Take These Music For Your Halloween Party!!!

Make your Halloween-party mix tapes with perennial classics, rock staples and offbeat gems. Download ‘em (iTunes has the overwhelming majority for individual sale), load up your player of choice, hit shuffle … and let the spooking begin.

“Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” Bauhaus: A grimly fiendish epic about the most famous portrayer of Transylvania’s blood-lusting count. Play it loud. (”Crackle,” 1998)

“Disturbia,” Rihanna: This dark ‘n’ bumpin’ track has fast become a party essential. (”Good Girl Gone Bad,” 2007)

“Dead Man’s Party,” Oingo Boingo: “It’s a dead man’s party, who could ask for more? Everybody’s comin’, leave your body at the door.” (”Dead Man’s Party,” 1985)

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” Blue Oyster Cult: Might have lost a little of its spookiness when Christopher Walken demanded “more cowbell” from Will Ferrell in a classic “SNL” sketch.(”Agents of Fortune,” 1976)

“I Put a Spell on You,” Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: Hawkins gives you the willies while cracking you up. (”Cow Fingers & Mosquito Pie,” 1991)

“Dragula,” Rob Zombie: Zombie’s solo stuff as well as White Zombie songs, from “Living Dead Girl” to “I’m Your Boogieman” are all Halloween-appropriate. (”Hellbilly Deluxe,” 1998)

“The Killing Moon,” Echo and the Bunnymen: It’s a gorgeous gothic-romantic masterpiece. (”Ocean Rain,” 1984)

“People Are Strange,” the Doors: To add sheer terror, place Morrison’s howl of poetry reading “Horse Latitudes” just before it. (”Strange Days,” 1968)

“Thriller,” Michael Jackson: Short of “Monster Mash” it is just about the most recognizable Halloween song. (”Thriller,” 1982)

“Psycho Killer,” Talking Heads: It still retains its stark power and an ability to unnerve. (”Talking Heads 77,” 1977)

“Superstition,” Stevie Wonder: Stevie weaves in so many superstitions into a short space of words. (”Talking Book,” 1972)

“Halloween Theme,” John Carpenter: Use with the themes from “Psycho,” “The Exorcist” and Jaws. (”Halloween: Original Soundtrack,” 1978)

“The Time Warp,” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”: Add lyric-parodying gags as you see fit. (”The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 25 Years of Absolute Pleasure,” 2000)

“Werewolves of London,” Warren Zevon: Picturesque nuttiness that never gets old at Halloween. “Excitable Boy,” 1978)

“Welcome to My Nightmare,” Alice Cooper: You can’t avoid it. (”Welcome to My Nightmare,” 1975)

“Bad Moon Rising,” Creedence Clearwater Revival: Behind its chipper exterior, the foreboding runs deep. (”Green River,” 1969)

“Bark at the Moon,” Ozzy Osbourne: Everything about this charging rocker screams Halloween. (”Bark at the Moon,” 1983)

“Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” Santana: How can it be denied? (”Abraxas,” 1970)

“Helter Skelter,” the Beatles: For further chills, add in Siouxsie and the Banshees’ version. (”The Beatles,” 1968)

“Hells Bells,” AC/DC: “Highway to Hell” fits, too. (”Back in Black,” 1980)

“Lucifer Sam,” Pink Floyd: The descending-into-darkness riff will prick up ears. (”The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” 1967)

“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps),” David Bowie: With party tunes, sometimes it’s better to be obvious. (”Scary Monsters,” 1980)

“Frankenstein,” the Edgar Winter Group: See above. (”They Only Come Out at Night,” 1972)

“Strange Brew,” Cream: Haunted rocker centered on another witchy woman. ( “Disraeli Gears,” 1967)

“Sympathy for the Devil,” the Rolling Stones: Other Beelzebub tunes: Van Halen’s “Runnin’ with the Devil,” INXS’ “Devil Inside,” the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” the B-52’s “Devil in My Car” and Mitch Ryder’s “Devil in a Blue Dress.” (”Beggars Banquet,” 1968)

“Burn the Witch,” Queens of the Stone Age: Dread-filled … yet sexy! (”Lullabies to Paralyze,” 2005)

“Zombie,” the Cranberries: Just for the eerie shouting. (”No Need to Argue,” 1994)

“Candlelight Song,” Violent Femmes: Creeeeeepy. “The Blind Leading the Naked,” 1986)

“Die, Die My Darling,” Misfits: These dudes were destined to play Halloween parties and drink blood on stage. (”Misfits,” 1991)

“Cemetery Polka,” Tom Waits: A litany of dead relatives in two minutes. (”Rain Dogs,” 1985)

“Spellbound,” Siouxsie and the Banshees: A true thriller. (”Juju,” 1981)

“I Am Stretched on Your Grave,” Sinead O’Connor: Poe would approve. (”I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” 1990)

“Haunted When the Minutes Drag,” Love and Rockets: That about covers it. (”Seventh Dream of a Teenage Heaven,” 1985)

“Pet Sematary,” Ramones: Essential to any Halloween punk mix. (”Brain Drain,” 1989)

“This Is Halloween,” Marilyn Manson: Everything Manson touches is creepy. (”Nightmare Revisited,” 2008)