The Top 10 Best Halloween Music Videos Of All Time

It’s Halloween season, which means we can expect to hear our favorite Halloween songs being played on the radio, at the mall, and just about everywhere else over the next few weeks. This list however isn’t ranking Halloween songs, it’s ranking their music videos.

So though you may argue there are more popular Halloween songs out there than appear on this list, the music videos for these songs proved to outshine the others when it came to visuals and overall Halloween themes.

The oldest music video that made the list comes from a British horror movie released in 1981 though the song was originally released in 1977. It is a cover of one of the most popular Halloween songs every recorded and its singer appears within the Top 10 twice by providing an iconic spoken-word monologue for a song released in 1982.

It’s safe to say that the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson made the list with his mini-movie music video for “Thriller” but actually appears on the list three times having a second Halloween-themed music video worthy of the Top 10 and by providing background vocals for our number 10 ranked video.

I’m happy to give an “Honorable Mention” to Bobby Brown for his 1988 release “On Our Own” which was featured on the “Ghostbusters 2” soundtrack. The song was a hit for Bobby however the music video fell short of capturing the same magic that Ray Parker Jr. achieved with his music video or the original “Ghostbusters“.

Half of the music videos that made the Top 10 were either inspired by or appeared in Halloween movies or spooky television shows.

The Addams Family launched as a television show in 1964 and has spawned a handful of feature length movies (The Addams Family in 1991 and Addams Family Values in 1993), animated movies (The Addams Family in 2019 and The Addams Family 2 in 2021), as well as the upcoming Netflix series “Wednesday” starring actress Jenna Ortega scheduled for release on November 23.

Keep scrolling to see if your favorite Halloween song’s music video made the list. Have a happy and safe Halloween.

• #10: Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell

  Michael Jackson and his brother Jermaine Jackson provided background vocals for this 1984 single from Rockwell which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• #9: Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.

  Another song from 1984 making the list is the title song from the movie “Ghostbusters” starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver.

• #8: The Crypt Jam - The Crypt Keeper

  Released in 1992, this cult classic comes from the puppet host “The Crypt Keeper” of the television series “Tales From The Crypt” which aired from 1989-1996.

• #7: The Monster Mash - Vincent Price

   

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  Vincent Price performs his 1977 cover of this 1962 Halloween classic in the 1981 British horror movie “The Monster Club“. Watch the video here.

• #6: Addams Groove - MC Hammer

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  Despite receiving the Golden Raspberry Award for the Worst Original Song in 1991, MC Hammer provided a fun and playful music video fitting of our Halloween list.

• #5: A Nightmare On My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

  Though it was intended to be included on the soundtrack, the movie producers declined to use the song forcing DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince to include a disclaimer that clarified “This song is not part of the soundtrack…and is not authorized, licensed, or affiliated with the “Nightmare On Elm Street” films.

• #4: Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo

  

  This party song was featured in the 1986 comedy “Back To School” starring comedian Rodney Dangerfield and has become a go-to favorite over Halloween. Watch the video here.

• #3: Ghosts - Michael Jackson

  Michael Jackson plays 5 characters in this 1996 short film co-written by Stephen King. Though its commercial release was a failure, the video for “Ghosts” falls just short of being considered for the #2 position.

• #2: I Put A Spell On You - Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy

  The original version of the song was released in 1956 by “Screamin'” Jay Hawkins  and has been covered by a number of artists over the years but none more popular than this version featured in the 1993 comedy “Hocus Pocus“.

• #1: Thriller (Full Length Version) - Michael Jackson

  The seventh song released from Michael‘s album of the same name, “Thriller” premiered on MTV in December of 1983. Jackson‘s transformation into a zombie and the classic dance routine make this the #1 Best Halloween Video Of All Time.