Best Goth Songs for Halloween

For goths, Halloween is less of a holiday and more of a home game. You already own the outfit, the candles and the playlist, so this is the one time of year everyone else catches up. These goth Halloween songs cover every part of the night, from getting ready to the dance floor to the 3 a.m. wind-down.

Mix and match, or play them all in order and let the spooky season run its course.

The essentials

You can't throw a goth Halloween party without these. They're the songs people will request if you forget them.

1. Bauhaus – "Bela Lugosi's Dead" – Released in 1979, it's a slow, echoing tribute to the actor who played Dracula in the 1931 film. Nine-plus minutes of pure atmosphere.
2. Siouxsie and the Banshees – "Halloween" – From the 1981 album Juju. It has the holiday right in the title and that menacing, driving sound the Banshees did best.
3. Ministry – "Every Day Is Halloween" – A 1984 synth anthem about dressing dark every day of the year. Goths treat it as a personal theme song.
4. Type O Negative – "Black No. 1" – Gothic metal at its funniest and heaviest. Long, slow and very much about dyeing your hair black.
5. The Misfits – "Halloween" – The horror punk band's 1981 single. Short, fast and made for shouting along.
6. Siouxsie and the Banshees – "Spellbound" – Also from Juju, and one of the best goth dance floor fillers ever.

Deathrock and horror punk

Deathrock grew out of the early 1980s Los Angeles punk scene and took horror movies very seriously. Horror punk did the same with more speed. These are perfect for the moment the party gets rowdy.

7. Christian Death – "Romeo's Distress" – A deathrock classic from Only Theatre of Pain (1982).
8. 45 Grave – "Partytime" – Campy and fun, and it showed up on the soundtrack of The Return of the Living Dead (1985).
9. The Cramps – "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" – Psychobilly and B-movie energy from Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980).
10. The Damned – "Grimly Fiendish" – From their 1985 goth era. Playful and spooky.
11. Alien Sex Fiend – "Ignore the Machine" – Weird, wild and a staple of the Batcave-era London scene.
12. The Misfits – "Skulls" – More horror punk singalong fun from Walk Among Us.

Dance floor fillers

When you need people out of their seats and twirling in their capes.

13. The Sisters of Mercy – "Lucretia My Reflection" – That bassline is non-negotiable.
14. The Sisters of Mercy – "This Corrosion" – Big, dramatic and absolutely over the top, in the best way.
15. Fields of the Nephilim – "Moonchild" – Dusty, mystical and dark.
16. Bauhaus – "Dark Entries" – Fast and frantic, from the band's early singles.
17. The Cure – "Lullaby" – A 1989 single with a famously creepy spider-themed video.
18. Concrete Blonde – "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" – A 1990 song set in vampire-haunted New Orleans.
19. Rob Zombie – "Dragula" – Not strictly goth, but every Halloween party plays it, and every Halloween party is better for it.

Spooky classics everyone knows

These aren't goth songs, but they work perfectly next to them. Great for parties where not everyone is in the scene.

20. Screamin' Jay Hawkins – "I Put a Spell on You" – The 1956 original, wild and theatrical.
21. Oingo Boingo – "Dead Man's Party" – Danny Elfman's band, before he became the king of spooky film scores.
22. Blue Öyster Cult – "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" – Moody 70s rock with a famous cowbell.
23. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – "Red Right Hand" – Dark, slinky and used in more horror and crime shows than anyone can count.
24. Kate Bush – "Hounds of Love" – Dramatic, eerie and gorgeous.
25. Voltaire – "When You're Evil" – A cheeky, theatrical song that's become a goth Halloween tradition.

Atmospheric and eerie

For the end of the night, a candlelit drive past a cemetery or a cozy horror movie night in.

26. Dead Can Dance – "The Host of Seraphim" – Haunting and huge.
27. Cocteau Twins – "Lorelei" – Dreamy and otherworldly.
28. Bauhaus – "Stigmata Martyr" – Slow, heavy and creepy.
29. Chelsea Wolfe – "Carrion Flowers" – Heavy, dark and modern.
30. Zola Jesus – "Night" – Big voice, cold synths.

Newer spooky picks

The dark side keeps growing. These newer songs fit right in with the classics.

31. Ghost – "Year Zero" – Theatrical, satanic-themed fun with a huge chorus.
32. Molchat Doma – "Sudno (Boris Ryzhy)" – Cold, gloomy post-punk you can dance to.
33. She Past Away – "Durdu Dünya" – Turkish darkwave with a heavy, haunting groove.
34. Lebanon Hanover – "Gallowdance" – The title says it all.
35. Boy Harsher – "Pain" – Sleek darkwave for driving home after the party.

For more modern acts like these, check out our list of new goth bands.

How to build your Halloween goth playlist

Start slow, build up, end slow

Open with atmospheric songs while people arrive and get their costumes sorted. Move into the dance floor section once the room fills up. Bring it back down with the eerie tracks at the end.

Put the essentials in the middle

Don't play "Bela Lugosi's Dead" too early. Save it for when the most people are in the room. It's a moment.

Mix in songs non-goths know

If your party has a mix of people, the spooky classics section helps everyone feel included. Nobody can resist "Dead Man's Party."

Plan for length

Some goth songs are long. If you want more energy, keep the nine-minute epics to one or two per hour.

Make it a whole night

A great playlist is just one part of the fun. For costume, decor and party ideas, read our guide to goth Halloween ideas. If you're staying in, our horror movie date night guide pairs well with the atmospheric section of this list.

And if you're looking for someone to share the spooky season with, Alt Chat lets you set an Anthem on your profile. Picking "Halloween" by Siouxsie for October is a very strong move. For even more classics, browse our list of the best goth bands and keep the party going.

FAQ

What is the most goth Halloween song?

Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead" is the classic answer, since it's a nine-minute ode to the actor who played Dracula. Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Halloween" is a close second because it's literally named after the holiday.

What goth songs are good for a Halloween party?

Mix danceable classics like "Spellbound," "Every Day Is Halloween" and "Lucretia My Reflection" with spooky fun picks like "Dead Man's Party" and "Dragula." Save the slow, atmospheric tracks for later in the night.

What is deathrock?

Deathrock is a style that grew out of the Los Angeles punk scene in the early 1980s, mixing punk energy with horror imagery and dark atmosphere. Christian Death and 45 Grave are classic examples.