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Undying classics from the Killboard Rot 100.
Halloween songs might not be as celebrated — or profitable — as Christmas music (though that’s changing a bit), but there’s no denying the grave reality that people go batty for spooky songs as Oct. 31 approaches.
Simply put, folks who want to avoid spooky songs around All Hollows’ Eve don’t have a ghost of a chance. And while we all have our favorites, there are some seasonally appropriate songs that loom larger in Billboard Hot 100 history than others.
We decided to round up the 20 Biggest Halloween Songs based on their Hot 100 chart achievements (see below for a detailed explanation). No bones about it — the results might leave some people howling mad. Frightening as it may be to fans of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” doesn’t actually make the top 20 of this list. (“Thriller” peaked at No. 4 in 1984 and spent 22 weeks on the chart.) Although it’s inarguably become a perennial staple – one as essential to the season as those holding Frankenstein’s monster together — it doesn’t quite make the list.
So what did? No need for us to be cryptic – read on and find out.
Billboard’s Biggest Halloween Songs ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through the Oct. 14, 2023-dated charts), and includes Halloween-themed hits or songs with a seasonal word in its title (“spooky,” “devil,” “monster,” “witch,” etc.) Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.
Additional research by Xander Zellner.
Roy Orbison, “Running Scared”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak date: 6/5/1961
The vibe: Haunted, histrionic
A favorite of: Easily spooked marathoners
The Charlie Daniels Band, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 3
Peak date: 9/15/79
The vibe: Rollicking, unstoppable
A favorite of: Cowboys from hell
Santana, “Black Magic Woman”
Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Bad Moon Rising”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 2
Peak Date: 6/28/69
The Vibe: Rootsy, easy-going
A Favorite of: Wolf men, wolf women and wolf they/thems
Cliff Richard, "Devil Woman”
Hot 100 Peak: No 6
Peak Date: 9/25/76
The Vibe: Rockin’, swingin’
A Favorite of: Helen DEADy
Kodak Black, “Super Gremlin”
Classics IV, “Spooky”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 3
Peak Date: 2/10/68
The Vibe: Sultry, groovy
A Favorite of: Casper the Horny Ghost
Imagine Dragons, “Demons”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 6
Peak Date: 12/7/13
The Vibe: Fist-pumping, fist-bumping
A Favorite of: Frat Boy Beelzebub
INXS, “Devil Inside”
Hot 100 Peak: No 2
Peak Date: 4/16/88
The Vibe: Seductive, playful
A Favorite of: Indoor demons
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, “Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 4
Peak Date: 11/26/66
The Vibe: Raucous, devil-may-care
A Favorite of: Sartorial Satan
Janet Jackson, “Black Cat”
Hot 100 Peak: No 1
Peak Date: 10/27/90
The Vibe: Hard-rocking, ferocious
A Favorite of: Edgar Allan Poe; Salem from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake, “Dead and Gone”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 2
Peak Date: 2/28/09
The Vibe: World-weary, pessimistic
A Favorite of: The Invisible Man
Cher, “Dark Lady”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: 3/23/74
The Vibe: Eerie, sly
A Favorite of: Home-wrecking fortune tellers
Rockwell, “Somebody’s Watching Me”
Hot 100Peak: No. 2
Peak Date: 3/24/84
The Vibe: Paranoid, spooky
A Favorite of: Nepo babies
Bobby Brown, “On Our Own (From ‘Ghostbusters II’)”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 2
Peak Date: 8/5/89
The Vibe: Boisterous, fresh
A Favorite of: Vigo the Carpathian
Eminem feat. Rihanna, “The Monster”
Hot 100 Peak: No 1
Peak Date: 12/21/13
The Vibe: Harrowing, haunted
A Favorite of: Sulley and Mike
The Edgar Winter Group, “Frankenstein”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: 5/26/73
The Vibe: Head-banging, swaggery
A Favorite of: Frankensteins young and old
Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Psycho”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: 6/16/18
The Vibe: Vibey. Just vibey, man…
A Favorite of: Norman Bates
Ray Parker Jr., “Ghostbusters”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: 8/11/84
The Vibe: Party-starting, campy
A Favorite of: The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers, “Monster Mash”
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1
Peak Date: 10/20/1962
The Vibe: Goofy, endearing
A Favorite of: Monsters of easy virtue
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