When it comes to Halloween anthems, some songs are simply immortal (pun intended). From graveyard dance floors to candlelit house parties, the season’s soundtrack is packed with old-school bangers and fresh hits from a new generation of pop ghouls. This year, Time Out’s editors have conjured up a definitive list of the 40 greatest Halloween songs of all time—and it's a killer.
Topping the list is Mother Monster herself. Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” is pure witchcraft, after all. It's a stomping, glitter-soaked spell of a song that belongs at the center of every Halloween playlist. With its pulsing beat and soaring refrain, it’s impossible not to get possessed by it.
Rockwell’s 1983 classic “Somebody’s Watching Me” may not have been made for Halloween, but with its eerie paranoia, synthy chills and the Jackson brothers on backup (Michael on the hook, Jermaine behind him), it’s basically the audio version of a haunted house. The accompanying video—crawling with ghosts and ghouls—solidifies the track's status as an October essential.
Olivia Rodrigo sinks her teeth into heartbreak and fame with “Vampire,” a three-act pop opera that feels like Bohemian Rhapsody’s Gen Z descendant. When she snarls “You sold me for parts” and “You sunk your teeth into me,” it’s brutal, brilliant and painfully relatable. Expect to hear this one screamed from every party, dorm and dance floor on October 31.
Beyond the top three, the list spans every corner of spooky pop history, from Ray Parker Jr.’s eternally catchy “Ghostbusters” to Shakira’s “She Wolf,” The Specials’ moody “Ghost Town” and the underrated creepiness of Eels’ “Fresh Blood.”
Whether you’re carving pumpkins, hosting a séance or just vibing with your inner monster, these songs set the mood. Find the full list on Time Out and keep this Halloween playlist spinning till the sun rises on November 1.