Halloween Blitzed

As October comes to an end, it provides a good opportunity to serve up an eclectic playlist of songs that all appear to have something of a spooky theme. In typical Blitzed fashion, we mix things up a bit by listing some established classics alongside lost gems and also a few contemporary offerings to spruce up your Halloween evening.

Check out our extended playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7f6qgWLts3Rz0EKCNy1I02

Bauhaus – Bela Lugosi’s Dead

Perhaps the ultimate goth composition, this single was released in 1979 and was the first single release by Bauhaus. The song later appeared in 1983 erotic horror film The Hunger.

Siouxsie & the Banshees –Spellbound

Originally released as a single in 1981, the track formed part of a new range of material featuring the work of legendary guitarist John McGeoch. The single graced the charts at No. 22 and swiftly became one of the Banshees’ most popular tunes.  

Ghost Town – The Specials

A song that offered up social commentary on themes of urban decay, unemployment and violence in inner cities, it’s perhaps surprising that it became a chart hit. The song spent three weeks at No. 1.

This curious lyrical narrative had been inspired by a Jack o’ Lantern that XTC’s Andy Partridge had carved and placed on a fence post in his garden for Halloween.

David Bowie – Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

The title track from Bowie’s 1980 classic album released as a single in 1981. Featuring distinctive guitar work by Robert Fripp, the song’s unsettling lyrics tackled a “horror of rooms” and “strange doors” in a cryptic tale.

Duran Duran – Danse Macabre

Culled from their 2023 album of the same title, which featured a collection of songs inspired by the band’s 2022 Las Vegas Halloween show. The music was summarised as “the soundtrack to their ultimate Halloween party”. Founding member and bass player John Taylor added that the album “offers an interesting insight into the personality of the band” with music that “packs a real punch”.

Rose McDowall – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

Although best known for being part of polka dot indie pop outfit Strawberry Switchblade, McDowall’s talents extended beyond that duo’s demise. This cover of the Blue Öyster Cult classic seems to give the song a certain power.

The Fall – There’s a Ghost in My House

This 1987 cover of the 60s classic catapulted The Fall into the top 30, marking an era in which Brix Smith was encouraging Mark E Smith to give the legendary post-punk outfit a wider audience.

John Carpenter – Halloween Theme

Carpenter has repeatedly demonstrated that he’s as capable of composing music as he is in making films. But this is perhaps his most notable composition. The unsettling nature of the music is more surprising given that Carpenter composed and recorded the film’s score in just three days.

Depeche Mode – Ghosts Again

A bittersweet tune with an edge from Basildon’s finest, the lead single from their fifteenth studio album, Memento Mori. The song marked the first single release since the death of Andy Fletcher in May 2022. Dave Gahan said the song “captures this perfect balance of melancholy and joy”.

Echo And The Bunnymen – The Killing Moon

The lead single from their 1984 album Ocean Rain, this composition’s smart use of strings gives it a cinematic sweep. Ian McCulloch’s vocal take on a particular power here, lending lines such as “Fate up against your will” with an angsty delivery that really hits the heart.

Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love

Taken from her 1985 album of the same title, Kate Bush wrote the title track at her house early on in the recording process for the album. Lyrically, the song uses the imagery of an individual being chased by a pack of hounds as a metaphor for an aversion to love. The words heard at the beginning of the track were sampled from the British 1957 horror film Night of the Demon.

Japan – Ghosts

A single release from the band’s 1981 album Tin Drum, it reached No. 5 in the UK charts. The lyrics describe deeply personal feelings and the release of the single pre-empted Japan splitting up.

Empathy Test – Monsters

The stunning title track from the band’s 2020 album, this muscular outing was apparent inspired by an odd turn of phrase to refer to hangover anxiety (“I’ve got the monsters…”).

Visage – The Damned Don’t Cry

Released as a single by Visage in 1982 from their second album The Anvil, ‘The Damned Don’t Cry’ is a haunting gothic synth-pop classic.

The Cure – Lullaby

Taken from the band’s 1989 album Disintegration, ‘Lullaby’ has an unsettling quality that has a mesmerising draw. The ambigious nature of the lyrics are open to interpretation, giving the track an additional creepy vibe. Released as a single, it reached No. 5 in the UK charts.

Soft Cell – Martin

As featured on the duo’s 1983 album The Art of Falling Apart, ‘Martin’ has a suitably sleazy synth appeal. Inspired by the classic 1978 George A. Romero 1978 horror film Martin, it’s one of Soft Cell’s hidden gems.

Ladytron – Ghosts

The lead single from the electronic outfit’s 2008 album Velocifero, the baroque pop of ‘Ghosts’ demonstrated that Ladytron were some of the best purveyors of smart synth-pop in the early noughties.

Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion

The lead single from their 1987 album Floodland, ‘This Corrosion’ is an epic outing whose theatrical flourishes are boosted by Jim Steinman’s production work (the song uses a 40-piece choir and the album version lasts for nearly 11 minutes).

The Jam – Funeral Pyre

Angsty polemic from The Jam on a single that’s only the second one that shares writing credits for all three members. Released in 1981, the single reached No. 4 in the UK.

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You can hear these tunes, plus many more including The Human League, Propaganda, Joy Division, Goblin, La Roux, Talking Heads and more on the spooky full-length Blitzed Halloween playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7f6qgWLts3Rz0EKCNy1I02