Four rock tracks define the Halloween music tradition
New releases and recent film adaptations have kept these classic songs in the public eye, cementing their status as holiday staples.
By Justin Brooks ·
Blue Oyster Cult guitarist Donald Roeser recently addressed the enduring popularity of his 1976 composition, (Don't Fear) The Reaper. The track gained lasting cultural recognition after its inclusion in the 1978 slasher film Halloween. The song appears during a scene where characters Jamie Lee Curtis and Nancy Kyes drive to a babysitting job while Michael Myers follows them. Roeser maintains that the lyrics convey a positive message about overcoming the fear of death. He rejects the common interpretation that the song is meant to be frightening. The association with the 1978 movie boosted the song's chart performance two years after it initially reached the Top 15. Director David Gordon Green used the track again in the end credits of the 2022 film Halloween Ends.
Jumpin' Gene Simmons popularized Haunted House in 1964, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was originally written by Bob Geddins and first released by Johnny Fuller in 1958. Domingo Samudio also recorded a version before Simmons released his hit. Simmons, who died in August 2006, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He toured as an opening act for Elvis Presley and sang for the Bill Black combo. Simmons also co-wrote the 1994 country hit Indian Outlaw for Tim McGraw. Other artists who recorded Haunted House include Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Stevens, Ace Cannon, and Roy Buchanan. Bruce Springsteen performed the song once on Halloween night in 1980 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. He emerged from a coffin at the center of the stage before beginning the performance.
Bobby Pickett topped the Billboard charts with Monster Mash in the week before Halloween in 1962. Pickett, a singer, songwriter, and comedian from Massachusetts, wrote the song with bandmate Lenny Capizzi. They recorded the track in May 1962 with local musicians known as the Crypt-Kicker Five. The song was released in August on producer Gary Paxton's Garpax label. Pickett claimed he got the idea after leaning into a Boris Karloff-style monologue during a performance with his band, the Cordials. The track inspired various myths, including denied accounts that the Ventures drummer Mel Taylor and Darlene Love performed on it. The BBC banned the song early on for being too morbid. Pickett died of leukemia in April 2007. As of 2023, Billboard reported the song still generated one million dollars in royalties annually.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins released I Put a Spell on You in 1956 on Okeh Records. Hawkins co-wrote the song with Herb Slotkin. Although intended as a love ballad, Hawkins added blood-curdling screams to the delivery, shifting its tone. His first wife, Anna Mae Vernon, claimed she wrote the song but allowed Hawkins to take credit. Hawkins released a 1955 version that did not chart, followed by the successful 1956 rendition. The B-side of that single was Little Demon. Nina Simone achieved greater commercial success with the song as the title track of her 1965 album. Alan Price of the Animals recorded it in 1966 with his group, the Alan Price Set. Creedence Clearwater Revival included the song on its self-titled debut album in 1968. Annie Lennon of Eurythmics had a Hot 100 hit with her version in 2014. Other artists who recorded the track include the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Bryan Ferry. Jeff Beck's 2010 rendition, sung by Joss Stone on the album Emotion & Commotion, received a Grammy nomination.
Source: WBLM
