October is spooky season, so we asked our patrons and staff to share their dearest dreadful ditties, morbid melodies, otherworldly overtures, and verses of vampires, whether goofy or ghoulish.
We met online on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at noon to share these songs in our monthly music discussion group, Music Talk. The full Music Talk: Frightful Favorites playlist is now up on Spotify and you can follow Alachua County Library District's account for more playlists. Find many of the music CDs with these songs in our catalog.
Don't forget to mark your calendar for next month's Music Talk! We'll meet on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. on Zoom for Music Talk: Best of 2021. We want to know what are your favorite songs that came out this year. Send an email to librarian Cameron with the song title and artist along with a sentence or two about why you chose it. He'll add it to the Spotify playlist and have it queued up to play for the live program. If you don't have a particular song in mind, come to the program anyway to hear some great music and join the conversation!
Our frightful favorites:
"La Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saëns
“This is a great classical listen anytime, but especially around Halloween time. It doesn’t take a classical ear to hear the skeletons dancing till dawn in this one.” - Chris. C
“Fall Children” by AFI
“‘Fall Children’ gets played every October in my home. It’s one of the best songs to come out of early AFI, in my opinion. And it just feels like autumn. It’s great for getting into the mood for Halloween.” - Sean W.
“Frankenska” by the Toasters
“A toe-tapping instrumental ska song by one of the original ‘third wave’ ska bands, the Toasters. It might get every skanking at the Halloween party.” - Chris C.
“The Ghost on the Shore” by Lord Huron
“Literally ANYTHING by Lord Huron is ghostly, sometimes morbid, always haunting, and will leave you with a proper ache in your heart.” - Rachelle M.
“Goodbye Earl” by the Chicks
“While this song caused some controversy, I think of it as fantasy about getting rid of men who abuse women and not actually condoning Wanda and Mary Ann’s actions. The music video is funny and the tune makes you want to dance. Plus my best friend’s dad is named Earl. He is the sweetest man and he got a kick out of this song.” - Beth N.
“Halloween” by Blippi
“…an earworm for anyone with young kids.” - Chris C.
“Ironic” by Alanis Morissette
“The line about ‘the plane crashed down’ has always made me uneasy.” - Fiona L.
“A Little Piece of Heaven” by Avenged Sevenfold
“An epic, eight-minute ode to a failed relationship. It features strings and an orchestra instead of wailing guitars. It has a composition that sounds like a mixed up Broadway tune and Danny Elfman soundtrack. It has gruesome lyrics, evil sounds, and an animated music video that will make those with lesser sensibilities hurl. Seriously, don’t watch it.” - Marlin D.
“Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett
“I like it because it’s fun and appeals to the spooky side of life.” - Joanne T.
“A Nightmare on My Street” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
“This one is fun and dance-worthy, while still being a little creepy at times. Definitely a must-have for the Halloween party playlist.” - Sean W.
“One of These Days” by Pink Floyd
“This song has a sort of leisurely syncopated buildup to it but I had been lulled into a sense of safety and was drifting off to sleep when it hit the 3:30 mark and that low distorted voice came on, promising ‘one of these days I’m going to chop you into pieces’ then *bing* wide awake, hairs on the back of my neck standing up, suddenly feeling very cold.” - John J.
“Riboflavin-Flavored Non-Carbonated Polyunsaturated Blood” by 45 Grave
“This is a very atypical song for 45 Grave, but I love its silliness.” - Melissa J.
“Somebody Kill Me” by Adam Sandler
“Adam Sandler’s character in The Wedding Singer is so upset about being left at the altar, but he’s also angry. The juxtaposition of the sad and soft verses and the loud and livid lyrics are somehow funny. When I’m having an awful day, the end of the song runs through my head and it makes me laugh.” - Beth N.
“Super Heroes” by Charles Gray, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick on The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
“Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t Lovecraftian horror, but there’s something similar in how it gives the protagonists a glimpse of a world they had no idea existed, shattering core beliefs in the process. I doubt that Brad and Janet ended up gibbering like a Lovecraft protagonist.” - John J.
“Thriller” by Michael Jackson
“This song will always be one of my very favorites. The video was groundbreaking and totally awesome! I worked really hard to learn the zombie dance.” - Demaris H.
“Tyler” by the Toadies
“A nice upbeat song that, at first glance, seems like a hopeful love song, but turns out to be something far more sinister.” - Melissa J.
“Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon
“This is just a fun song especially when he howls. It’s so easy to sing along to.” - Demaris H.
Some other favorite beastly bops:
“Excitable Boy” by Warren Zevon, “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr., “Halloween” by AFI, “Jennifer’s Body” by Hole, “The Night we Met” by Lord Huron, “Possum Kingdom” by the Toadies, “Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors)” from Little Shop of Horrors Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush, “The Yawning Grave” by Lord Huron