With Halloween right around the corner, a mission to create a playlist that sends shivers down your spine and immerses you in the haunted spirit came to fruition. Compiling a fitting arrangement of songs that can accompany Halloween decorations during Halloween events, such as scavenger hunts or virtual events, is a daunting task. October is always the spookiest time of the year, and why not have music to go with it? Here is a playlist with some of the spookiest songs out there.

“Where the Watermelons Rot” by Madelynne Whitt

This masterfully creepy song has a droning bass, eerie whistling and whispers, as well as an assortment of sound effects that will shake you to your core. Lyrics of an unknown place “by the bay” are frightening alone, but the instrumentals do not let up either.

“Daughter” by Daughters

This song can be perfectly described with one word: disturbing. The main guitar riff is the only melodic part of the song, with the lead singer Alexis Marshall yelling about the “same dead hand knocking at the door.” Dissonant guitars and steady synths add to the hair-raising disorder that will make sleeping difficult.

“How to Disappear Completely” by Radiohead

Radiohead has a lot of chilling material, but nothing gets under your skin quite like “How To Disappear Completely.” Thom Yorke’s voice is always reliably polarizing, but the strings never fail to be harrowing when they take center stage. Its lack of variety in tone and melody also makes it an essential spooky pick.

“bury a friend” by Billie Eilish

The popular star Billie Eilish uses different scary sounds throughout “bury a friend” in addition to using her voice to create different pitches and sound effects. The lack of a clear melodic instrument also adds to the haunting atmosphere. The scariest part comes in the last third of the song when this indescribable sound enters and overtakes the ears to make your blood curdle.

“Something In The Way” by Nirvana

The classic grunge band Nirvana never shied away from dark material, but this takes the cake. The melody feels like an expression of constant, complete darkness and lyrics of “I’m living off of grass / and the drippings from the ceilings” only boost this element. It is not particularly scary, but shows Nirvana knows how to creep out listeners.

Check out the full playlist here!