5 Classic Rock Songs for Spooky Season

Ladies and gentlemen, the time for chills, thrills, and spooky tunes is upon us once again. If you’re looking to make your Halloween season a little bit more rock and roll, you’ve come to the right place. There is a long history of dark and twisted themes in rock music – brooding, seething, haunting, shadowy lyrics and melodies that may leave you sleeping with one eye open. However, just because they freak you out, doesn't necessarily mean they are right for your Classic Rock Halloween Playlist. There’s a certain balance between darkness and whimsy that is non-negotiable – after all, what is Halloween without a little fun? Here are five classic rock songs that hit the necessary criteria to soundtrack the spookiest month of the year. Enter… if you dare.

5 “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult (1976)

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is a rumination on the inevitability of death and accepting our impending collective doom – the perfect uplifting track for your next Halloween party, if you want all your guests to head out early. Just kidding – while it seems like it would be a suffocatingly depressing song, really the focus is on the futility of fearing the end of our lives. We’re all going to die someday, so we might as well enjoy living while we still can: “Love of two is one/ Here, but now they're gone.” The party’s back on! Sonically, the song is mellow and ambient, featuring a sprawling interlude midway through that adds a beautifully expansive feel to the track. The harmonies throughout the verses create a ghostly, ethereal sound that will haunt the listener for a long time to come. It garnered considerable attention at the time of its release (Rolling Stone named “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” the 1976 song of the year) and is featured on innumerous playlists to this day.

4 “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

“Bad Moon Rising,” the lead single off Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 album Green River, perfectly captures that creeping sense of foreboding – something is off, but you can’t quite tell what it is. You can feel it in the air. The stormy weather imagery conjured up by the talented John Fogerty sets the scene for danger, cautioning listeners against venturing outdoors. There’s evil out there: “Hope you got your things together/ Hope you are quite prepared to die/ Looks like we're in for nasty weather/ One eye is taken for an eye.” All of these spooky lyrics are caught in the upbeat current of blues/swamp rock, taking the edge off the danger and coaxing the listener onto their feet. The juxtaposition of the dark lyrics against the jaunty melody makes the track extremely unique. This song is made for a spooky dance party – but make sure to keep it indoors.

3 “Season of the Witch” by Donovan (1966)

This psychedelic rock classic has been covered countless times over the years: Robert Plant, Joan Jett, Alanis Morissette and many more have all made the song their own. “Season of the Witch” was released on Donovan’s third studio album Sunshine Superman. The bass-driven, eerily-paced track is the perfect choice for a foggy walk through a graveyard – the song strikes the perfect balance between creepy and groovy. For this reason, it has been featured in many seasonally appropriate TV shows and movies, such as Dark Shadows, To Die For, and ParaNorman. Paranoia is a central theme in the lyrics, especially the second verse: “When I look over my shoulder/ What do you think I see/ Some other cat lookin' over/ His shoulder at me/ And he's strange, sure is strange.” This song embodies the creeping, unshakable feeling everyone gets from time to time: that someone, somewhere is watching you. But, when you finally muster up the courage to take a look over your shoulder… there’s no one there.

2 “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon (1978)

“Werewolves of London,” a staple for the Halloween season, began as a joke between friends. After watching the 1935 film Werewolves of London on TV, Phil Everly (of The Everly Brothers) joked to Warren Zevon that he should use the title for a song. To keep the joke going, Zevon took him up on the challenge and threw a song together in about fifteen minutes. The lyrics are wonderfully bizarre, including silly, imaginative lines such as “I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand/Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain” and “I saw a werewolf drinkin' a piña colada at Trader Vic's/And his hair was perfect.” Successful musician and freind fo Zevon, Jackson Brown, heard the demo and loved it – so much so, he began covering it during his live performances. The recording you hear today includes Fleetwood Mac’s John McVie on bass and Mick Fleetwood on drums.

Stephen King is a huge fan of the Ramones – no surprise there, as they both have an inclination towards the macabre. “Pet Semetary” is named after King’s horror novel of the same title, and was originally written by Dee Dee Ramone for the 1989 film adaptation. As the legend goes, King invited the band over and handed Dee Dee a copy of his novel. Dee Dee disappeared into the basement for no longer than an hour, and when he returned, he had a complete song. This track may win the award for most spooky references packed into the lyrics – it seems like Dee Dee managed to include every single creature that goes “bump!” in the night. Goblins, warlords, fangs, spirits, bones, tombstones, skeletons, wolves… oh my! And just when you thought things couldn't get spookier: the music video was filmed in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery! This track encapsulates the spirit of Halloween, and its connection to Stephen King and the horror genre makes it all the more thrilling and chilling.