A new canon of Halloween music
Summary
Host Robin Hilton, NPR Music Editor Hazel Sills, and correspondent Stephen Thompson debate the definitive Halloween music canon, moving beyond novelty tracks to find songs with genuine dread. They discuss terrifying picks like Phoebe Bridgers’ "Killer" and Sufjan Stevens’ "John Wayne Gacy Jr.," alongside nostalgic favorites such as the "Goosebumps" theme and Alice Cooper’s "Welcome to My Nightmare." The trio also highlights new additions like Florence + The Machine’s "Everybody Scream" and Ethel Kane’s "House of Psychotic Women," while establishing a Mount Rushmore of essential spooky class…
Topics discussed
Intro: Spooky season banter and host introductions
Defining the Halloween music canon and categories
Truly terrifying: Phoebe Bridgers' 'Killer'
Truly terrifying: Fever Ray's 'If I Had a Heart'
Discussion on commercialization of Halloween music
Truly terrifying: Sufjan Stevens' 'John Wayne Gacy Jr.'
Nostalgia: The Goosebumps TV theme song
Nostalgia: Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House
Nostalgia: Alice Cooper's 'Welcome to My Nightmare'
New songs: Oksana Linda's 'Horace'
New songs: Florence + The Machine's 'Everybody Scream'
New songs: Ethel Cain's 'House of Psychotic Women'
Seasonal: Girl in Red's 'We Fell in Love in October'
Seasonal: Mimicking Birds' 'Bloodlines'
Seasonal: Van Morrison's 'Moon Dance'
Mount Rushmore: The Cramps' 'I Was a Teenage Werewolf'
Mount Rushmore: Dead Man's Bones' 'My Body's a Zombie for You'
Mount Rushmore: Vince Guaraldi's 'The Great Pumpkin Waltz'
Outro and NPR podcast promotions
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