55 Halloween Songs That Will Have You Thinking Beyond "Monster Mash"

When you're planning a Halloween Party, besides the intricate Pinterest-inspired snacks, spooky decor, killer costumes, fall scents, and chilling movies in the background, one detail that is guaranteed to make for a good get-together is the right mix of music. To make sure your playlist sets a proper vibe (read: not a school dance) we've found the best Halloween songs that are a mix of the old (we have "Monster Mash" and "Time Warp," of course) to classic rock tunes ("Bad Moon Rising," "Dream Warrior"), hip-hop beats ("Get Ur Freak On," "A Nightmare on My Street") and major modern pop hits ("She Wolf," "Ghostbusters" ).

Over the decades, many artists have managed to find the perfect combo of fun and freaky for a Halloween hit, an especially difficult songwriting challenge. Some of these tracks are ideal for dancing, others are downright scary, and some are underrated additions to the spooky season musical canon. A few offer takes on classic horror fare like vampires and werewolves, making for good karaoke entries, while our favorites have creepy synth lines and guitar licks that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Several are pulled from the soundtracks of Halloween movies both iconic (Ramones' title track for the campy '80s hit Pet Sematary) and forgotten (Snoop Dogg's title track for the 2001 gore-fest Bones).

We can guarantee that these 55 Halloween songs will get you in the mood to celebrate. But be warned: You might not want to listen to these alone.