The 'List: Halloween Musicthon

Hello, one and all, and.... boo!

So, my buddy Calvin "Oates" Cherry and I have been dealing with work and some personal issues, which is why our 'lists have been a little slow to come lately. November will be the ideal month to resume our fun music lists with an array of artists and various musical genres we are officially cooking up for you.

For now, here are 20 hits that my buddy and I have concocted that always go great with any costume party, or just to get you in the overall mood. They range from massive pop/novelty hits to just some overall chilling mood music. Here they are from 20 to 1 in no particular, random order...

Cherry Picks:

For those of us of Spanish-speaking descent, I brought up this superstar's nu-disco hit from the last decade. It's "She-Wolf," and was a massive hit in the U.S. market, but luckily, the only version worth hearing, in my opinion, is the Spanish version. Either or, is up to you.

The one rap/hip-hip smash that's ideal for the season. The Detroit rapper phenom and the Barbadian R&B princess had their biggest smash together with this collaboration.

What's a Halloween party without its musical counterpart: Heavy metal? This U.K. one-time Black Sabbath lead singer channels his inner lycanthrope in this headbanging classic!

A perennial rock/goth hit by this NY state band that went top-20 in early 1976. The song compares a hot one-night-stand to that of the sandman who represents death.

Interesting to note that this was a song recorded by Fleetwood Mac back in 1968, but Carlos Santana and his psychedelic-Latin-flavored cover would be one of their signature hits.

This rock/new wave hit may have been mostly forgotten by the masses, but this L.A. born-raised rock queen who gave us "Bette Davis Eyes" gave us a classic examination of one basic human emotion: fear.

This rock/country classic with the Faustian theme was a top-3 smash in the last leg of the disco era. A favorite in any Halloween party, especially for any one brandishing a fiddle.

Her third number one solo smash, a kooky story song about a woman who checks with a fortune teller to find out if her man is cheating on her, only to learn that the teller is the 'other' woman. It ends.... really bad for her, the teller!

Hard rock/country hit about a witchy woman (pretty self-explanatory) that captures her men with her wily, dark ways. A popular theme amongst many hit-makers in the 1970s.

It was never released as a single, but this Worcester, MA band who gave us "Centerfold" gave us a memorable theme to a popular 1985 vampire horror/comedy flick.

An album cut from this Irish-multi-instrumentalist-producer-arranger off her The Celts that adds plenty of dark mood. The song has been sampled by many R&B/hip-hop artists, but works as well by itself.

Another movie theme that is pure rock/goth and adds kick to any Halloween party. Little is known about the artist except he's from the U.K. and a prolific musician/songwriter. The child's choir adds the hook, but much has been debated about the song's content—which may be about incest.

Bouncy new wave hit cover of the Strangeloves' 1965 hit about... what else? What every kid wants on Halloween! The band was from the U.K. and was their only known hit here in the states.

The immortal instrumental movie theme delineating the movie and its holiday. The ONLY movie theme worth mentioning and playing!

Classic shock/novelty hit that was originally a romantic ballad, until a little bit of alcohol and voodoo was added and it became a 'screamer' of a recording. This Cleveland, OH native paved the way for shock-rock artists like Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne.

Taking a page from Michael Jackson, this Arkansas native gave us a sleek R&B/dance hit with a video that mixed a little bit of sci-fi and kung-fu movie sensibilities.

The two Philly rappers, one named Will Smith, who would cross-over into bigger and better things, made their love of the 1984 Wes Craven horror movie with monster Freddy Krueger quite well known.

The theme to this 1984 horror/comedy smash is already a staple in many parties. Why stop now?

This MA native created one of the most memorable novelty smashes that any Halloween masquerade party would NOT be without. The song was actually a parody song about popular 50s and 60s dance crazes.

The Gary, IN late-pop superstar branded our consciousness with this disco/R&B/new wave ode to horror movies ending with some serious nookie afterwards. The ultimate staple of the season and the holiday. Horror movie star Vincent Price adds the cherry with his demonic-laugh-laden 'rap'. Thank you, wherever you are! But... we're not done yet!

Honorable Mentions:

Gleefully goofy pop/disco/new wave hit about paranoia. The artist is actually Kennedy Gordy, son of Motown Records mogul Berry Gordy. Michael Jackson and brother Jermaine add the backup vocals.

The popular midnight show staple has its one major signature song and dance. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon starred—with then-unknown Tim Curry as the iconic Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

This U.K. musician's opus lasts for more than 25 minutes, but the early four-minute cut is now synonymous with one famous horror movie classic, The Exorcist from 1973. And, finally...

This jaunty rock gem may have been used as a sort of 'werewolf' song, but it actually has its roots in the Bible: the Book of Revelation. Odd fact, but true.

Happy Halloween, one and all!