7 Days of the 101 Best Halloween Songs (32-41)

32. Creatures of the Night
Prior to 1982, Kiss’ popularity had really gone downhill, partly due to their changing style of music. With their album, Creatures of the Night, Kiss returns back to the hard rock/heavy metal style that helped them receive their initial success.

33. Riders on the Storm
Inspired by (Ghost) Riders in the Sky, this Doors hit reached #14 in the US in 1971. The lyrics are based on Billy Cook, a mass murderer who posed as a hitchhiker and killed several families. The movie,
The Hitch-Hiker is also based on him.

34. Theme to Gremlins I & II
In 1984, Jerry Goldsmith wrote The Gremlins Rag, the theme song for Gremlins. This won him a Saturn Award for Best Music. It’s a cross between classical, 80’s Madonna, circus, and horror music.
The Gremlins II theme is actually very similar, but more upbeat.

35. Hedwig’s Theme
Composed by John Williams, Hedwig’s Theme first appeared in the prologue of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It is often referred to as the main theme of the Harry Potter film series, having been played in every film so far.

36. Grim, Grinning Ghosts
This is the theme song for the Haunted Mansion Disney attractions. Its title comes from Shakespeare’s poem Venus and Adonis. It is sung by Thurl Ravescroft, who also did voicework for How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Peanuts’ No Dogs Allowed, and Tony the Tiger.

37. Witchcraft
Frank Sinatra’s original Witchcraft recording took place in 1957 and spent 16 weeks on the US charts. It was re-recorded by him 2 more times; for his Sinatra Sinatra’s album and the other as a duet with Anita Baker.

38. Boris the Spider
This song was written by John Entwistle, the bassist for The Who. It was one of Entwistle’s biggest songs to perform live, along with My Wife and The Quiet One (in fact, he wrote The Quiet One because he got tired of singing My Wife).

39. Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper is basically the Rudolph of ghosts. They are both boys with girl voices and have trouble making friends at first because they’re different, but then save the day and get their acceptance. Heck, Casper’s theme song sounds even like Christmas music.

40. Love Song for a Vampire
Performed by Annie Lenox, this was the theme song for the 1992 adaptation of the thriller movie, Dracula (aka Bram Stoker’s Dracula). This film starred Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves.

41. Hungry Like the Wolf
This song is probably best known for its music video. Inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark’s atmosphere, it was filmed in Sri Lanka, with many shots of their jungles, rivers, and civilization. It won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984.

Check back tomorrow for 22-31.

Tagged as: Halloween, Holiday, music, songs