The Rotunda

Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: Entertainment

Halloween 2009 is finally upon us. The traditions of trick-or-treating, costumes and candy will be all too apparent this Saturday night. One cool thing about any holiday is the music, so here's a list (which is purely based on opinion) of the top ten best Halloween songs. Enjoy.

1) "Thriller" by Michael Jackson (1982). This song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 1 on the Radio & Records singles charts. Plus, what's a Halloween song without an epic 14-minute music video? With a laugh from horror movie man himself, Vincent Price? A bunch of zombies with jazzy dance moves and you can't forget Jackson's red leather jacket!

2) "This is Halloween" by Danny Elfman (1993). Tim Burton's film The Nightmare Before Christmas introduced this haunting track to the world. It was nominated for "Best Original Score" at the 1993 Golden Globes. Not bad for a song from an animated movie.

3) "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack (1975). This dance number is an essential party song for Halloween. It is also easy to follow and requires no practice, since the lyrics tell you what to do. After all, "It's just a jump to the left. . ."

4) "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1962). For those of you who grew up on the rock 'n roll era, this is the ultimate Halloween song. When you ask somewhat for a good Halloween song, this track should come out first or soon after.

5) "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. (1984). Everyone has either heard this theme or has seen at least one of the Ghostbusters films. If you haven't yet, you should. Parker only had two days to write the theme, and it was inspired by an infomercial of all things. A phone number flashing on the TV screen was the origin of the phrase, "Who You Gonna Call?

6) "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult (1976). This Halloween favorite comes from the album Agents of Fortune and was derived from the opening riff by lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. Also featured in the movie "Halloween."

7) "Dragula" by Rob Zombie (1998). The first single from Rob Zombie's solo debut, Hellbilly Deluxe and a reference to the awesome old-school television show "The Munsters."

8)"The Addams Family" by Vic Mizzy (1964). Just like the theme for "Ghostbusters," this song is easy to recognize because of the unique tune. Mizzy just recently passed away on October 21 at the age of 93, but it's the perfect time of year for one of his greatest songs to be played again.

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