10 Spooky Songs By Black Artists For Your Halloween Playlist

Halloween is coming up, which means celebrators will need some tunes before heading to their trick-or-treating activities. So here are 10 songs that you can add to your Halloween playlist to keep the spooky vibes going. 

1. I Put A Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

If you’ve been walking the Earth long enough, you’ve probably heard of the song I Put A Spell On You but you’ve more than likely heard a remade version of it rather than the original. So meet Jalacy “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins, a Cleveland, Ohio native known for his soulful bellowing sound. After serving some years in World War II, began to focus on his passions for music. Hawkins started to work with artists Tiny Grimes and Fats Domino but his career really blossomed when he released the 1956 single I Put A Spell On You. His first recording of the song was not well received. But according to All About Jazz, he and his band had gotten drunk before re-recording it and Hawkins inserts a new howling and eerie sound to it while keeping his heavy blues influence. The song blew up and has continued to have a lasting influence in the music industry. In 2004, the song made Rollingstone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Artists like Nina Simone, Marilyn Manson covered it and late 90s babies are probably familiar with Bette Midler’s version of it on Disney’s Hocus Pocus film.