It's Halloween season and, to create the right atmosphere, we want to suggest you 10 of the most spooky music videos and Halloween coded songs to add to your playlists. With eerie sounds, chilling atmospheres and mysterious stories, these tracks will transport you to a dark, suspense-filled world!
3a.m. - Eminem
In the video for 3am, a single released in 2009 from the album Relapse, Eminem is surrounded by a haunting atmosphere: a dark forest, blood on the walls and in a bathtub, fingers rolling on the ground and severed arms. This track addresses his relapse into hydrocodone addiction and is a tribute to his friend and colleague Proof, who died at exactly 3a.m..
Secret - The Pierces
For everyone who has watched Pretty Little Liars, it's impossible not to associate Secret by The Pierces with all the cruelty that A inflicted on the five protagonists. The music video for the song is also unsettling: one of the two protagonists kills the other for breaking the promise she made, which was to keep her secret to herself. The song was released in 2008 and is still the group's most listened-to track.
Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. was composed for the film Ghostbusters released in 1984. In the music video, a girl is haunted by a ghost. The setting is a dark house, almost entirely black, with details in fluorescent colors. In the end the girl, now exasperated, decides to call the ghost-catching service, the Ghostbusters.
Chillin' Like A Villain - Descendants
Chillin' Like a Villain isn't creepy but it's perfect for Halloween: it's from the film Descendants which tells the adventures of the children of Disney villains. In this song some kids of evil characters, Evie, Carlos, and Jay (played by Sophia Carson, Cameron Boyce and Booboo Stewart), teach Ben (Mitchell Hope), a kind character, how to be bad to fit in on the Isle of the Lost.
Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
Somebody's Watching Me is the debut single by Rockwell released in 1983. The song talks about the feeling of being constantly watched. The video is set in a creepy house where the protagonist senses unsettling presences in every corner. Through shadows, floating heads, spectral apparitions, and crows, the video conveys a sense of anguish and unease, making it suitable for the spooky season.
Disturbia - Rihanna
Disturbia is a 2009 track by Rihanna from the album Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. The song addresses mental distress and confusion, describing an inner darkness. The music video conveys all of this through its gloomy atmosphere, with Rihanna in prison symbolizing her mind. Although it might seem like "just" a catchy song, it is actually highly introspective, and both the lyrics and the video evoke the singer's inner unrest.
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Thriller is one of Michael Jackson's most iconic songs and videos. In the music video, Michael and his girlfriend find themselves in a horror movie scene where he transforms into a zombie, dancing to a funky beat in a chilling and truly legendary choreography. Thriller aims to convey the tension and thrill of a frightening nightmare.
Disease - Lady Gaga
We’ve covered Lady Gaga's single Disease here. It explores the dark side hidden within each of us and is Gaga’s confrontation with her inner demons. The video portrays the struggle with her darkest parts, and Gaga, dressed in full Halloween style, runs and moves as if she’s truly unsettled. The character she plays in the video is a metaphor for everything that frightens us and that we try to keep hidden.
Burning - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Burning by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a 2022 track with a horror movie atmosphere. The most striking part is the music video, where frontwoman Karen O is symbolically killed. The video features blood, knives, fire, and other eerie elements that fit perfectly with Halloween.
Haunted - Beyoncé
Haunted by Beyoncé (2013) is a song that combines elements of R&B, electronic, and pop, wrapped in a dark and haunting atmosphere. The video conveys the anxiety and unease that lie behind the idea of being haunted by ghosts from the past. Symbolism and suggestion help create this chillingly emotional atmosphere.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!