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The Spookiest Classic Rock Songs for Halloween
Classic rock has a good time flair. If you want to hear a song about cars and girls, you don’t go to Cattle Decapitation; you turn on Deep Purple. Forays into genre-fiction storytelling are usually left to the heavier bands with the crazier names (like Cattle Decapitation). But with Halloween upon us, it’s time to look at the classic rock songs that best fit the Spooky Season.
The Damned: “Grimly Fiendish”
The Damned started as first-wave punk innovators, hot on the heels of the Sex Pistols and the Clash. But the rise of Synth Pop and New Wave even had heavy hitters like Neil Young panicking and releasing ill-conceived songs.
But with a lead singer who already looked like a vampire, and an underground fan base, The Damned tried their hand at Goth Rock in 1985 with their album Phantasmagoria to a resounding success. It’s not quite as ghoulishly subversive as the real goth scene-heads like Siouxsie or the Sisters of Mercy, but songs like “Grimly Fiendish” bounce along at a spooky, Halloweeny pace that fits perfectly with the signature deep vocals of the band.
David Bowie: “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”
On Hunky Dory, he was a soulful piano balladeer. On Ziggy Stardust, a glam rocker, and on Young Americans, a master of white soul. In the midst of all of these personas, it’s easy to forget that for a brief stint in 1980, Bowie went Goth.
Okay, that might be exaggerating. But there’s no doubt that Bowie’s Scary Monsters album is taking cues from the post-punk explosion. The title track features clear influence from the likes of Bauhaus, bouncing along at goth tempo without ever breaking the good times of classic rock.
Roky Erickson: “Night of the Vampire”
Roky Erickson first made waves in the 60s as a member of the Thirteenth-Floor Elevators. Whether it was mystical lyrics inspired by crazy visions or keening renditions of Bob Dylan tracks, his plaintive tenor was one of the defining sounds of early psychedelia. What not as many people remember is that he had a second career as a shock rock outsider artist, providing spooky songs for rock and roll horror movies like Return of the Living Dead.
The best example of his spooktastic work is “Night of the Vampire.” A far cry from the satanic heavy metal of Sabbath, Erickson’s song sounds like a bit of good, clean Halloween fun; it could easily score a Christopher Lee movie about Dracula.
Alice Cooper: “The Ballad of Dwight Fry”
Alice Cooper has to be one of the first names that come to mind when it comes to Halloween rock and roll. With all of the makeup, it’s easy to forget that a lot of his enduring hits, like “Poison,” “School’s Out,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and “I’m Eighteen,” have very little to do with horror.
While we could cite “Welcome to my Nightmare,” “The Ballad of Dwight Fry” takes the cake for a great, spooky Alice song. It’s based on the 30s-era character actor who played the insane sidekick to Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula” character.
Performed live from inside a straitjacket, Cooper sells the story of a normal man gone insane without it dissolving into the genuine terror of punk rock’s masterpiece “Frankie Teardrop.”
-Christian Flynn
Photo: Pexels.com
I just added “Grimly Fiendish” and “Night of the Vampire” to my Halloween playlist. “The Ballad of Dwight Fry” and “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” are already on. I tried to limit my playlist to one per artist but had to include “Welcome to my Nightmare”. Alice Cooper reeks Halloween so he gets the honors of two songs!
Omg I have Dwight fry and Poison on mine. I love Alice hes awesome especially for Halloween and spooky stuff
How about DOA by a group called Bloodrock if my memory serves me well?
and who could forget Monster Mash lol
Came here to mention DOA. That song unsettles me so freaking much!
You’ve got to have Alice in your playlist this time of year! lol
Excellent article! You could have played it safe with “Welcome to my Nightmare” but you nailed it with “The Ballad of Dwight Fry”. I’m a fan of Bowie’s Goth dabbling! I always said Diamond Dogs trailblazed the goth music scene. The album cover says it all!
As someone whose birthday is 10/31, I gotta go with “Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo. 💀
Black Sabbath
Try The Carny by Nick Drake ….
Dwight Fry- I, I, I gotta get out of here!!!
Other eerie tunes ( beside They’re coming to take me away-Napoleon 13th).
DOA – Bloodrock, 2000 Light Years from Home- Stones, Or just an absolute odd song- Lather- Jefferson Airplane
Love this one…Haunted House by The Toilet Rats. Check it out.
Great one to add to my Halloween playlist.
“There Coming To Take Me Away” by Napoleon XIV. I think radio stations actually band the song for a while.
Why not The Legend of Woolley Swamp by CDB? I always felt that to be a great spooky song.
yea, thats agood one alongw/ longhaircountryboy by charlie d !!
No problems.
I must be dreaming please stop screaming. ALICE COOPER
I like the “Grimly Fiendish” video. The vampire-looking singer portrays the eerie, old-time English feel, and the trumpet solo adds to the theatrical feel of the song. “Night of the Vampire” is my favorite. Hollywood really missed the boat not scoring this one during the whole vampire faze. Bowie speaks for himself and, I can only imagine what it must have been like to see Alice Cooper perform “The Ballad of Dwight Fry” live! Happy Halloween!
All y’all got Halloween playlists? Come on my everyday playlist is a Halloween playlist
With things like Sabbath maiden Cooper Dio Metallica kiss
Your list is badass. I agree that anything Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper
or Ronnie James Dio would fit in the spooky category. I tossed in “Godzilla”, the BOC classic. Helpless people on a subway train scream “my God” as he looks in on them.
They say hes got to go, go, go godzilla. yeaaaaaaa theregos tokayo gogo godzilla yeaaaaaa
None of the bands/songs listed are “classic rock”. If you want a spooky song played for Halloween that IS classic rock try “Godzilla” from Blüe Oÿster Cult. That IS a classic rock song that is also spooky.
I really like your four choices! The scariest Halloween song for me is Helter Skelter. The whole Manson background is so terrifying.
Terrifieying is jeffry dalmer! Do u know why he ate the BRAINS of all his victims? Because , when he was in elementry school, all his teachers told him that a mind IS A terrible thing to waste!?
How about Fleet Street by Fist….. Enjoy your people pies!!!
Alice Cooper Sick Things and Dead Babies are far more spookier
Terrifieying is jeffry dalmer! Do u know why he ate the BRAINS of all his victims? Because , when he was in elementry school, all his teachers told him that a mind IS A terrible thing to waste!?
Have you read in the mag
national lampoon. DR. JECKLE AND MR. DRUNK? ITS STRANGE BUT SOMEWHAT TRUE, WHEN A HONERED DOCTOR IS SOBER, AND THEN GETS DRUNK. WHAT THE OUTCOME IS
The “Dead Babies” live video is disturbing. I wonder how the sword through baby would fly today? If anyone hasn’t seen it, check out the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPiSGzL3uN4&list=RDlPiSGzL3uN4&start_radio=1
“Boris The Spider” and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by The Who
Have you read in the mag
national lampoon. DR. JECKLE AND MR. DRUNK? ITS STRANGE BUT SOMEWHAT TRUE, WHEN A HONERED DOCTOR IS SOBER, AND THEN GETS DRUNK. WHAT THE OUTCOME IS
Any of king Diamond songs
“Grimly Fiendish” is a great choice, definitely the hit of Phantasmagoria. The harpsichord throughout the song gives it that good, spooky, Halloween feel. Great video to go along with the song. Not sure if it’s true, but I remember hearing that his hair accidently caught on fire when was walking with the torch at the beginning of the video.
How about woolly bully watch it now 😁
BOO
Bowie and Alice scream Halloween. I’d throw Sabbath ana a few others in that category, but glad you went outside the usual suspects with Roky and The Damned!