The Sp0oky Playlist

From flickering candles to VHS static, from haunted organs to whispered lullabies — these are the sounds that make the night breathe a little slower. The Hidden Track’s Sp0oky playlist wanders through half a century of musical shadows: from Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ voodoo theatrics to Goblin’s baroque horror, Bowie’s fractured paranoia, and Billie Eilish’s bedroom dread.

You’ll find gothic basslines, cursed riffs, cinematic chills, and a few sly winks — because what’s Halloween without The Time Warp or Scooby-Doo?

So dim the lights, press play, and let the strange and the spectral take over.

“Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield (1973)

In 1973, a 19-year-old multi-instrumentalist named Mike Oldfield stitched together layers of guitars, organs, and bells into something unlike anything else. Tubular Bells was a sprawling, wordless symphony of tension and release — a strange, beautiful thing that might have stayed quietly cultish if it hadn’t been for The Exorcist. When William Friedkin chose its haunting, minimalist opening as the film’s theme, the music became inseparable from cinematic terror. Overnight, Oldfield’s debut turned into an accidental horror classic. What began as progressive experimentation became shorthand for the supernatural — proof that no one can hear those first few bars without picturing a dark room, a cross, and a child’s whisper.

“I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1956)

Before Alice Cooper or punk theatrics, there was Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. A trained opera singer turned wild man of rock ’n’ roll, Hawkins transformed a simple blues lament into an exorcism on wax. During a 1956 recording session, fuelled by alcohol and impulse, he erupted — grunting, wailing, laughing maniacally. It was so unhinged that even his band didn’t recognise it when they heard the playback. The result was banned from many radio stations but became an underground legend. Onstage, Hawkins leaned fully into the madness: leopard skins, skull props, voodoo smoke, and that unforgettable scream. I Put a Spell on You wasn’t just a song — it was the birth of shock rock. And decades later, it still feels like the soundtrack to some midnight ritual that never really ended.

“The Time Warp”, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

If there’s one soundtrack that screams Halloween with glitter and eyeliner, it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This glam rock musical blends horror, sci-fi, and theater into one wild ride — and the music is the heartbeat of it all. From the haunting “Science Fiction/Double Feature” to the dance-floor classic “Time Warp,” every track is packed with energy, camp, and rebellion. Tim Curry’s performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter brings raw, theatrical power to songs like “Sweet Transvestite” and “I Can Make You a Man,” turning rock vocals into pure character.

It’s not just a soundtrack — it’s a celebration of the strange and spectacular. For a Halloween playlist that breaks the mold, Rocky Horror is a must. Just press play… and do the Time Warp again.

“Boris the Spider” by The Who (1966)

John Entwistle, The Who’s quietly macabre bassist, wrote Boris the Spider after a night of pub banter with Bill Wyman. What started as a joke about creepy-crawlies became one of the band’s strangest, most enduring songs — a miniature horror story set to an irresistibly heavy bassline. Entwistle’s deadpan delivery turns sinister as he dips into a guttural growl on the chorus, bringing Boris’s demise to grotesque life. It’s cartoonish, sure, but also unsettling — that mix of humour and horror The Who often thrived on. The song became a live favourite and even inspired Entwistle’s later monster-themed solo work. Half nursery rhyme, half nightmare, Boris the Spider is where mod precision meets Halloween mischief.

“Children of the Grave” by Black Sabbath (1971)

No Halloween playlist is complete without a Black Sabbath track, courtesy of the Prince of Darkness himself! Osbourne and the band are masters of dark, foreboding themes and this song is a highlight for sure. A typical anti-war protest song by the group, the rhythm on guitars is relentess. Disguised as a zombie uprising anthem, the heavy and haunting instrumental almost sounds like an undead march.

“Black Metal” , by Venom (1982)

This track isn’t just a song — it’s a statement, a movement, and a genre-defining moment. With “Black Metal,” Venom didn’t just name a new style of extreme music — they created it. The track is raw, aggressive, and unapologetically evil-sounding, capturing the chaos and rebellion that would go on to inspire countless bands in the extreme metal underground.

From the opening riff, you know you’re in for something wild. It’s fast, loud, and filled with that gritty energy that made Venom legends. The production is rough, the vocals are snarled, and the whole thing sounds like it was recorded in a dungeon — in the best way possible. Venom never relied on technical perfection — their power came from attitude, speed, and a full embrace of darkness. “Black Metal” is the sonic equivalent of lighting a pentagram on fire and letting it blaze through the speakers.

For Halloween, this track fits perfectly. It’s chaotic, it’s menacing, and it taps into that primal, rebellious spirit that makes heavy metal so thrilling. Put this on and summon the darkness — Venom-style.

“Teenage Frankenstein”, Alice Cooper (1986)

By the mid-’80s, Alice Cooper had perfected the art of turning horror tropes into rock theatre. Teenage Frankenstein, from his Constrictor album, is part monster movie, part teenage angst anthem — a power riff stitched together with campy self-awareness. It’s horror rock at its most cinematic, tailor-made for fog machines and fake blood. Behind the parody, though, Cooper touches something genuine: the alienation and awkwardness of youth, that feeling of being built from mismatched parts and still searching for identity.

“Halloween”, by King Diamond (1986)

What can I say about this track? It is Halloween. King Diamond himself often says during live shows: “Every single night for us is Halloween” — and this song proves it. A master of shock rock and theatrical metal, King Diamond has built his legacy on dark, conceptual albums that play like horror films. Records like Abigail, Them, Conspiracy, and The Eye aren’t just albums — they’re fully formed horror stories. Any one of them could be turned into a terrifying Halloween movie. If you want something truly spooky, dramatic, and metal this October 31st, this is the track to put on.

“Human Fly”, The Cramps (1978)

Nobody did horror with more glee than The Cramps. Human Fly turns B-movie schlock into primal rock ’n’ roll, complete with buzzing guitars and Lux Interior’s deranged croon. “I got ninety-six tears and ninety-six eyes,” he snarls, half monster, half showman. It’s camp, chaotic, and utterly alive — proof that fear can be as fun as it is freakish. The Cramps made the macabre danceable, and “Human Fly” still sounds like it crawled straight out of a graveyard sock-hop.

“Ghost Town” by The Specials (1981)

Released during Britain’s summer of riots, “Ghost Town” captured the eerie stillness of social collapse better than any speech or newspaper headline. The Specials were already known for their sharp ska revival sound, but here they slowed it to a crawl — mournful horns, ghostly organ, and echoing vocals drifting through deserted streets. Terry Hall’s voice sounds half-present, half-elsewhere, as if singing from the ruins. The song topped the UK charts while London and Liverpool burned — a haunting coincidence that cemented its legend. In Ireland, it gained a second, ironic life as the funereal soundtrack to Father Ted’s road trips, turning bleakness into comedy. Yet beneath the meme lies a masterpiece: a song that made political despair sound spectral, timeless, and unshakably real.

“What’s New Scooby Doo” by Simple Plan

This might seem like a joke pick, but I am not screwing around with this. There is absolutely nothing spookier, creepier and more in line with this time of the year than the mystery gang themselves. Being the opening track of the 2003 animated series, “What’s New Scooby Doo”, the simple minute long track by Simple Plan packs a massive punch of nostalgia but that is a killer early 2000s pop punk track. It also never fails to get me interested in watching some of the older Scooby Doo movies from when I was a kid. The live action films are also perfectly spooky at Halloween for the kids, whilst being a great comedy for the adults. You can’t get away from Halloween without those meddling kids. It also helps that Matthew Lillard, who played Shaggy in the live action, plays Stu in the original Scream.

“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by Smashing Pumpkins

“Bullet with Butterfly Wings” is not only an absolute f***ing ripper of a track, but I’ve always considered it a spooky track from not just the lyrics, but it’s oddly vibrant yet undeniably grungy and edgy tones. To top it all off, it was used in the Dead Space 2 launch trailer some years back which has stayed in my mind for years as that game scared the shit out of me whenever I saw the trailer on TV. And finally, it’s the Smashing Pumpkins. A band that is lead by suspected vampire Billy Corgan. And Pumpkin is in their name. Can’t get scarier than that.

“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”, by David Bowie (1980)

Bowie’s monsters were never literal — they were the selves we shed and the ones that chase us after. On the title track of his 1980 album, he merges post-punk grit with his own fragmented identity, painting a world of alienation and obsession. Fripp’s jagged guitar cuts through like broken glass, and Bowie’s voice shifts from sneer to shriek. It’s a descent into paranoia disguised as art-rock swagger — unsettling because it feels so human. Bowie didn’t need to play the monster; he simply revealed the cracks in the mask.

“Twin Peaks Theme” by Angelo Badalamenti (1990)

From the moment those first synth notes shimmer into being, you’re no longer in our world. Badalamenti’s “Twin Peaks Theme” is both lullaby and lament — a strange, suspended dreamscape that could soothe or unsettle depending on the hour. Written with David Lynch for the cult TV series, it’s become the sound of mystery itself: small-town innocence pierced by something unspeakable beneath the pines. Few pieces of television music have ever seeped so deeply into collective imagination. Play it at night, and the room changes temperature.

“Suspiria”, by Goblin (1977)

Dario Argento wanted something that sounded like a nightmare, and Italian prog band Goblin delivered exactly that. Their “Suspiria” score is all shrieking synths, whispered spells, and ritualistic percussion — a delirious mix of rock and the occult. It’s as unsettling as the film itself, where beauty and violence blur into one hallucinatory vision. You don’t listen to “Suspiria” so much as get caught inside it — the sound of witches breathing just over your shoulder.

“Lullaby” by The Cure (1989)

While The Cure have a catalogue of dark, gothic songs, this one is probably the most fitting for Halloween. This creepy lullaby with whispered lyrics feels like the narrator is trapped in a dream. Or a nightmare for that matter. Deeply unsettling, the lyrics portray the narrator being eaten by a monster. “The spider-man is having me for dinner tonight”. Sweet dreams, kids.

“The Killing Moon” by Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)

A song dripping with lush strings and brooding bass, this is a gothic anthem. Lyrically portraying the impending doom from the omen of the killing moon, it’s a perfect fit for any Halloween playlist. What is the symbolism of this moon? Rise of werewolves? A cursed night? Regardless, it’s a slightly romantic song infused with darkness. A dance with death perhaps. The cult status of the song comes from its inclusion in Donnie Darko, adding to the strange, unsettling vibes.

“Burn the Witch”, by Queens of the Stone Age (2005)

Part desert groove, part witch trial, QOTSA’s “Burn the Witch” channels paranoia into swagger. Mark Lanegan’s gravelly baritone delivers the incantation while Josh Homme’s guitar prowls beneath it, all sinew and smoke. Written at the height of post-9/11 hysteria, it’s a song about collective fear — how easily suspicion turns into a bonfire. The groove is hypnotic, but there’s fire under it: a modern witch hunt with a beat you can’t resist.

“The Kindess of Strangers” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1996)

From an aptly titled album, Murder Ballads, this song sounds a bit uplifting at first. A quick listen to the lyrics provide a devastating narrative. Telling the story of “Mary Bellows”, a woman naively guided by the kindness of strangers, which only leads to her murder. Perhaps a cautionary tale, the gloomy content is heartbreaking. The sparse arrangement and slow piano make the song even more unsettling, as does the ghostly backing vocals, which sound like they come beyond the grave. Nick Cave’s iconic deep, mournful delivery only add to the sombreness of the song.

“Far From Any Road” by The Handsome Family (2003)

When True Detective used “Far From Any Road” as its opening theme, the song’s eerie Americana suddenly found its perfect home. Written by Brett and Rennie Sparks, it’s a murder ballad wrapped in desert heat and fatal beauty — where cacti bloom and ghosts linger in the dust. The duet’s blend of fatalism and romance feels timeless, like a folk tale whispered around a campfire. Sparse, haunting, and quietly biblical, it’s proof that horror doesn’t always scream — sometimes it just stares back.

“Halloween” by Phoebe Bridgers

Halloween by Phoebe Bridgers isn’t a song that’s going to scare your socks off, but it’s a song that will definitely get you reminiscing about the past, present and future, the scariest thing of all. Phoebe’s vocals are gorgeous here paired with this erry and hallow production that makes you feel like you’re drudging through a graveyard with a lantern. Looking back at your past ghosts, current vampires and emotionally unavailable ghouls whom will leave an ever lasting affect on your psyche due to a myriad of not exactly brilliant situations to be put through from your loved ones…I’d argue it’s the spookiest track on here.

“Is It Scary” by Michael Jackson (1997)

Everyone knows “Thriller” — its zombies, its dance, its pop perfection. But “Is It Scary“, tucked away on Jackson’s 1997 album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, takes a darker, more introspective route through the haunted corridors of his persona. Originally written for his short film Ghosts (co-directed by Stan Winston, with special effects by Rick Baker), the song turns horror imagery inward.

Over eerie synths and unsettling whispers, Jackson toys with the idea of being the monster people imagine him to be: “Am I amusing you, or just confusing you?” It’s both self-defense and confession, delivered with theatrical flair and genuine unease. Unlike Thriller’s campy fun, Is It Scary is psychological — a meta-horror track about fame, fear, and the mask we wear for the world.

In many ways, it’s Jackson’s most revealing “spooky” song — not because it celebrates the supernatural, but because it admits that sometimes, the scariest thing is how others choose to see you.

“bury a friend” by Billie Eilish (2019)

Billie Eilish flipped pop inside out with bury a friend — a track that sounds like a nightmare recorded in real time. Built from whispers, glitches, and a restless beat, it’s told from the perspective of the monster under her bed. The song’s dark humor and minimalist tension recall both horror cinema and industrial electronica, but its real fear comes from introspection. Eilish turns anxiety into art — a portrait of the self as both victim and villain. Modern pop rarely gets this unsettling. Again, a great song that was used for the opening theme of the very unsettling fourth season of True Detective.

“Gyroscope” by Boards of Canada (2002)

A sound that came to Marcus Eoin in a dream, it’s eerie and unsettling. The iterations of numbers throughout are that of an old CIA numbers station from the Cold War era. The gritty, harsh percussion, accompanied by the slightly off-tune synths repeating throughout make it tortuous in a way. The low drone and childlike voices only further these feelings of woe. While the song itself is discomforting, the inclusion of it in the 2012 horror Sinister absolutely adds to that.

“Say the Name” by clipping. (2020)

The opening lyrics repeating “Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies being burned” may be lifted from Geto Boys “Mind Playing Tricks on Me“ but the story here is different. Creating an eerie mood from the offset, the horrorcore rappers tell the story of the Candyman. With cool themes throughout like racial violence, the group narrate the Candyman story with hair-raising skill. The industrial sound and expert storytelling make it a real favourite of mine, as is their ability to blur the lines between real-world violence and urban folklore.