Boo! It’s spooky season guys, gals and non-binary pals, and from us all at The Edge, we wish you all a very Happy Halloween! Here’s some extra spooky halloween-y tunes to get you into the scary festive mood.
‘Time Warp’ – The Cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
If you don’t think of Richard O’Brien’s 70s gothic, horror The Rocky Horror Picture Show when Halloween rolls around then honestly your Halloween must be abysmal. It’s nothing but a classic halloween film and the soundtrack is no exception. Featuring the extraordinary legend Tim Curry (the ONLY Pennywise), rock hero Meatloaf and Susan Sarandon it’s full of the wackiest, craziest characters and gave us the iconic ‘Time Warp’ that was the star at all the year 6 Halloween parties despite the film being crude, lewd and something fans now devout themselves to its the definition of ‘cult following’. ‘Time Warp’ is quite plainly the Halloween anthem, it ticks all the boxes coming equip with its own choreography in true ‘Cha-Cha Slide’ fashion and has the grotesque Riff Raff and Magenta howling and screaming rock and roll lyrics. It’s a mad feel good song that is a must during October and is a cult classic which emphasises the eccentricity amongst the vampy Transylvanian tribe that are the OG’s amongst all Halloween enthusiasts.
Olivia Dellar
‘Time Warp’ is available to listen to now via Ode Records.
‘The Spooky Song’ – The Cast of Lazy Town
Most of the things we enjoy as an adult have been shaped by who we were and what we did as children. Starting in 2004, Lazy Town was a very influential part of my childhood, where I even ended up accidentally ‘borrowing’ Stephanie’s haircut throughout my teenage years. While I may have grown up and moved on from the satirical utopia, every year I am reminded of the pleasant place during the scariest of seasons. Lazy Town’s ‘The Spooky Song’ is a must have on every Halloween playlist, but is often missed off for no good reason. With the lyrical mastery of “dippity dee, it’s only me, boopity boo, I scared you,” it is clear that this song is not short of riffs, nor spooky and playful memories that follow. Even taken at face value, ‘The Spooky Song’ is an absolute bop and re-establishes the need for rhyming couplets in catchy songs. Play at your own peril, of course, for there is little to be done to stop this getting caught playing loops in the back of your mind.
Emily Dennis
Check out ‘The Spooky Song’ down below.
‘Feed My Frankenstein’ – Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is the king of Halloween, no question. No, I don’t take criticism. Known as the ‘Godfather of Shock Rock’, Cooper is legend through and through, credited with bringing the theatricality of the stage to the rock scene, with his concerts having anything from pyrotechnics to guillotines to electric chairs. His brand is the macabre, and his aesthetic is the epitome of the Halloween spooky spirit.
‘Feed My Frankenstein’ is, in my opinion, Alice Cooper’s magnum opus, and the best Halloween tune out there. One of the leading tracks from his 19th studio album Hey Stoopid, the song is campy, heavy, dark and just plain brilliant. I dare you to try and listen to ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ without nearly throwing your neck out from headbanging so hard. Full to the brim of double entendres, classic shock rock talking interludes and massive screams over heavy headbanging drums and guitar, ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ is quite simply a delicious listen. You quite literally can’t get enough of it, and I often find myself listening to it on repeat for hours on end when I get in the right mood. Cooper drawls and slurs over a hard beat, speaking of running his fingers ‘up your greasy spine’, and being ‘hungry for love (and it’s feeding time)’, creating a grotesque classic monster romance. It’s a classic, and deserves prime spot on any Halloween playlist.
Alice Fortt
‘Feed My Frankenstein’ is available to listen to now via Sony Music.
‘I Put a Spell on You’ – Bette Midler
Hocus Pocus needs no introduction, as it’s one of Disney’s many Halloween classics (or I should I say THE Halloween classic?). However, whenever I think of the film, one scene comes to mind as exemplifying the Disney-nature to jam in a musical number whenever it feels appropriate, and boy do they hit the nail on the head with this one. As one of the many renditions of the song ‘I Put a Spell on You’, Bette Midler‘s version stands out for its over-the-top quirkiness, excellent performance and genuine catchiness that continues to add life to a film that already spills over with it. Starting with an introductory addition to the song that grounds the music to its titular witches, the Sanderson sisters, that then spins into those familiar lyrics of casting a spell of love in an infatuating scene of humour and singing that never grows old. In a film that embodies everything Halloween and spooky, they couldn’t have chosen a better song for the Sanderson sisters; its only crime is that there isn’t a studio-recorded version readily available to listen to on Spotify!
Sam Pegg
‘I Put a Spell on You’ is available to listen to on Youtube via Intrada Records.
‘Thriller’ – Michael Jackson
What other tune would come to mind except the magnum opus? Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller”, released in 1984, is perhaps the defining Halloween track. The title track from MJ’s sixth album isn’t just a single but comes with a music video that could essentially count as a short film in its own right. Many of its elements – from the infamous red jacket to the dancing zombie ensemble – have now become Halloween pop culture; you’ll see it parodied or used as costumes around the world. For fourteen minutes, you can become enraptured with Halloween spookiness, and sit back and watch the best music video of all time. Directed by John Landis of American Werewolf in London fame to boot!
Even those who aren’t big fans of Michael Jackson (like myself) must admit, that the track, its video and its impact (popularising videos as a serious format and the “behind the scenes” look) are impressive. ‘Thriller’ is constantly reappearing in the charts, despite being over 35 years old – it’s a perfect spooky mood setter.
Louise Chase
‘Thriller’ is available to listen to now via MJJ Productions.
‘Science Fiction / Double Feature’ – Richard O’Brien
As the opening track to the cult musical-comedy film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), ‘Science Fiction/Double Feature’ is a classic tune to get you in the mood for the Spooky Season. Richard O’Brien, who both wrote the screenplay for the film and the soundtrack, sings in his best creepy voice for the track as the infamous Riff Raff who opens the film’s dialogue and welcomes us to the world of Rocky Horror. The track is quirky in both its lyrics and style, allowing you to feel the eerie tones whilst being an entertaining listen. If you haven’t seen or heard of the film (somehow) it doesn’t even matter as the tune is a classic without the need for context. The music video, the opening scene from the film, is an interesting one too…
Katie Evans
‘Science Fiction / Double Feature’ is available to listen to now via Ode Records.
Wanna jam to these cracking Halloween tunes (and more)? Check out our festive playlist down below!
