The List

5 Underrated Rock Songs That Are Perfect for a Refined Halloween Playlist

Need some Halloween rock songs to welcome in the spookiest holiday of them all? These five underrated rock songs are perfect for any Halloween playlist. Even though most of these tracks come from famous bands, you may have never heard them before!

1. โ€œFresh Bloodโ€ by Eels

Mark Oliver Everett knows how to put together a haunting chorus. For โ€œFresh Bloodโ€, you wonโ€™t hear any iconic lyrics in the songโ€™s chorus. Rather, Everett simply โ€œwoosโ€ and howls, and the whole song has a very grim, dark, and grungey werewolf vibe to it. Youโ€™ve probably heard this song a few times on television; itโ€™s a popular one for soundtracks.

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2. โ€œGoo Goo Muckโ€ by The Cramps

This classic punk rock song is a Halloween banger, but itโ€™s only one of many incredible tracks from the famed psychobilly outfit. โ€œGoo Goo Muckโ€ is an anthem of sorts for the weird, the creepy, and the oddball types. You probably heard this song play in the recent Netflix series Wednesday.

3. โ€œPet Semataryโ€ by The Ramones

Out of all the Halloween rock songs on our list, this classic from The Ramones takes direct inspiration from horror icon Stephen Kingโ€™s novel of the same name. In fact, this horror punk classic was written for Kingโ€™s 1989 film adaptation of the novel. Despite being soundtrack fodder, โ€œPet Semataryโ€ became a radio hit for the band.

4. โ€œBoris The Spiderโ€ by The Who

This oneโ€™s a bit of a deep cut, but hardcore The Who fans have likely heard it before. โ€œBoris The Spiderโ€ is a spooky song, but we have to hand it to Roger Daltrey for contributing some pretty impressive acrobatic vocals to this tune. Itโ€™s playfully creepy and perfect for most Halloween playlists.

5. โ€œHalloweenโ€ by The Misfits

Another excellent horror punk addition to our list, โ€œHalloweenโ€ by The Misfits is a popular track from the iconic punk rock band. Obviously, what we define as โ€œscaryโ€ has changed quite a bit in the decades since this song came out. But back in the day, The Misfits were considered pretty scary to the more conservative listeners of the 1980s. โ€œCandy apples and razor blades! / Little dead are soon in graves!โ€ was a particularly controversial and scary lyric from โ€œHalloweenโ€ at the time.

Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns

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