
First on the list is a song that is sometimes mistaken for a Michael Jackson song. While it’s true that the king of pop sings the chorus on this, the song is from the artist Rockwell. His real name is Kennedy William Gordy, he is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy. That probably explains why he and the Jackson brothers were childhood friends. It’s hard to tell if the song would have been a hit without the catchy chorus sung by Michael. But this was the only hit of Rockwell’s short music career.
Nevertheless, even if it’s a definite one-hit-wonder, the song is a classic for Halloween. With its paranoia theme and its spooky video, referencing such horror classics as Psycho and The Dead Zone, it deserves a place on this list.
Dead Man’s Party
Oingo Boingo (1985)
This song was featured in the American comedy Back to School. The band Oingo Boingo can be seen performing that song in a memorable party scene from the movie. But despite this appearance in a movie that is unrelated to the Halloween theme and the ska arrangements, this is definitely a scary song. The lyrics are about a funeral, but with a strong dose of dark humor, this is evident with a title like Dead Man’s Party.
Lead singer Danny Elfman would later get recognition with his work on film scores, especially while teaming up with director Tim Burton. The two are a perfect fit, Elfman’s dark and eerie scores enhance the gothic atmosphere of Butron’s movies. Danny Elfman also wrote the Simpsons theme, the animated series well-known for its Halloween specials. There is no doubt that Elfman and Boingo are not out of place on a Halloween list.
Bark at the Moon
Ozzy Osbourne (1983)
Heavy metal and horror go well together and this song is a great example. This is the title track of the 3rd solo album by the Prince of darkness himself. It’s also the first album released after the tragic death of Randy Rhoads, Ozzy’s previous guitarist on the first two records. This time it’s Jake E. Lee who has the opportunity to showcase his talents on the six-string instrument. Lee was previously in early incarnations of Ratt and Ronnie James Dio’s solo band, but it’s with Ozzy he made a name for himself.
The song is about a beast that was killed, buried, and now coming back to life for vengeance. But the video clip tells a different story, borrowing from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with Ozzy playing the role of a mad scientist. He ingests a substance at his laboratory, causing him to transform into a werewolf. The video clip is cheesy, like most of the early 80s clips (with a few exceptions, like one famous video clip later on this list). But the song is fun, with one of the best intro riff in heavy metal history.
Everyday Is Like Halloween
Ministry (1984)
For most of us, myself included, Ministry is an industrial metal band having great success in the early 90s. But in fact, the band was formed as early as 1981, and it started as a synth-pop act, with a gothic edge. The song was released as a B-Side in 1984. It became the band’s most famous song of the synth-pop era, an anthem for the gothic community.
Ghostbusters
Ray Parker Jr. (1984)
This is one of the most famous movie theme songs of the 80s, it’s a classic that every generation knows. The movie was a massive success, a beloved film from that great decade. It’s a rare occurrence where the movie and the theme are both hits that stood the test of time, they pushed the success of the other, but they would have probably succeeded without the other.
Although Ray Parker Jr. had other minor hits, this is by far his most successful song, he is often referred as a one-hit-wonder. He was asked to create the theme song of the movie in a short period of time, making it really difficult. But he was inspired by a cheap commercial on TV, which gave the song its famous tone, it was a great move that led to an amazing hit.
He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)
Alice Cooper (1986)
Shock rock star Alice Cooper and Halloween is another perfect combo. This song was the first single from the album Constrictor, released in 1986. But it’s more famous for being the theme song from the slasher movie Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. It features the whispered sound effect that is a trademark of the film series.
The song is a bit of a departure for Alice Cooper, most of the rock elements are removed. It’s a synth-heavy arrangement, inspired by the New Wave sound of the early 80s, but with the pop flavor of 1986. It’s a great song of the era, fun and cheesy, and it works perfectly in the movie.
Halloween
Siouxsie and the Banshees (1981)
This is the only song on the list that was not released as a single, but a song dedicated to the night of Halloween needed to be on the list. This is from the 1981 album Juju by the English group Siouxsie and the Banshees. Although they are not really well-known in the pop universe, they are highly influential in the post-punk and gothic rock genres. Lead singer Siouxsie Sioux (Susan Janet Ballion is her real name) has been cited as an inspirational figure by 90s female alt-rock singers such as PJ Harvey, Shirley Manson, and Courtney Love.
The track is energic, full of dissonant guitars. The arrangements by guitarist John McGeoch are brilliant and unique. This underrated musician made his mark in the alternative movement starting at the end of the 70s and through the 80s. He was part of other critically acclaimed bands like Magazine, Visage, Public Image Ltd, and The Sugarcubes. Sadly, he passed away in his sleep at the young age of 48.
Dream Warriors
Dokken (1987)
This song, from the American heavy metal band Dokken, was recorded for the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. It also appears on the band’s fourth album Back for the Attack. This is one of the best of what the heavy/hair metal had to offer in this era. Great and versatile vocals by singer Don Dokken, and amazing work on the six-strings by guitarist virtuoso George Lynch.
The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise is one of the best that emerged from the 80s. The combination of slasher horror and dark humor, with a dose of fantasy, made Freddy Krueger an unforgettable character. The video clip for the song is in the same vein, with scenes from the movie alternating with footage with the band, fighting Freddy, and saving the day. It doesn’t get cheesier than that, but it’s that kind of fun the 80s were all about.
Weird Science
Oingo Boingo (1985)
This is another song from the band Oingo Boingo, but they deserve this second entry on this list. The band’s nature is forever linked to Halloween. As a matter of fact, they used to have an annual Halloween show in California, this lasted until the band disbanded in 1995. Their last Halloween show, called Farewell, was released as a live album and DVD. But, strangely enough, this song was never part of the 3 hours setlist, perhaps it wasn’t really appreciated within the band.
Nevertheless, it was a big hit when it came out, it’s the main theme of the movie with the same name. The John Hugues movie, a teen science fiction comedy, is a funny take on the classic Frankenstein story. The video clip for the song includes scenes from the movie, with other with the band in a laboratory, it’s not a memorable video. It’s the only Boingo clip without input from band leader Danny Elfman. It reached no. 45 on the Billboard 100, the highest-charting single of the band’s career.
Thriller
Michael Jackson (1984)
Last but not the least, can we possibly make a list about Halloween without Thriller by Michael Jackson? This is one of the most iconic songs, artists, and video clips of the 80s and the whole concept is perfect for Halloween. The video clip is a landmark in history, it’s a mini horror movie. It also showed the possibilities and power of the medium.
The song also features and long spoken narration by classic horror movie star Vincent Price, his maniacal laughter ends the song on a scary note. There are sounds of werewolves, the video has a zombie invasion, it’s a perfect recipe for the ultimate Halloween song.