{"id":49102,"date":"2024-10-31T22:57:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T21:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5e8eb7f0-ebcd-4d4d-a512-3743358ccec9"},"modified":"2024-11-01T00:08:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T23:08:28","slug":"haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Haunting Halloween music: ten terrifying tunes from classical, jazz, folk and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 31 October 2024 at 21:57 PM<\/p>

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It’s that time of year again and, may we say, Halloween just isn’t Halloween without a decent soundtrack to go with it. But what to choose?<\/p>

Here is our top ten list of ghoulish, ghostly and downright terrifying songs, plucked from all corners of the musical canon. Get these best Halloween songs on your playlists now.<\/p>

Best Halloween songs: from Mozart to Ghostbusters<\/em><\/h2>
1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Commendatore scene from Don Giovanni<\/em><\/h3>
\u2018Don Giovaaaaaaaaaaani\u2019, bellows the Commendatore, as he prepares to drag Mozart<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s hapless lothario down to the depths of hell at Don Giovanni<\/a><\/em><\/strong>‘s dark climax. It’s a great moment, particularly when delivered with a certain degree of camp. One of opera’s greatest enactments of the supernatural (and there are lots), it\u2019s up there with Dracula<\/em> for sheer spooks, unleashing many an opera director\u2019s gothic instincts over the years. Case in point, see below:<\/p>

<\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li2\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-funeral-songs\/\">Best funeral songs: the most popular songs for saying goodbye to loved ones<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-giuseppe-verdi-dies-irae-from-the-requiem\">2. Giuseppe Verdi: ‘Dies Irae’ from the Requiem<\/h3> <p>Classical music does not get much scarier than this depiction of Judgement Day from Verdi\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/verdis-requiem-guide\/\">Requiem<\/a><\/strong>. With its four stabs from the orchestra, followed by that immense <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-a-crescendo\">crescendo<\/a><\/strong> and finally that banshee <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-soprano\">soprano<\/a><\/strong> wail, the \u2018Dies Irae\u2019 has one of the most recognisable introductions in the musical canon, epitomising the wrath of God. Try turning out all the lights and playing this at full blast; the trick-or-treaters will love it.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BBC Prom 13 - Verdi Requiem - Dies Irae e Tuba Mirum\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cHw4GER-MiE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-andrew-lloyd-webber-phantom-of-the-opera-overture\">3. Andrew Lloyd Webber: <em>Phantom of the Opera<\/em> Overture<\/h3> <p>Talking about high camp and gothic instincts, I\u2019ve got five words for you: The Phantom of the Opera. Yes! Love or hate it, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/who-is-andrew-lloyd-webber\">Andrew Lloyd Webber<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s 1986 classic musical certainly scratches a very particular kind of itch, and this opening number, with that famous, shameless chromatic scale on the organ, is one of its most flamboyant offerings.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>Andrew Lloyd Webber: his greatest musicals<\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OVERTURE\/The Phantom of the Opera\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gfMAkcGrhHA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><a href=\"?%E2%80%99 Still, this iconic song never gets old.%C2%A0 15 of the best stage musicals of all time\"><strong>15 of the best stage musicals of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-ray-parker-ghostbusters-theme-song\">4. Ray Parker: <em>Ghostbusters<\/em> theme song<\/h3> <p>If you want more of an 80\u2019s Halloween vibe, then this little chestnut is just what you\u2019re after. That said, Ray Parker’s 1984 song to the film of the same name had a bit of comeback this side of the millennium, reentering the UK Top 75 in 2008, and then again in 2021. By now, of course, everyone knows the answer to that timeless question: \u2018Who you gonna call?\u2019 Still, this iconic song never gets old.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters (Official Video)\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fe93CLbHjxQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/tv-and-film-music\/best-film-scores\/\"><strong>The best film scores of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-victor-mizzy-addams-family-theme-song\">5. Victor Mizzy: <em>The Addams Family<\/em> theme song<\/h3> <p>\u2018They\u2019re creepy and they\u2019re kooky\/ Mysterious and spooky\u2026\u2019 and so was this song, written by the New York-born TV and film composer Victor Mizzy. With its frequent finger clicks, and repeated figure on the harpsichord, it remains one of the most distinctive and memorable TV theme songs, even now, 60-odd years after it was composed.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Addams Family Theme song\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X6QzbvH-ZNo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li2\"><b\/><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/songs-about-death\/\">Death songs: 10 of the most powerful songs about death <\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More best Halloween songs<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-louis-armstrong-skeleton-in-the-closet\"><strong>6. Louis Armstrong: Skeleton in the Closet<\/strong><\/h3> <p>This 1936 song is actually pretty profound, delving into themes of secrecy, the anxiety of keeping truths hidden, and the toll it takes on us. You could even interpret it as autobiographical, possibly referencing the societal pressures of the Great Depression.<\/p> <p>In another sense, though, it\u2019s perfect Halloween fodder, thanks to its creepy concoction of melody and lyrics: \u2018Don\u2019t you know that house is haunted?There\u2019s an old deserted mansion on an old forgotten road\/Where the better ghosts and goblins always hang out\u2026\u2019<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Louis Armstrong- Skeleton in the closet\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ae5WtA_Oqfs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/best-jazz-songs\/\"><b>Best jazz songs: 9 classics you will listen to again and again<\/b><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-ella-fitzgerald-ding-dong-the-witch-is-dead\">7.Ella Fitzgerald: ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’<\/h3> <p>This song, in which the munchkins celebrate the demise of the Wicked Witch of the East, was straightforwardly jolly when it first appeared in the 1939 film <i>The Wizard of Oz. <\/i>However, Ella Fitzgerald\u2019s cover turned it into something else: not spooky exactly, but certainly unsettling thanks to those slippery jazz harmonies and Fitzgerald\u2019s inimitably bluesy voice.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ella Fitzgerald - Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9ngZFRisurU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/female-jazz-musicians\/\"><b>Greatest female jazz musicians: 16 of the best<\/b><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-english-trad-the-unquiet-grave\">8. English traditional: ‘The Unquiet Grave’<\/h3> <p>This English folk song describes a young man whose grief over the death of his true love is so deep that it disturbs her eternal sleep. When she complains that his weeping is keeping her from peaceful rest, he begs for a kiss. She replies that it would kill him, whereupon he begs to join her in death.<\/p> <p>Pretty ghoulish stuff, eh? And the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-a-melody\">melody<\/a><\/strong> is suitably cheerless, particularly in the bass-heavy version below, complete with sounds of thunder and pouring rain.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embedwrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Karliene - The Unquiet Grave\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ExTWRaJlWEs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/english-folk-songs\/\"><b>English folk songs: 10 of the best<\/b><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-carl-orff-o-fortuna-from-carmina-burana\">9. Carl Orff: ‘O Fortuna’ from <em>Carmina Burana<\/em><\/h3> <p>When <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/carl-orff\">Carl Orff<\/a><\/strong> wrote <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/carmina-burana-lyrics-composer\">Carmina Burana<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, his epic 1934 work based on the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/medieval-music-guide\">Medieval<\/a><\/strong> collection of satirical poems and dramatic texts of the same name, his intention was to blur the boundaries between music, movement and speech.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/carmina-burana-guide-best-recordings\"><em>Carmina Burana<\/em>: guide and best recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>The result was something extraordinarily intense, and \u2018O Fortuna\u2019, which begins the work\u2019s opening and closing sections, is perhaps its most visceral offering, railing against the goddess of fortune and humanity\u2019s lack of control over its own destiny. With its whispering choir, set against a steady crescendo of thumping drums, it is pretty terrifying, particularly as it approaches its almighty climax.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Andr\u00e9 Rieu - O Fortuna (Carmina Burana - Carl Orff)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EJC-_j3SnXk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><b\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/hardest-songs-to-sing\/\"><b>16 hardest songs to sing<\/b><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And one of the best Halloween songs of all…<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-10-benjamin-britten-malo-from-turn-of-the-screw\">10.Benjamin Britten: ‘Malo’ from <em>The Turn of the Screw<\/em><\/h3> <p>Few classical composers did \u2018creepy\u2019 quite like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/benjamin-britten-composer\">Benjamin Britten<\/a><\/strong>, and in <i>The Turn of the Screw, <\/i>his 1954 opera, based on Henry James\u2019s 1898 ghost story novella<i>, <\/i>he excels himself. It tells of a young, inexperienced governess who, charged with caring for two children, Miles and Flora, at a grand country house, becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/benjamin-britten-best-works\">Best of Britten: 12 great works<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>What ensues is a labyrinthine plot, that raises many more questions than it answers. Sung by Miles, during a Latin lesson, \u2018Malo\u2019 is one of the most unsettling moments in the whole opera: a trance-like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-aria\">aria<\/a><\/strong> that plays on the dual significance of the word: \u2018malo\u2019 as in ‘bad’ vs \u2018malo\u2019 as in the first-person singular of the verb ‘malle\u2019, meaning \u2019to prefer\u2019. Is Miles innocent, or wicked, possessed or just mischievous? We\u2019ll never know for sure, and the music remains all the more chilling for it.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ARIA: Malo, malo - The Turn of the Screw (Benjamin Britten) - Leo Jemison\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N2Mi0qKxTZk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li class=\"li1\"><b\/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/does-listening-sad-music-actually-make-you-happier\/\"><b>Does listening to sad music actually make you happier?<\/b><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Thursday, 31 October 2024 at 21:57 PM It’s that time of year again and, may we say, Halloween just isn’t Halloween without a decent soundtrack to go with it. But what to choose? Here is our top ten list of ghoulish, ghostly and downright terrifying songs, plucked from all corners of the musical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":49103,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/haunting-halloween-music-ten-terrifying-tunes-from-classical-jazz-folk-and-more.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Thursday, 31 October 2024 at 21:57 PM It’s that time of year again and, may we say, Halloween just isn’t Halloween without a decent soundtrack to go with it. But what to choose? Here is our top ten list of ghoulish, ghostly and downright terrifying songs, plucked from all corners of the musical…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/49102"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}