It’s that time of year where we all get to proudly let our freak flag fly (people still say that, right). I, of course, am speaking of the Halloween season. This magical time of the year allows us to be whoever we want, legally. Well, maybe not legally, but spiritually for sure. And like any good time, music is an enormous part of the fun. So, here are the best, unGhostbusters-like songs for your Samhain celebration.

12. Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en? by NAHPI. Canada’s spoofy/spooky answer to, “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” Oh those cheeky Canadians, they managed to parody a serious AF classic Xmas song in a fun way that says, get over yourself and have a little fun why don’t ya, eh.

11. Are You Ready for Freddy by the Fat Boys – You mean there’s another Nightmare on Elm Street rap song? Why, yes, yes there is, and it’s actually sanctioned. You even get a ‘hook’ by the one and only Robert Englund. To quote Nas, “Fat Boys broke up, rap hasn’t been the same since.”

10. Haunted House by John Fogerty – I doubt John got sued for sounding too much like John Fogerty for this one, it’s way more country/blue grass than folk rock. Still, it’s a fun little ditty about overcoming one’s childhood fears to fully embrace the adult they’ve become while accepting their own mortality. Yeah, I made that up to sound smort.

9. Gather Up by Matthew Berry – If you are truly serious about your Halloween playlist, you must include a song by the multi-demonsional Laszlo Cravensworth. Seriously, this track sounds so authentic, it could’ve been produced in the backwoods of Salem during the 1600s.

8. Get Out of My House by Kate Bush – Who saw this whole Kate Bush-aissance coming? Kate knows one speed, and that’s haunting. Kinda like Lana Del Rey, but without celebrating toxic masculinity like it’s Christmas. And thanks to Stranger Things, she’s the flavor of the month, but here’s a more fitting song to drop in your Halloween playlist that will earn you some cred with hipsters.

7. Let’s Twist Again (Mummy Time Is Here) by John Zacherle – If you’re tired of The Monster Mash, then what the hell is wrong with you? That song is straight brilliance, and maybe you need to lock yourself in the closet with nothing to eat except the monster cereals until you come to your senses. Just kidding, this tune is a great contemporary alternative, or knock off, that captures the spirit of MM without the ubiquitousness.

6. Amityville (The House on The Hill) by Lovebug Starski – Like my Nana said, you can never go wrong with 80s rap. This tune is all over the place, and I am so here for it. It’s like Lovebug took a dozen ideas and mashed them all into one track. For example, you go from voice appearances by Dracula to Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, both Jewish. Sorry, wrong holiday tune.

5. Tales of Halloween by Jimmy Psycho – If your name is Jimmy Psycho, you’re predestined for like two career paths. Luckily for us, this JP chose the path of music. You can tell he grew up in the 70s/80s because the song references a lot of the activities we did as kids, you know, when kids did things IRW.

4. Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogeyman by Henry Hall – Is it just me, or do a lot of songs recorded before the 80s have a creepy vibe? Well, here’s one that probably started out on Kidz Bop volume one way back in 1932, but now is simply disturbing and unnerving, just like most old-ass tunes.

3. In The Room Where You Sleep by Dead Man’s Bones – Ryan Gosling (yes, that Ryan Gosling) and a buddy decided to make an entire Halloween friendly album, and this is the cream of the crop. I’m surprised it’s not a bigger deal, cause this song slaps… a clown in its stupid clownface.

2. Turn off the Light by Kim Petras – You had me at Elvira doing the spoken-word sequence a la Vincent Price, but not having to awkwardly say, “y’all”. You can’t go wrong with any Petras song from this album, but this one is a lethal cut above the rest.

1. Nature Trail to Hell by Weird Al Yankovic – Believe it or not, I’ve never seen nor heard this impeccable Halloween banger on any list. How has the world missed this apropos Friday the 13th send-up, that’s also catchy as hell. Sure, Alfred is the Elvis of comedy songs, but there’s also an undertone of dread in this one. Go ahead and download this right meow, you can thank me later.