Altralto

Fellow goblins, here’s your top 25 Halloween songs or music playlist for your upcoming Halloween costume party (costumes optional when listening to a playlist)

For the rockers out there and some classic retro and disco stuff to for the others.

We suggest the following order with no Lady Gaga music,zappa on zappa inserted between songs.  Remember, parties have to be safe (see our http://altralto.com/2009/11/the-10-commandments-for-hosting-the-best-party/) and fun so throwing on some Gaga music may cause someone to choke or projectile vomit into the punch bowl.

You may notice some themes like hangin’ out with the devil, midnight hour, some voodoo and spells, you get the idea.

1.  Tubular Bells (Opening Theme) by Mike Oldfield

Just stick to the opening theme on this one folks before Mike Oldfield takes you on a trip where you may not find your way back.

Make sure this plays early in the evening (in repeat mode for about 10 times) while you’re giving out candy to the little goblins that come banging at the door.  They won’t want to stick around long enough for the bridge.

Anybody who remembers the Exorcist may remember this one.

Time:  3:40

Album:  Vol. 3:  Horror Movies

2.  Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band

This song is good early in the evening while there’s still some laced punch in the bowl

Released as the main single from Abracadabra in June 1982, it became a number-one hit on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart, and also hit number two on the UK charts.  After Chicago’s ballad ended its two-week stay at number one, “Abracadabra” re-assumed the top spot on the U.S. charts for an additional week on September 25.

John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane” dislodged the Steve Miller Band’s final number-one hit from the top on October 2.  But please readers, no John Mellencamp at your Halloween party.

Time:  5:08

Album:  Abracadabra

3.  Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Mid-evening – no more punch but the partygoers are into beer?  Put this George Thorogood classic on.

This tune isn’t only fit for Halloween but for any party.

Time:  4:52

Album:  Bad to the Bone

4.  The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band

Don’t know this one?  Funny, it often gets overplayed on the Guitar Hero game.  Why don’t you connect the Wii or Playstation III and get everyone ready for a TV video game jam session.

The song is a narrative about the Devil, who comes to Georgia to procure souls. He has not obtained any recently, and is willing to “make a deal” (hence the opening lines “The devil went down to Georgia/he was lookin’ for a soul to steal/he was in a bind, ’cause he was way behind, and he was willin’ to make a deal”) out of desperation. He happens upon a young fiddle player named Johnny, who is minding his own business and playing impressively.

The Devil approaches Johnny, and informs him that he, too, plays the fiddle. He then challenges Johnny to a fiddle-playing contest, confident that he is more skillful than the young boy. The terms of the duel are that should Johnny win, he will be given a fiddle made of solid gold, but should the Devil triumph, he gains Johnny’s soul. Although he fears that taking the Devil’s bet might be sinful, Johnny accepts the terms, proudly telling the Devil that the Devil will regret it as Johnny is “the best there’s ever been”.

The duel commences, with the Devil performing a sinister and powerful piece with the backing of demon musicians. Despite this, the Devil is squarely defeated when Johnny takes his turn to perform (afterwards, Johnny said, “I done told you once, you son-of-a-bitch ["son-of-a-gun" in some more recent renditions], I’m the best there’s ever been!”).

The Devil acknowledges being bested and, true to his word, the Devil presents Johnny with a beautiful golden fiddle. Johnny boastfully informs the Devil that he is welcome any time to come back for a rematch.

Time:  3:37

Album:  Million Mile Reflections

5.  Doin’ the Zombie by Chubby Checker

Chubby did record other non-Twist songs.

Time:  3:10

Album:  Cool Ghoul’s Halloween Party Mix

6.  People Are Strange by The Doors

Why don’t you play the Lost Boys on the big screen with the volume down to add some audio visual effect to your party?

“People Are Strange” is a single released by The Doors in September 1967. It also appears on their second album Strange Days which was also released in September 1967. The single peaked at the #12 position of the U.S. Hot 100 chart. It was written by Robby Krieger and Jim Morrison although credit was given to the The Doors evenly.

It was covered to moderate success in 1988 by Echo and the Bunnymen for The Lost Boys soundtrack. It was also covered in 2000 by Twiztid on the album Freek Show. Pianist George Winston also covered the song on his album Night Divides the Day – The Music of the Doors.

Play The Doors’ version, please.

Time:  2:10

Album:  Strange Days

7.  Elvira by The Oak Ridge Boys

This song works best if the hostess is disguised as Elvira or Morticia Addams and the male party-goers are semi-drunk.

Actually, this was first covered by Kenny Rogers, but we’re calling out for the Oak Ridge Boys version.  Imagine a Kenny Rogers song at a Halloween party?

Time: 2:39

Album:  Fancy Free

8.  Evil Ways by Santana

Released as a single in late 1969, it became the band’s first top forty and top ten hit in the U.S., peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Gregg Rolie performs the lead vocals and plays a Hammond organ solo in the middle section.

“Evil Ways” is about a girl who is spiteful. “You’ve got to change your evil ways, baby/Before I stop lovin’ you.” She tries to make her boyfriend jealous by associating with her friends. “You hangin’ ’round, baby/With Jean and Joan and-a who-knows-who.”

Some radio stations play edit versions of the song, cutting a few bars from the introduction, parts of the organ instrumental portion in the middle, and the coda, shortening the guitar improvisation by fading the song out earlier, part of this reason is to make it more for AM radio use, than for progressive rock use.

Does this have anything to do with Halloween?  Probably not, but it has the word “evil” in the title so let’s put it down for Hallow’s Eve!

Time:  3:55

Album:  Santana

9.  Black Magic Woman by Santana

This is a great late evening tune to get on.  Get some dirty dancing going with the costumed women right about now.

Time: 3:15 (5:19 if you throw in Gypsy Queen)

Album:  Abraxas

10.  Boris the Spider by The Who

Apparently, The Who’s bassist, John Entwistle had to come up with some compositions for some studio work and while Pete Townshend excused himself from the restaurant table to take a leak, Entwistle jotted the lyrics to Boris the Spider on a napkin in about a minute.

“Boris the Spider” was written after Entwistle had been out drinking with Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. They were making up funny names for animals when Entwistle came up with “Boris the Spider”. The chorus of this song utilises vocals that influenced the vocal style of death metal singers, called the death growl. In this song, the death growl was performed by Christine Hart, sibling of legendary voice-over artist Pat Hart (Tony the Tiger, voice of the Grinch)

Time:  2:29

Album:  A Quick One

11.  Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf

This gets the party going after The Who’s near comedic Boris the Spider.  This track, like Bad to the Bone isn’t just necessary for a Halloween party, but is required for any party music.

Time:  3:32

Album:  Steppenwolf

12.  Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr

Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver in the same flick makes for a comedic horror of sorts doesn’t it?

Time:  4:04

Album:  Ghostbusters

13.  Love Potion No. 9 by The Searchers

is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by the Clovers. A must have (or play) for any Halloween party.

The Searchers version

Time:  2:04

Album:  The Very Best of…

The Clovers version

Time: 1:53

Album:  The Wedding Album

14.  Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett

The song is narrated by a mad scientist (not Albert Einstein) whose monster, late one evening, rises from a slab to perform a new dance. The dance becomes “the hit of the land” when the scientist throws a party for other monsters. The producers came up with several low-budget but effective sound effects for the recording. For example, the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board. The sound of a cauldron bubbling was actually water being bubbled through a straw, and the chains rattling were simply chains being dropped on a tile floor. Pickett also impersonated Bela Lugosi (yeah, the famous horror movie actor) as Dracula with the phrase “Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist

Time:  3:14

Album:  Halloween Party – 16 scary songs (buy it here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KEJIBC/ref=sr_1_album_3_rd?ie=UTF8&child=B001KEKXHK&qid=1287743747&sr=1-3)

15.  Running with the Devil  – Van Halen

Named the 9th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

Time:  3:36

Album:  Van Halen

16.  Super Freak by Rick James

Ok some disco has to be included!  Please do not confuse this song with MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This”!

The song was a big hit for James in 1981, charting on the pop, R&B and dance charts in the U.S. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at #16 in the fall of 1981 and spent 10 weeks in the top 40.

Time:  3:24

Album:  Street Songs

17.  Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Put video here with srv, watley

Believe it or not folks, this song features Wonder on drums!

Jeff Beck created the original drum beat while in the studio with Wonder. After writing the song Wonder offered it to Beck to record, but at the insistence of his own manager Wonder himself recorded it first.

Wonder’s music had been undergoing a marked change from his earlier fit with the Motown Sound to a more personal style. This shift had been evident on his two prior albums, Where I’m Coming From and Music of My Mind, but it was Talking Book and “Superstition” that brought the new style to the awareness of the public in general.

“Superstition” is immediately recognizable for its opening drum beat, which was performed by Wonder, complete with a noticeable bass-drum pedal squeak throughout the track. Its iconic funky clavinet keyboard riff was performed by Wonder.

Time:  4:26

Album:   Talking Book

Stevie Ray Vaughan performs a cover of the song. Vaughan and Wonder had mutual admiration for one another.  Wonder would later write the song “Stevie Ray Blues” in honor of Vaughan. Vaughan produced a humorous music video for his cover version in which Vaughan performs several acts that, according to superstitious lore, should bring him bad luck – breaking a mirror, stepping on a sidewalk crack, walking under a ladder, performing on Friday the 13th, and having a black cat cross his path. The cat is ignored by members of Double Trouble, which leads to their demise one by one. Only Vaughan remains standing at the end of the video, whereupon the cat returns to the arms of its “owner” – who turns out to be Wonder himself.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Version

Time:  4:40

Album:  Couldn’t Stand the Weather

18.  Midnight Special – Long John Baldry

If you can’t find the Long John Baldry version, use CCR’s.

I prefer the Long John Baldry version because it has the haunting New Orleans Dixieland Funereal timbre to it.

Long John Baldry

Time:  3:30

Album:  Remembering Lead Belly

Creedance Clearwater Revival

Time:  4:13

Album:  Willy and the Poor Boys

19.  Thriller by Michael Jackson

Nothing makes a song more Halloweenish than one that features sound effects such as a creaking door, the crack of thunder, and the sound of ghosts or things that go bump in the night walking on wooden planks.

Set is the 1950s, the video opens with a person named Michael. Michael and his unnamed date run out of a mist in a dark wooded area. They walk off into the forest, and Michael asks her if she would like to go steady, she accepts and he gives her a ring. He warns her, however, that he is “different”. A full moon appears, and Michael begins convulsing in agony, transforming into a werewolf (or werecat?)

His date runs away in terror, but the werecat catches up to her, knocking her down and begins lunging at her with his claws. The scene then cuts to a modern-day movie theater where Michael and his date, along with a repulsed audience, are actually watching the scene unfold in a movie called Thriller. Michael’s date leaves the theater as Michael hands his popcorn to a stranger, catches up to her, and assures her that “It’s only a movie”. Some debate follows as to whether or not she was scared by the movie: she denies it, but Michael disagrees.

They then walk down a foggy road as Michael teases her by singing the verses of “Thriller”. They pass a nearby graveyard, in which zombies begin to rise out of their caskets as Vincent Price performs his soliloquy. The zombies corner Michael and his date threateningly, and suddenly, Michael becomes a zombie himself. The zombies then break into an elaborate song and dance number, followed by the main chorus of “Thriller” (during which Michael was reverted to human form), frightening his date to the point where she runs for cover. Michael (who was somehow turned back into a zombie) and his fellow corpses back the frightened girl into the corner of a nearby abandoned house.

Michael then reaches for his date’s throat as she lets out a bloodcurdling scream, only to awake and realize it was all a dream. Michael then offers to take her home, and she happily obliges. As they walk out of the house, Michael eerily looks at the camera, thus revealing his yellow werecat eyes, as Price offers one last haunting laugh.

PHOTO

Time:  5:57

Album:  Thriller

20.  Time Warp by The Rocky Horror Show Original Cast (Little Nell)

Let’s do the Time Warp again!  Get everybody on the dance floor, no matter how pissed and wrecked they are.

Time:  3:19

Album:  The Rocky Horror Picture Show

21.  Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

“Saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand, walking through the streets of Soho in the rain, he was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook’s, going to get a big dish of beef chow mein”

PUT VIDEO HERE

Zevon spent the first half of the ’70s as the musical director for rock & roll legends the Everly Brothers. That was when Phil Everly suggested to Zevon and his writing buddy LeRoy Marinell that they should pen a dance song with the title “Werewolves of London”—Everly just liked the sound of it. Soon after, guitarist Waddy Wachtel dropped in to Marinell’s Venice, California, home. “I stopped by to pick up a guitar,” Wachtel tells Blender. “Warren goes, ‘Oh, man, it’s perfect that you’re here. We’re trying to write a song called “Werewolves of London.”’”

Optionally, you could play Kid Rock’s All Summer Long, based on Werewolves in London and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.

Time:  3:29

Album:  Excitable Boy

Kid Rock’s All Summer Long

Time:  4:57

Album:  Rock n Roll Jesus

Thanks to blender.com

22.  Voodoo child – Stevie Ray Vaughan or Jimi Hendrix

101^st place in the top 500 songs of all time according to Rolling Stone.  Also #12 in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

Jimi Hendrix version

Time:  5:13

Album:  Electric Ladyland

Stevie Ray Vaughan version

Time:  7:58

Album:  Couldn’t Stand the Weather

23.  Sweet Dreams – The Eurythmics

OK old farts, put on theEurythmics version.  We’ll put on the Marilyn Mansion cover version.

Marilyn Manson added some extra lines to the lyrics that are not present in the Eurythmics version: “I wanna use you and abuse you/I wanna know what’s inside you.” and “I’m gonna use you and abuse you/I’m gonna know what’s inside you.”

The video for Manson’s cover contains several clips of Manson and bandmates in what appears to be an old cathedral. In between the clips are a number are surreal shots of Manson wearing eccentric outfits, Manson wandering around an abandoned street in a tutu, and him riding a pig wearing a cowboy hat and covered with grease.

The Eurythmics

Time:  3:36

Album:  Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Marilyn Manson

Time:  4:53

Album:  Smells Like Children (Explicit)

24.  Midnight Rambler – The Rolling Stones

Catch the Let it Bleed version or if you’re a real wild bunch, upgrade to the live Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out recorded in New York’s Madison Square Garden, 1970 – Rock the roof off the house (make sure it’s not raining first though).

Studio version

Time:  6:52

Album:  Let it Bleed

Live Version (really rockin’ for a party)

Time:  9:04

Album:  Get Yer Ya – Ya’s Out

25. YMCA by Village People

The 25^th song on our list, the list’s finale, serves to end the party by getting everybody down and just creating a mass exodus.  When the party’s over and you want people to leave, play anything by the Village People.  Seeing that some of you would dress up as a Village Person at Halloween, what would be the problem in playing this song to create a few laughs?

When things begin to get out of hand at your part, put on the brakes by putting this song on.  If you want certain lampshade wearing party buffs to go now, then oblige them to dance (or if they’re uncomfortable with this song offer them the Macarena, even though it’s not a Halloween song – then again, make it everyone’s Halloween song)

Time:  3:45

Album:  Disco Gold

Thanks to wikipedia.org, last.fm,  and blender.com

Is Karaoke passé? Apparently not in Asia. Don’t even think of organizing a karaoke party for a group under thirty here in the US or Canada. I don’t mean thirty people. I mean thirty year olds. Aim for the Karaoke crowd around fortyish.

Another good spin on a karaoke party – making sure everybody has adequate spirits in them so that they loosen up – is to select commonly known songs but in a different language. Yes you can sing Abba’s Dancing Queen in Spanish if you rent a Spanish pack. Dean Martin or Michael Jackson in Mandarin or Vietnamese is also a hit as long as they have the English spelling on the screen (My Mandarin Chinese Pictograms computational system isn’t working very well with eight beers in me, let alone none).

See some classic Asian Karaoke failures

Following our Top 10 Background Music to Play at Every Party we received many additional comments for songs and artists that didn’t make the list.  We also got requests from you suggesting things to play that would make the neighbors and in-laws leave.

Here’s when you know the party’s over and the host wants you out.  Now.

1.  The Bird Dance (It’s a German Beer Garden Oompah song)

German Oompahpah

Anything Polka and/or German Oompah even played during Oktoberfest will drive me to a drinking binge.  You know the expression “drink to forget” or “water down your sorrows”?  Well the inventor of this expression was in Baden Baden or Hamburg stuck listening to this crap.  What is it about German drinking music and the goddamm accordions?

2.  Wake Me Up Before You Go Go – George Michael/Wham

Nothing needs to be said about Wham!  No, really.  Nothing.  Please bury the tapes.

We wanted to show a video to sober everybody up but youtube says “this video cannot be played in your country…”  Thank God for Canada!  No Wham! here!  Too bad we couldn’t say that about #3 just below.

3.  You’re Having My Baby by Paul Anka

Paul Anka When Will You Retire?

I can just picture Anka (this is where I’m not proud that he’s Canadian.  But it’s understandable, he hails from Ottawa, doesn’t he?) him singing this as she’s lying there in the 32^nd hour of labor, epidural worn off, and awaiting a C-Section without anasthesia.

4.  Sometimes When We Touch by Dan Hill

Don't Touch Me!

The only thing I want you to touch is the volume knob or the on/off switch.

Check the video for yourself

5.  You’re Beautiful James Blunt

So let me look at you while you shut the fuck up Jimmy!

When I hear this version, I’m reminded of why Helen Keller must have been happy being deaf.  I also wished I could be listening to the David Bowie/Bing Crosby version where I can’t tell who’s who.  Thank God that Christmas music is only played 2 weeks months a year

7.  Hopelessly Devoted to You by– Olivia Newton John (Neutron Bomb, ha ha)

Didn’t her moniker “Olivia Neutron Bomb” appear as a result of this song?

If it weren’t for Grease and John Travolta, or that Physical video in the early eighties, I guess the only thing that would have come out of Australia would be Paul Hogan and the Crocodile Dundee movies.  Oh wait, we’ve still got that piss-beer called Foster’s.  Oh yeah, and Nicole Kidman.

8.  Gimme Dat Ding by The Pipkins (1971)

Just check out the album cover art.  Says it all. Check out the video if you want to bring up your lunch.

9.  Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners

I thought this tune was catchy when I was in my teens

but upon careful thought this is when I thought I looked pretty cool with zits all over my face.  When I thought Eileen was a pretty good radio song, nobody else did.

10.  Even In the Quietest Moments by Supertramp

I admit some Supertramp is classic and “listenable”.

But some of their material delves into the evil unlistenable and is apparently regularly heard in Guantanamo Bay.  Even the Cubans have asked Obama to stop playing this shit.  Would someone make sure Roger Hodgson and the Tramp never play this in public.

Honorable Mentions

Anything by Wutang Clan

You’ve gotta admit it.  This makes you want to shoot somebody or get in the car and do a drive by.

In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly

One acid trip too many or gone wrong?  Guys make music we can all enjoy.

Ornette Coleman – Freejazz

Chinese torture music even for true Jazz aficionados.  Miles Davis reportedly punched Coleman in the face for making such noise and tried to put a hit on him.

OK folks, thanks for the comments and the rotten tomatoes.  Some tastes are subjective and while there may be no hip hop on this list we sure hope it can make a music to listen to music list without requiring any Disk Jockeys!  Oh by the way, there’s no Lady Gaga Music (hey what’s up with that Gaga fame stuff?).  Should we have put any “Zappa on Zappa”? stuff?  Anything from Frank Zappa or Dweezil?  You be the judge.

In any case, people have actually asked us for what kind of cocktail parties would this music playlist work for?  Well, it can work at your Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and not to mention your Super Bowl Party

1.  Bags Groove – Miles Davis

I’m aware that many readers aren’t keen on jazz.  That is until they listen to Davis’ standard, Bags Groove.  This album is Davis at the apex of the Bebop movement, on heroin, making for the best ambient background music.  It’s subtle, bluesy, and gets many people into jazz.  This is the perfect “piano bar” music.

2.  Kind of Blue – Miles Davis

Almost the same can be said about Kind of Blue – While Bags Groove is “piano bar” music, Kind of Blue, for me, is “cocktail party” ready.

The beautiful thing is that this album flows like one long song.

3.  It Had to Be You – The Great American Songbook – Rod Stewart

If anybody thought Stewart resorted to covers because he needed the extra cash then nothing he ever does will win their hearts over.  Stewart is a virtuoso with his voice and in 2002 when this album was released, was seasoned enough to take on the crooners.  Good job Rod!  This is the album that your aunt and uncle will say, “this is Rod Stewart?”  if they even ever heard of him.

4.  A Swingin’ Affair – Frank Sinatra

Sinatra in his junior years, but at his best.  His voice changes pitches subtly, and the band would be just as great without him.  Sinatra in the background is time tested ice breaker.  Everyone has something to say at a party from his days in the Rat Pack, his alleged mob ties, his classiness, his inspiration on Michael Buble (but who cares, right?)

After all, who doesn’t enjoy listening to Sinatra?

5.  Live at the Regal – BB King

The best live album of all time comes in at number 141 on Rolling Stone’s top 500 albums of all time.  Sets a good blues-rock big band thing in the mid to late evening.

6.  Hot August Night – Neil Diamond

Here’s Diamond in his rock-on, substance user days, no Jazz Singer here.  A Neil Diamond landmark.  Great stuff!  Double live album.  Appeals to all ages.

7.  Legend – Bob Marley and the Wailers

The undisputed best classic reggae compilation album is also the best selling reggae album of all time.  It spans  Bob and the band in all periods of their career until his untimely death in 1981.  From the romantic Is This Love, to the slow No Woman No Cry, to dancing to the disco reggae hit Could You Be Loved? This album will give you 50 minutes of timeless listening.

8.  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John

Undoubtedly (but arguably) Elton John’s best double album.  Wikipedia refers to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as his magnus opus, as do many of his fans.  GYBR is John’s first double album and if you get the 2003 30^th anniversary, four bonus tracks are thrown in.  Woo hoo!

9.  Tuesday Night Music Club – Sheryl Crow

Three Grammies:  Not bad for a debut album that was originally rejected by the record label.  A kick ass debut album for Crow.  A must for every cool party.

10.  Unplugged – Eric Clapton

The 1992 Grammy winning album that catapulted Clapton back into the Stratosphere after suffering the terrible loss of his four year old Conor.