[2026] Perfect for Halloween Parties! A Collection of BGM for Halloween and Horror Movies

OpeningMarco Beltrami

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Soundtrack Track 1 “Opening” Marco Beltrami

It’s a piece that leaves a strong impression with an eerie melody that quietly sends chills down your spine, signaling the beginning of a story.

Featured at the start of the 2019 horror film “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” it perfectly foreshadows the terror to come! The composer is Marco Beltrami, known for the Scream series and a two-time Academy Award nominee.

The restrained, slowly intensifying sound design that stirs unease is simply masterful.

Even though it’s instrumental, you can almost feel the sorrow and loneliness of the girl who holds the key to the story.

If you want to create a haunted-house-like atmosphere or use it as intro BGM for a ghost story, it might make your party even more exciting!

Pumpkinhead (End Credits)Richard Stone

Pumpkinhead (1988) – End Titles

If you want to create a slightly more mature, melancholy Halloween atmosphere, I recommend the end credits track from the 1988 horror film Pumpkinhead.

The composer is Richard Stone, known for winning multiple Emmys for his animation scores, including Animaniacs.

This piece features a haunting minor-key melody that seems to mirror the protagonist’s turmoil of vengeance and regret.

The earthy tones of harmonica and guitar blend exquisitely with the cold, chilling presence of synthesizers, producing an elegiac mood that lingers with the story’s aftertaste.

In 2019, the album Pumpkinhead was released in a limited run of 666 copies.

It’s a track that lets you savor a subdued, eerie tale—quite different from a boisterous party vibe.

House of 1000 CorpsesRob Zombie

House Of 1000 Corpses (From “House Of 1000 Corpses” Soundtrack)

It’s a track that lets you taste an intense fear, as if you’d wandered into a carnival straight from hell! The industrial low-end and distorted melodies intertwine, dragging the listener instantly into a dark world.

The sound conjures the image of a murderous family’s deranged revel, as presumably depicted in the lyrics, and will push Halloween vibes to the absolute limit.

This piece is included on the album The Sinister Urge, released in November 2001, and was later used as the opening theme for the horror film of the same name, directed by Rob Zombie himself.

It’s perfect for a party that aims for genuine terror rather than cute Halloween fun.

If your crowd is into metal and horror movies, this could be the ultimate pick.

Addams GrooveMC Hammer

Mc Hammer – Addams Groove (1991)

This track is known as the theme song for The Addams Family, making it perfect for the Halloween season.

Released by MC Hammer in 1991, it was issued as the second single from the album Too Legit to Quit.

It became a hit in the United States, reaching the Top 10 and earning a Gold certification.

With catchy rap, it highlights the charm of the Addams Family’s colorful characters and brilliantly captures the film’s eerie yet humorous vibe.

Just listening to it brings the movie’s atmosphere right back.

It’s not only ideal as background music for a Halloween party, but also perfect for getting you pumped before heading out in costume.

I Put A Spell On YouBette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy

“I Put A Spell On You” By Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy | Hocus Pocus

This is a song created by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in 1956.

It was originally conceived as a ballad, but under the producer’s direction it ended up being recorded in this spellbinding, Halloween-ready version.

Ironically, that’s what made it a hit and made him famous.

In the 1993 Disney film “Hocus Pocus,” Bette Midler performs the song.

More recently, Nina Simone’s version was used in a Louis Vuitton commercial.

Be sure to compare it with the original.

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Main TitlesDanny Elfman

Main Titles (From “Beetlejuice” Soundtrack)

The songs that color the soundtrack of the quintessential Halloween film Beetlejuice express a dark fantasy world through music.

Danny Elfman’s melodies, where eeriness and playfulness coexist, brilliantly capture the afterlife and its bizarre characters.

Released in 1988, the film is a comedy-horror directed by Tim Burton and marked his first collaboration with Elfman.

Its unique atmosphere—woven from sprightly rhythms and dissonance—makes it perfect as background music for Halloween parties.

It’s recommended for those who want to immerse themselves in the film’s world or are looking for unique music.

The Carnival of the Animals: AquariumCamille Saint-Saëns

Saint-Saëns – Aquarium

The suite The Carnival of the Animals by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns is known for its humorous depiction of a festival of animals.

One of its pieces adds a mysterious shimmer to Halloween night.

Rippling, wave-like piano arpeggios are overlaid with the glass harmonica’s transparent timbre, creating a fantastical, slightly eerie atmosphere—as if you’ve wandered into an otherworldly realm underwater.

There’s also a mysterious anecdote: at the composer’s request, the work was scarcely made public during his lifetime and was first performed publicly only in February 1922.

It has been praised as music that beautifully enhances visuals, even being used before official screenings at the Cannes Film Festival.

It’s the perfect piece when you want to stage a quiet, beautiful Halloween that still sends a little shiver down the spine.