Thriller Night: 40 killer songs for your Halloween playlist

Halloween: a time for regrettable costume decisions, novelty props, worm-shaped treats, and, of course, rockin' Halloween tunes. Halloween music is ephemeral: its brief October life-span means it was made to blast real loud for a few weeks each year and get everyone in the spooky zone. 

So, whether you’re hosting a haunted house party or handing out candy, North Main Music has put together a playlist that is sure to get you in the Halloween spirit. We picked out some great kid-friendly classics, plus tunes for the grown ups to enjoy from David Bowie to She & Him, Rihanna, the Gorillaz, and more. 

Whatever your plans this Halloween, add these chilling tunes to your creepy All Hallow's Eve playlist!

1. Time Warp - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

2. This is Halloween - Marilyn Manson

3. Love Potion No. 9 - The Searchers

4. Howlin' for You - The Black Keys

5. Boogieman - Childish Gambino

7. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon

8. The Monster Hop - Bert Convy

9. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden

10. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads

11. My Beloved Monster - Eels

12. A Nightmare on my Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

13. Pet Sematary - Ramones

14. Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees

15. The Addams Family TV Theme

16. Bat Dance - Prince

17. Halloween - Dead Kennedys

18. I put a spell on you - She and Him

19. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

20. Dracula's Wedding - Outkast featuring Kelis

21. I want candy - Bow Wow Wow

22. Burn the Witch - Queens of the Stone Age

23. Disturbia - Rihanna

24. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - David Bowie

25. Heads will roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

26. Somebody's watching me - Rockwell

27. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett

28. Hunting for Witches - Bloc Party

29. Thriller - Michael Jackson

30. Invisible - Ok Go

31. I was a teenage werewolf - The Cramps

32. Dracula - Gorillaz

33. The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley

34. Season of the Witch - Donovan

35. Bark at the moon - Ozzy Osbourne

36. Zombie - The Cranberries

37. Ghost Town -The Specials

38. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr. 

39. Black Magic Woman - Santana

40. Halloween -  The Misfits

Got a favorite Halloween song that's not on this play list? Let us know in the comments below!

This article was inspired by/adapted from these articles on takelessons.com, nme.com, and freepeople.com.

The 5 Easiest Instruments for Adult Learners

Are you an adult interested in learning how to play a musical instrument, but nervous about getting started? We've compiled a list of some of the easiest instruments for adult learners that we teach at North Main Music.

It’s a commonly held misconception that learning to play a musical instrument as an adult very difficult, if not impossible. The myth that one must pursue music lessons early in life in order to master the craft has kept many capable adults from exploring their musical potential.

As the saying goes, it’s never too late to learn! In fact, there can be some advantages to learning music as an adult. Adults are much more independent and self-motivated than kids who may be pushed by their parents to take music lessons. With the right help, guidance, and motivation, any adult can excel at playing a musical instrument.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are five of the easiest instruments for adults to learn.


1. Ukulele
Inexpensive to buy, highly portable, and super fun to play, the ukulele is one of the easiest instruments to learn. With just four nylon strings (instead of the guitar’s six), you can quickly pick up simple chords and play some of your favorite songs within a few weeks. When you learn ukulele, you also gain many fundamental skills that will make it easier to graduate from the ukulele to the guitar, should you decide you want to explore a new instrument in the future.


2. Voice

Everyone can sing something. Most adults usually have some level of vocal skill coming in to lessons and tend to underrate their own ability. One of the best things about having your own voice be your "instrument" is that your instrument is always with you and you can practice it anywhere--while driving, in the shower, walking your dog, etc. 





3. Piano

Beginner pianos or keyboard are inexpensive, but to some, the piano may seem complicated — after all, you need to learn to coordinate both hands at once — but it’s actually one of the easiest instruments for adult learners. Because the notes are all laid out in front of you, it’s easier to understand than many other instruments and good for your mind because you are reading music from day one of your lessons. Plus, though you may play wrong notes sometimes, you can’t ever play out of tune the way you can with other instruments. Moreover, due to its popularity, you’ll have no shortage of useful learning materials when you choose piano as your instrument! 



4. Guitar
There are some great advantages to learning the guitar as an adult. First, the guitar takes some hand strength to play, so it is not a suitable instrument for most small children to learn. Second, many adults have had some prior experience with guitar lessons as older kids or teens, and therefore guitar lessons, in some ways, can be liking "riding a bike" and feel like you are picking up where you left off all those years ago.


5. Drums
For sure, learning to play the whole drum kit is difficult. It's also not a requirement for taking drum lessons. You can start your lesson with just the snare drum and add additional pieces as you become more comfortable and confident in your playing. 


Learning how to play a musical instrument as an adult is not as intimidating as it may sound. While the options listed above may be some of the easiest instruments to learn, there’s no need to limit yourself! You are always welcome to take a 30-minute introductory lesson in any instrument that may interest you to get a feel for it.

Whatever instrument you pick, excelling at music will eventually feel easy and natural, just as long as you’re genuinely engaged in your lessons, practice regularly, and have a dedicated teacher who will nurture your inner musicality along the way. Check out the talented and caring instructors at North Main Music and start becoming the musician you’ve always dreamed of being!



This article was inspired by/adapted from this article on takelessons.com


Photo credit: Doug Guarino