From “Thriller” to “Monster Mash”: Vote — Which Iconic Halloween Hit Is Your Favorite?

Across generations, spooky songs have periodically crept onto the Billboard Hot 100, proving that macabre subject matter can be as chart-friendly as any love ballad. From classic Halloween staples to modern pop hits, tracks about monsters, witches, ghosts and other uncanny subjects have climbed the rankings at various points in pop music history.

Each autumn, familiar favorites resurface — think Michael Jackson’s legendary “Thriller” or Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers’ novelty smash “Monster Mash” — but the appetite for eerie anthems isn’t limited to October. Contemporary stars such as Rihanna, Olivia Rodrigo and Justin Bieber have also scored spooky-themed hits, demonstrating that chilling hooks and mainstream success often go hand in hand.

To celebrate that tradition, Billboard compiled a list of the 25 most successful Halloween-themed songs based on Hot 100 performance. The selection focuses on titles that directly reference spooky motifs (for example: “witch,” “monster,” “devil,” “spooky”) and ranks entries with a points system that emphasizes weeks spent at higher chart positions — with weeks at No. 1 earning the most weight and lower slots receiving proportionally fewer points.

The resulting list spans eras and genres: from rock and pop to novelty records and everything in between, featuring icons from the King of Pop to legacy rock acts and contemporary hitmakers. Now we want to know which creepy classic—or modern fright-fodder—you reach for when the mood calls for chills, thrills, or a little theatrical terror.

Cast your vote in the poll below and tell us which eerie earworm is your favorite. Warning: some of these tracks may induce involuntary dancing, sudden costume cravings, or a strong desire to dim the lights.

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