13 Fantastic Goth Halloween Tunes

In general, ALL music in the Gothic genre would be suitable for Halloween. But in case you’re looking for something that’s especially in keeping with the season, I’ve made this list of 13 songs that I like to play at Halloween.

13. The Cruxshadows – “Monsters”

A fun, bouncy little song that’s all about what it says on the tin. It has a very catchy riff that sounds quite Halloween-esque as well.

12. Alien Sex Fiend – “Now I'm feeling Zombified”

Alien Sex Fiend love to use weird sound effects and horror imagery in their music, so there’s plenty of songs by this band that are fitting for Halloween. “Now I’m feeling Zombified” is wonderfully crazy and very catchy, great for a Halloween party.

11. Collide – “Wings of Steel”

This song seems tailor made for creating a spooky Halloween atmosphere, with its samples of thunderstorms, church bells, creaking doors and witch’s cackles. It’s hypnotic rhythm and Karin’s whispered singing certainly helps as well.

10. The Damned – “Absinthe”

The Damned’s songs are fun, snappy and love to draw inspiration from horror movies, so they’ve made plenty of great tunes for Halloween. “Absinthe” is a particularly good choice for Halloween, as it opens with a quote from Frank Coppola’s “Dracula” movie and uses some good, spooky theremin-like sound effects throughout. And it’s about Absinthe, which I’m sure plenty of Goths will be enjoying this Halloween.

9. Rasputina – “Gingerbread Coffin”

Rasputina are very skilled at producing creepy music, and “Gingerbread Coffin” is one of my favourites. The song is about finding an old possessed doll, which is freaky enough, but the eerie strings and slow waltz rhythm of the song give it a really spooky edge.

8. The Electric Hellfire Club- “Bitchcraft”

Electric Hellfire Club specialise in fun horror-themed music, such as this song which is full of references to black magic as well as spooky sound effects.

7. The Cure – “Lullaby”

An absolute classic. What Halloween compilation would be complete without this song about being eaten by Spider-Man “softer than shadow” with “candy-stripe legs?” There’s something even quite Tim Burton-esque about this song.

6. The Birthday Party – “Release the Bats”

This bonkers early Gothic Rock song consists mainly of the lyrics “bat horror vampire sex” accompanied by cries of “Bite!” and “Release the Bats!” You can’t have a Halloween party without it, in my opinion.

5. Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”

The Goth song that’s so Goth it’s now cliché. But it still rocks. That simple 4-note riff is insanely good, and the tick-tock drumming really hypnotic. And the whole song’s about Dracula. A perfect Halloween number.

4. Danny Elfman - "This is Halloween"

You can’t really make a top 13 Halloween song list without this in it somewhere, from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The original is great enough, but if you want something a little more rocky, Marilyn Manson’s done a very entertaining cover (yes, he does all the different voices).

3. Inkubus Sukkubus – “Samhain”

Many Goths will be conscious of the fact that for ancient peoples, Halloween (more properly known as “Samhain”) was a festival of great religious significance. Inkubus Sukkubus certainly don’t forget this, and their song “Samhain” is a celebration of the traditional Pagan aspects of Halloween.

2. Ministry – “Every Day is Halloween”

This song, one of the few songs that actually confront the issue of intolerance towards those who follow an alternative lifestyle, has become something of a Goth anthem. It’s a lot of fun as well, and to me it’s essential for Halloween. For those not into metal, don’t worry – this is early Ministry, when they sounded a lot more synthpop.

1. Siouxsie and the Banshees – “Halloween”

Of course. This song has everything we’d expect from the Queen of Punk, including great guitar riffs and amazingly wild drumming. And Siouxsie’s wonderful vocals make reference to Halloween and Trick or Treat throughout. It’s a brilliant song no matter what the season.