Caffeinated Wombat Records

It seems appropriate to depart from my typical top-5 format for this, one of my favorite days of the year. What is the temporary format, you ask?

Did you really need to ask?

Mick's Top Thirteen Halloween Songs
13 (tie). "I Walked with a Zombie" and "If You Have Ghosts," Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators

Roky Erickson was not only a figurehead of psychedelic rock, he was the master of the horror-rock song. Erickson, now 60, is perhaps one of the most interesting little-known figures in rock history. He had one minor hit as leader of the Elevators, but went on to be as well-known for drug use and mental illness as anything. He involuntarily underwent ECT after being diagnosed paraoid schizophrenic in 1968. After being arrested for marijuana possession in Texas in 1969, he claimed insanity, which he would later regret-- it led to involuntary commitment and more ECT and Thorazine for three years.
Erickson and his bandmates were vocal proponents of pot and LSD, and their music seemed to reflect that, along with a love of the macabre.
In 1990, a tribute album to Erickson called Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye was released. This was my introduction to Erickson's work. I picked up a copy on cassette from a used music store simply because R.E.M. was on the album, and I became fascinated with the odd themes of the work, and the fact that "I Walked With a Zombie" consisted entirely of the following verse repeated ad nauseum:

I walked with a zombie
I walked with a zombie
I walked with a zombie last night

Other songs included two-headed dogs working in graveyards, aliens, and ghosts. All the songs seemed to feature tangential or inexplicable lyrics like, "If you have ghosts, then you have everything." The mood of the music tended to match the lyrics-- darkly psychedelic, vaguely mentally ill. That album gave Erickson heart, as he had been unaware just how respected a musician he was. Not only did R.E.M. contribute to that album, but so did the likes of ZZ Top, The Jesus and Mary Chain, John Wesley Harding, Bongwater, and other respected acts.
Anyway, I choose "Zombie" and "Ghosts" because they seem representative of Erickson's works and appropriate for the list. "Zombie" starts at about the 4-minute mark in the above video.
Such an outsider icon was he, he was the inspiration for a character named Rocky on my all-time favorite X-Files episode, "Jose Chung's From Outer Space."

12. "The Lunatics (Have Taken over the Asylum)," The Fun Boy Three

This is on the list more for the faux-spooky chant of the chorus than anything else. The song is actually heavily political, but ignore that for today.

11. "Werewolves of London," Warren Zevon

One of my favorite songs to sing at karaoke, and not a particularly scary one, though it does have some nice gory lines like, "Little old lady got mutilated late last night/ Werewolves of London again."

10. "Dead Man's Party," Oingo Boingo

The most fun song on this list, without question. My dad loves this song to this day. The leader of Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman, went on to become my favorite film composer, working with Tim Burton on many of his films, and also presumably composing the top song on this list.

9. "Ghost Town," The Specials

The Specials always remind me of my uncle, Jim (my favorite uncle), who introduced me to these guys back when we visited them in Atlanta when I was in high school. They also have a connection to the Fun Boy Three in some way....I forget exactly what it is. Oh well.

8. "The Boogie Monster," Gnarls Barkley

A tongue-in-cheek little ditty. Music and lyrics and mood all very appropriate for All Hallows' Eve or any day's witching hour.

7. "The Haunting (Adult Mix)," Ectomorph
Couldn't find a video for this one, which isn't that surprising. But I do like the name of the band. Ectomorph is a fairly creepy moniker, and the song was inspired by a horror cult classic. I think.

6. "Every Day Is Halloween," Ministry

DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO IF YOU HAVE ANY TENDENCY TO GET QUEASY OR DISLIKE GORY IMAGERY. It's posted here for you to enjoy the song, not the visuals so much.
The only reason this song isn't higher is because it's not strictly about Halloween...but more about people's judgmental reactions to those who choose to dress a bit gothic, dark, etc. This was before Ministry got decidedly more industrial....but I like this side of the band quite a bit.

5. "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)," Concrete Blonde

Best song about vampires ever. I love singing along to this one loudly. The guitar riff is a pretty satisfying one too.

4. "Lullaby," The Cure

The video makes this one climb the list. There are few spookier videos on earth. No gore here, by the way, though perhaps some uncomfortable images. In two words...autoerotic cannibalism? You knew the Cure had to make this list somewhere, and this was the best song I could choose.

3. "Monster Mash," Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-kickers

The only song on the list to chart in the top 40 in three different decades.

2. "Thriller," Michael Jackson

OK, we've all seen the video, which is the greatest rock video in history. But what I have for you here is the Indian version of the "Thriller" video. Thanks to Diego for introducing me to it. Weird, weird music and choreography. I have to wonder what the literal translation of the lyrics is.

1. "This Is Halloween," The Citizens of Halloween (from The Nightmare Before Christmas)

If you haven't seen this movie, you owe it to me to watch the beginning of it right now. Right here. This song should stick in your head.

Happy All Hallows' Eve to all of you.