Forget the witch decorations and the viral-ready jack-o-lanterns: No Halloween is complete without a killer playlist. For 2014, we compiled a little bit of everything -- gothic guitars, stuttering electronics, filthy hip-hop hypotheticals -- for a 10-song soundtrack for your undead endeavors. Prime your Spotify account with these tracks to make yourself the star DJ of this year's Halloween parties.
1. Bauhaus: "Bela Lugosi's Dead" (1979)
As impossible as it was to kill Dracula, it only took a heart attack to bring down the actor who immortalized him. English gothic rock band Bauhaus [19] sought out to honor Lugosi in the late '70s with this gloomy, torturous track that features vocalist Peter Murphy crooning in hundreds of directions at once. Perfect with strobe light accompaniment in your DIY garage haunted house.
2. Aphex Twin: "Come to Daddy (Pappy Mix Version)" (1997)
If austere goth rock doesn't make your skin crawl, glitchy millennium anxiety definitely will. Aphex Twin [20] has made it a career goal to be as disturbing as possible, even digitally embedding demonic faces [21] inside his songs. But few things are as horrifying as the tech dread of a robotic apocalypse present in this mix of "Come to Daddy." Play through a megaphone to keep those pesky kids away.
3. Neu!: "Sonderangebot" (1972)
We've pretty much gone off the rails here, so let's go even further down the rabbit hole. Less of a song and more of a eerie sound collage, "Sonderangebot" (German for "special offer") features distant screaming interspersed with loud rattling noises. It's less "Halloween spooky" and more "nightmarishly horrifying," but hey, if you're going for scary, you might as well go full monty.
4. Radiohead: "Climbing Up the Walls" (1997)
Radiohead [22] know how to craft a compellingly frightening song. The intentionally backmasked "Like Spinning Plates" [23] still terrifies, and "Bodysnatchers" [24] is as paranoid as its title suggests. But nothing chills like the psychological horror of "Climbing Up the Walls," a "Comfortably Numb" [25] for the technological age without the narcotic-induced contentment.
5. Kanye West: "Monster" (2010)
Self-aggrandizing rants, expensive temper tantrums, disgusting entitlement issues...Everybody knows Kanye West [26] is a monster. But it becomes abundantly clear on this song, thanks to guest vocalists Rick Ross, Bon Iver, Jay-Z and a greener Nicki Minaj [27], who steals the spotlight with her schizophrenic delivery. Be warned, parents: This track, though safe for grown-up Halloween parties, is entirely NSFW (and for your kids).
6. The Ramones: "Chain Saw" (1976)
OK, the Ramones weren't necessarily a scary band, unless your mother worried that punk (and leather jackets) would turn your mind to filth. Whether that happened or not is up for debate. "Chain Saw," a high-energy slice of motorized rock from the band's 1976 debut, re-frames the events of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [28] in the mind of a bored, lovesick teen. Dismemberment rock never sounded so fun.
7. Wu-Tang Clan: "Method Man" (1993)
On the Wu's 1993 debut, Method Man [29] got his own song to spill all the vile, horrific yet somewhat comical things he'd do to those who questioned his rap game. The result is six minutes of unrelenting proto-Hostel [30] torture porn that also showcases Meth's uncanny ability to pack each line with as much wacky, slimy charm as possible. This one's for the giddy post-trick-or-treating sugar high.
8. Oingo Boingo: "Dead Man's Party" (1985)
Danny Elfman [31], the leader of '80s new wavers Oingo Boingo, is probably best known for his musical work on Tim Burton films (or The Simpsons theme [32]). But in 1985, he crafted "Dead Man's Party," a colorful, jittery work of synthetic rock that wouldn't be out of place at a Dia de los Muertos [33] celebration. Need to inject a little energy into your lethargic Halloween party guests? Make it a "Dead Man's Party" and see what happens.
9. The Velvet Underground: "Venus in Furs" (1967)
"Shiny, shiny / Shiny boots of leather," Lou Reed [34] intones to begin "Venus in Furs," a haunting drone that tackles the terrors of what goes on behind locked doors in the most secret places. It's hard to say what makes "Venus" so sinister: the violent viola scrapes, the unwavering heartbeat drums, the menacing Middle Eastern-influenced guitar. All of it amounts to a fiendish exploration of the dark corners of worlds interior and exterior.
10. Michael Jackson: "Thriller" (1983)
Does "Thriller" [35] really need an explanation? It's the quintessential Halloween song penned by the most skilled mainstream songwriter of his time (and maybe even ours). It's the highest peak of pop perfectionism, marrying an infectious groove with a soaring chorus that manages to evoke both ecstatic joy and genuine drive-in movie horror. Vincent Price [36]'s exit narration sets the song aloft in a space of its own, a hallowed spot where strategically crafted music intersects with strong emotional resonance. This is "Thriller" indeed.
