All Songs Considered Redefining the Halloween canon
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Oct 21, 2025 Discover the ultimate Halloween music canon, featuring a spine-chilling mix of unsettling tracks and nostalgic classics. Phoebe Bridgers brings intimate horror with "Killer," while Fever Ray's eerie atmosphere sets the stage for chills. Sufjan Stevens delves into beautiful darkness with his haunting melodies. Relive childhood memories with the Goosebumps theme and Disneyland's chilling sounds. Alice Cooper serves up theatrical fun, and new spooky finds like Ethel Cain's work evoke American Gothic dread. It's a journey through all things haunting and autumnal!
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Intimacy Makes Horror Work
- Phoebe Bridgers' 'Killer' blends intimate confession with murder imagery to create genuine horror.
- The song's quiet intimacy makes internal thoughts feel terrifying and seasonally apt.
Opacité And Synths Create Dread
- Fever Ray's 'If I Had A Heart' uses opaque lyrics and foreboding synths to build dread.
- The track's creature-like vocals and Western-tinged score make it a strong Halloween candidate.
Beauty Amplifies Horrific Content
- Sufjan Stevens' 'John Wayne Gacy, Jr.' pairs beautiful music with horrific subject matter for a deeply unsettling effect.
- That contrast makes it a 'silent night' Halloween song rather than party fare.
