If your store is doing any kind of Halloween decorations, promotions or even acknowledging the holiday, you may want to set the mood with a little more than carved pumpkins and fake spider webs. Other than playing Charlie Brown’s “The Great Pumpkin” on repeat, music is a great way to add to the ambience. We’ve come up with a list of 25 songs to fill the air with spooky, fun Halloween spirit for which your employees will thank you. It will spare them from the canned howls and screams CD you found in the bargain bin at Target.
25. Friend of the Devil by the Grateful Dead. Even the band name is appropriately Halloween-themed.
24. Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix. He does the voodoo you don’t do.
23. Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Very superstitious. Nothin’ more to say.
22. Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads. This band had a few tunes that made the list, but this was the only one that made the cut.
21. Born Under a Bad Sign by Albert King. He recorded the first version, written by Booker T. of the MG’s, but Cream made it popular.
20. Black Magic Woman performed by Santana. This song was written in 1968 by Peter Green, an original member of Fleetwood Mac.
19. Highway to Hell by ACDC. This song was written as an account of Angus Young’s life on the road.
18. Running with the Devil by Van Halen. I’ve recently filed this band under guilty pleasures, but only after David Lee Roth left the band.
17. Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult. Immortalized by Will Ferrell’s SNL character when he demanded, “More cowbell!”
16. Danse Macabre by Camille Saint Saens. First performed in 1875, the translation from French literally means, “Death dance.”
15. Frankenstein by Edgar Winter Group. If this is your costume for this year, this should be your theme song.
14. Witchy Woman by the Eagles. I usually side with Jeffrey Lebowski and dislike this band, but I’m making an exception.
13. Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastien Bach. I grew to love this piece watching “Fantasia” as a kid.
12. Thriller by Michael Jackson. If only the acting in the video was as good as the song. Thankfully the dancing is.
11. Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Jeffrey Lebowski approved.
10. Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne. There’s no way we could have left the Prince of Darkness off this list.
9. Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band. We think he considered stopping in Dalton but decided to move on.
8. Spooky by the Atlanta Rhythm Section. This was one of their biggest hits in 1979.
7. The Bug by Jerry Dallman and the Knightcaps. Bonus points if you can do the dance that goes with.
6. Stray Cat Strut by the Stray Cats. The lead singer is Brian Setzer before he formed his Orchestra.
5. I Put a Spell On You by Sreamin Jay Hawkins. If you don’t have a costume yet, you should seriously consider dressing like this.
4. Magic Man by Heart. Representing the boy witches.
3. Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon. Adam Sandler does a great cover of this on the tribute album “Enjoy Every Sandwich.”
2. Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys. In case you miss the ghost howls, our favorite California surfer boys have you covered.
1. Season of the Witch by Donovan. This song is mellow but not yellow.