While it's always nice to be able to jam along to a Halloween classics like "Thriller" and "This is Halloween," their popularity tends to drown out other, lesser-known songs that can fit into Halloween just as well. While the following tunes aren't traditionally associated with our favorite spooky holiday, they definitely channel the feeling of something being... off.
1. "Haunted" by Evanescence
"Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down."
To be honest, most of Evanescence's songs could have easily made this list because of Amy Lee's uniquely poignant voice. However, the lyrics of "Haunted" are a special kind of creepy.
2. "My Enemy" by Hans Zimmer
"He hates on me, he's using me,
He's dead to me, he is my enemy!"
Say what you will about "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," but this is definitely the most memorable and the most unsettling track on its OST. The quiet whispers and angry crescendos give me chills whenever the song crops up on my Spotify.
3. "Misty Mountains" by Richard Armitage and the Dwarf Cast
"Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old..."
This haunting ballad from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is unexpectedly unsettling, in my opinion.
4. "Zombies" by Childish Gambino
"You can hear them coming (they come to take your life)
You can hear them breathing, breathing down your spine."
While likely a commentary on money-mongering individuals, the plodding, echoing vocals in this song can definitely serve as a background track for a trip down an abandoned foggy road.
5. "Monster" by Starset
"Under the knife I surrendered,
The innocence yours to consume."
This song feels like its narrated by a sentient zombie, angry at the human that betrayed her and out for revenge. The music video
6. "Come Little Children" by Erutan
"Come little children, the time's come to play,
Here in my garden of shadows."
The original context of this song involved a witch using it to hypnotize children out of their beds in the middle of the night. However, Kate "Erutan" Covington's cover of it is most definitely not one that I would
7. "Actual Cannibal Shia Lebouf" by Rob Cantor
"You're walking in the woods,
There's no one around and your phone is dead."
One one hand, this song is hilarious. On the other hand, there's something about the idea of a celebrity sprinting after me on all fours in the middle of the words that freaks me out just a little bit. When I'm walking across campus to my dorm after late nights of studying, this song is the reason that I'm constantly checking to make sure that nobody (or no thing) is following me.
8. "Our Little Horror Story" by Aviators
"You'll bring my satisfaction,
Our little horror story's just begun..."
Another unexpected gem, this one from "Five Nights at Freddy's 3." There's plenty about the FNAF series that warrants a hiding under the covers, but this song should make you double check your locked doors tonight.