Ten Iconic Halloween-Related Performances

Spooky season is upon us, and that means it’s time to take in all of our favorite Halloween-related content! What’s your go-to October media? Are you watching classic slasher films like Friday the 13th and Scream? Or, do you prefer something a little more light-hearted like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?

Naturally, since music is such a big part of my life, I tend to gravitate toward anything that has a melody. And, gosh, there are a lot of incredible pieces of music and performances that immediately put me into the spirit. With that said, I decided to compile some of my favorites. Here are ten instances of iconic Halloween-related performances!

What’s your favorite Halloween-related performance? Let me know in a comment!

---

“I Still Believe”
The Lost Boys (1987)

When I was younger, I was very much into Peter Pan. So, when I stumbled across an unmarked VHS tape that was labeled The Lost Boys, I had to check it out! An adventure all about those kids who ended up in Neverland! How did they get there? Who were they before they arrived? What are they doing now?

Well, needless to say, I did not get the Peter Pan content that I was searching for. Instead, I was infinitely traumatized by teenage vampires who were into eating maggots. I still haven’t recovered. However, this movie did bless us with the “I Still Believe” scene featuring Tim Capello giving it his all while blasting away on the saxophone.

“Double Trouble”
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Something wicked this way comes! John Williams pulled lines directly from another famous William, specifically Macbeth by William Shakespeare, to create this magical choral performance from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I’m just happy that a school as mysterious as Hogwarts still has time for a glee club! Expecto breathsupportum!

“Feed My Frankenstein”
Alice Cooper (1991)

Okay, so it’s not really Halloween but Alice Cooper’s “Feed My Frankenstein” is completely on brand. Little did I know that it was actually a cover of a song written by a British band named Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction (never heard of them!). Of course, I always think of the scene in Wayne’s World where Alice begins this song in front of a giant skeleton prop. It doesn’t get much more Halloween than that!

“Heffalumps and Woozles”
Winnie the Pooh (1968)

Another traumatizing moment from childhood is this bizarre acid trip from Winnie the Pooh. Did this really need to be a thing? Who was the audience here? The scariest part to me was all the different types of voices who chant out the opening lines – an effect that becomes even more jarring when they repeat “A Heffalump or Woozle’s very sly, sly, sly sly!” That last “sly” chilled me to the bone, a horrible croaking voice from the depths of the underworld!!

“Monster Mash”
Groovie Goolies (1962)

It was a graveyard smash, indeed! It’s hard to have a Halloween list about music without including the classic Monster Mash. In all my childhood tv-viewing, I was fortunate that this music video was a staple of cable nearly every October. That catchy beat along with smooth harmonies, I’m pretty sure this was one that got me dancing in my living room.

“This Is Halloween”
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

We all know that The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t really a Halloween movie, but it certainly starts that way. All the ghouls and ghosts of Halloween Town come out of the shadows to perform this incredible piece of music by Danny Elfman. The scariest part for me was when the shadow on the moon appeared to proclaim he was “filling [my] dreams to the brim with fright.” Great. Now I can’t look at the moon anymore.

“Mamushka”
The Addams Family (1991)

In a cruel plot to try to steal all the riches of the Addams family, the imposter Gordon, along with his conniving mother, poses as Fester Addams to infiltrate the macabre mob and sneak his way into the vault. However, over time, this character grows to adore the family, and he finds himself dancing the dance of brotherly love with his brother, Gomez. It eventually becomes revealed that he was in fact the real Fester the entire time (with a horrible case of amnesia). I guess some people do get out of the Bermuda Triangle after all.

“I Put A Spell On You”
Hocus Pocus (1993)

I know Max was trying to warn the patrons of this party about the eminent danger amongst them, but I cringe pretty hard every time he interrupts the cool skeleton band in order to issue his warning. At least let them finish their song first! In any case, Bette Midler’s rendition of “I Put a Spell on You” is easily one of the best moments from this iconic 1993 movie. It’s made all the better by the backup dancing and singing from her sisters, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker. “Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out!”

“Day-O (Banana Boat Song)”
Beetlejuice (1988)

After a tragic automobile accident results in the deaths of Adam and Barbara Maitland, a new family moves into their old home. The only problem is that Adam and Barbara still live there… as ghosts! So, now they’re trying to reclaim their home by haunting the new tenants. A touch of possession, a splash of music, and a dash of demonic hands that grab the faces of your dinner guests, smashing their heads into the table. How did that not work???

“Halloween Song”
The Worst Witch (1986)

Ironically, I’ve never seen The Worst Witch, but this video shows up constantly on my social media feeds, and it is absolute 1980’s Tim Curry perfection. Can he be topped? I might even like this better than Rocky Horror! Will someone watch it with me? The movie itself is just a little over an hour, and it was part a Halloween Special in 1986. The plot is as follows:

Mildred is one of the young girls at a prestigious witch academy. She can’t seem to do anything right and is picked on by classmates and teachers. The headmistress of the school, Agatha, has an evil twin sister who plans to destroy the school. Can Mildred foil the plan before the Grand Wizard (Tim Curry) comes to the Academy for the Halloween celebration you’ll never forget?!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUkVcd7SbTw

I’m totally intrigued!

---

Thanks for stopping by to read my article! Can you think of other iconic music performances from the Halloween season? Drop me a comment and let me know! Also, if you’re enjoying my content, consider following my blog or subscribing via e-mail to have posts delivered directly to your inbox!

If you *really* want to support me, share one of your favorite articles with a friend who you know would love it. Or, you can go above and beyond by “buying me a coffee” or two or ten at the following link:

Visit my LinkTree to see more of my stuff!