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Halloween is a time for candy, costumes, and, of course, music that sets the perfect eerie atmosphere. Whether you’re throwing a party, going trick-or-treating, or just getting into the spirit of the season, the right soundtrack can elevate the experience.

Here’s a genre-spanning list of the 31 greatest Halloween songs that capture the essence of this haunting holiday – featuring legends like Michael Jackson, AC/DC, and Rihanna, plus and one-hit wonder artists like Bobby “Boris” Pickett. Plus, listen to Halloween countdowns, curated mixes, spooky podcasts, and more on the SiriusXM app.

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Best Halloween Songs, Ranked

31. “Hocus Pocus” by Focus

This energetic instrumental featuring yodeling is a fun, high-energy addition to any Halloween gathering. Its unique sound is sure to get everyone moving!

30. “In the Night” by The Weeknd

With its moody production and haunting lyrics,...

Public Enemy have revealed a new vinyl reissue of their 1988 sophomore LP, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, to honor the seminal album’s 35th anniversary as well as the year-long Hip-Hop 50 celebration.

The vinyl release, due November 10th, comes as either a 2xLP or 4xLP set. The larger package features bonus tracks from the deluxe CD including instrumental and a cappella mixes, a Public Enemy logo sticker, and a booklet with liner notes by founding members Chuck D and Flavor Flav as well as hip-hop legends and luminaries Q-Tip and Questlove.

In a statement, Chuck D put It Takes a Nation in a historical context, sharing, “Thanks to Run-dmc, LL Cool J and Whodini, we knew that hip-hop albums could explode on cassettes. At about the same time, [The Bomb Squad producer] Hank Shocklee was the manager of a record store, and he would point out how rock bands like Iron Maiden,...

Hip hop, despite initial resistance, has become a global phenomenon due to its authenticity and energy that was lacking in rock and roll. Rap has a diverse range of artists, from well-known names to local talents, making it a genre that appeals to every subset of the population. Movies played a significant role in bringing rap into the mainstream, with early showcases and later films solidifying the genre's presence in popular culture.

It’s hard to imagine now, but hip hop, as a musical discipline, was not always held in high regard, and could have flamed out like disco or punk, instead of slowly taking over the planet. Rap has always been about the gamble or hustle, equal parts self-promotion and acknowledging one’s roots, as much about ego as paying one’s dues. It’s as American as it gets, and despite all that, it managed to hook kids across the world,...

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Killer Mike is paying homage to the “bad ass black girl” that was his mother in his two new videos for “Don’t Let the Devil” and “Motherless.” The visuals arrive Thursday as he teases his upcoming self-titled album, Michael, out June 16.

The video for “Don’t Let the Devil” sees the rapper looking through a box of photos in what seems to be his mom’s old home in Atlanta. While searching through the box, he finds a joint that, once he lights it up,...

One of the biggest all-star lineups ever will celebrate the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees this weekend. The ceremony filmed October 30 in Cleveland, Ohio, and now airs this Saturday, November 20, on HBO and HBO Max.

The event clocking in at 3 hour and16 minutes honors Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner in the performer category. Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and Gil Scott-Heron were chosen for early influence induction. LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads were honored in the musical excellence category. Clarence Avant received the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

King had been previously inducted as a songwriter. Turner is now a solo artist inductee after going in with Ike Turner the first time around.

SEEThe Go-Go’s, Foo Fighters, Tina Turner, Jay-Z among 16 artists eligible for 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

While the order of inductions was different during filming, here...

John Fletcher, who was known by the stage name “Ecstasy” while performing with the early rap group Whodini, has died, according to the group’s Grand Master Dee and numerous friends. He was 56. The cause of death was not revealed.

“One love to Ecstasy of the legendary #Whodini,” wrote Roots drummer Questlove on social media. “This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop. This is sad man.”

Whodini were among the commercial pioneers of rap music as contemporaries of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Kurtis Blow. Their hit singles included “Friends,” “Freaks Come Out at Night,” “Magic’s Wand” and “The Haunted House of Rock.” The group earned one platinum (1 million units sold) and two gold albums.

Tributes poured in for Fletcher on social media.

“[In] 1987 I entered the Def Jam tour,” wrote Public Enemy’s Chuck D.

Update: The family and friends of John “Ecstasy” Fletcher have issued statements on his passing earlier today.

Jonnelle Fletcher, John Fletcher’s daughter, said, “The African and Native American ancestors have gathered around and chosen this day, during the Winter Solstice, Dec 23rd, 2020 to call upon a most endeared, generous, and sincere soul who graced The World’s heart through performance, hip-hop, family, children and grandchildren.

John “Ecstasy” Fletcher was a beloved man, the life partner to Deltonia and ex-husband to Carla, twin brother to Joseph,artist, friend, and lifetime performing partner to the Legendary Jalil of Whodini.

Whodini set a Hip Hop course of legendary status that we are all sure to pass on to our grandchildren.

Please send love and prayers to our family, and with open hearts we ask the ancestors to cover his soul in peace and tranquility. Play his music if it moves you, and...

John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, rapper and founding member of the pioneering hip-hop group Whodini, has died at the age of 56. The group’s Grand Master Dee confirmed Fletcher’s death to Variety. No cause of death was provided.

News of Fletcher’s death was first revealed by the Roots’ Questlove, with many others in the rap community also mourning the death of the Whodini rapper. “One Love to Ecstasy of the Legendary #Whodini,” Questlove wrote on social media. “This man was legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip hop.