The Jambar
After Christmas, Halloween is one of the most popular holidays with classic music hits. From Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s 1962 classic “Monster Mash” to Michael Jackson’s iconic 1984 hit “Thriller,” ghosts, ghouls and goblins have made their fair share of appearances in music. The question that remains is, how has this spooky music evolved over the past 60 years?
“Monster Mash” is widely considered to be the first Halloween-themed track to gain popularity. Pickett’s version was a Billboard No. 1 hit in 1962 and a top-10 hit again in 1973. As of 2023, the song still earns $1 million in royalties from the Halloween season.
Before Pickett, there was Jalacy “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins, a theatrical musician known for his outlandish and loud stage presence. His track, “I Put a Spell On You,” has been covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival and a parody of the song was performed by Bette Midler in the 1994 horror comedy “Hocus Pocus.”
Following “Monster Mash,” Halloween and “scary” music stagnated until 1968 with the appearance of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, who proclaimed himself “The God of Hellfire” in his 1968 hit “Fire.” Brown’s wild stage presence proved to be influential to Alice Cooper and Peter Gabriel’s own theatrical performances.
1969 saw the appearance of metal pioneers Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper, along with Coven, an American occult rock band whose debut album featured the first “devil horns” hand gesture on a rock album.
New York’s Blue Öyster Cult, formed in 1972, has driven the metal and occult rock scene with tracks such as “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “Hot Rails to Hell,” “Career of Evil” and “Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll.”
Horror films were popularized and widespread throughout the 1970s, and its theme music became iconic Halloween tracks. Part of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells,” included in the 1973 horror film “The Exorcist” and John Carpenter’s “Halloween Theme” from his 1978 film, rank among the most easily identifiable horror film themes with regular replays during the Halloween season.
In addition to Oldfield and Carpenter, electronic pioneer Wendy Carlos supplied the ominous theme for Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 hit film, “The Shining.” In Europe, the Italian progressive rock band Goblin supplied multiple soundtracks for horror films by directors Dario Argento and George Romero throughout the 1970s and ‘80s.
Throughout the 1970s, experimental and avant-garde bands, such as England’s Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, pioneered industrial rock — which relied on making droning and slightly unsettling music. Far Out Magazine writer Kelly Scanlon named Throbbing Gristle’s track “Hamburger Lady” as the scariest song of all time.
Gothic rock began to appear on the English music scene towards the end of the 1970s. England’s Joy Division, the Cure, Bauhaus and Modern English created rock music with darker, melancholic elements. Bauhaus’ 1979 debut single, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” was a nine-minute-long tribute to the eponymous “Dracula” star — often considered a horror icon.
On the American front, Michael Jackson’s 1982 album “Thriller” became the best-selling album of all time, and the titular track is often seen as one of the most popular Halloween songs. Featuring the horror actor Vincent Price, the song is instantly identifiable from its opening synth lead.
Halloween music continues to carry everyone throughout the season. Listeners, both old and young, can enjoy the classic and deep cuts of Halloween music all year round to help get themselves into the spooky season spirit.