A new canon of Halloween music
· 51 min
Episode A new canon of Halloween music
Who’s the Mariah Carey of Halloween? Labels and artists are trying to capitalize on spooky season, but these are the songs that belong in the creepy canon, from the truly terrifying to simply seasonal and nostalgic. Note: An earlier version of this episode appeared on All Songs Considered in 2025. Tell us what you think with a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org Featured artists and songs: Phoebe Bridgers: “Killer” from ‘Stranger in the Alps’ Fever Ray: “If I Had A Heart,” from ‘Fever Ray’ Sufjan Stevens: “John Wayne Gacy, Jr” from ‘Illinois’ Jack Lenz: “Goosebumps” (theme from the TV show) Disneyland Records: “Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House” Alice Cooper: “Welcome to My Nightmare,” from ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ Oksana Linde: “Horizontes lejanos,” from ‘Travesias’ Florence + the Machine: “Everybody Scream,” from ‘Everybody Scream’ Ethel Cain: “Housofpsychoticwomn,” from ‘Perverts’ girl in red: “We Fell In Love In October” (single) Mimicking Birds: “Bloodlines,” from ‘EONS’ Van Morrison: “Moondance,” from ‘Moondance’ The Cramps: “I Was A Teenage Werewolf,” from ‘Songs the Lord Taught Us’ Dead Man’s Bones: “My Bodies a Zombie for You,” from ‘Dead Man’s Bones’ Vince Guaraldi: “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” from ‘The Great Pumpkin’ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
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