5 Halloween oldies that aren't "The Monster Mash"

I grew up listening to oldies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, so when Halloween rolled around, I knew there were certain songs that would get heavy rotation. The most obvious of these was the Monster Mash. Here are 5 more that are just as much in the spirit of spookiness but with a (mostly) better music:

1. Love Potion Number 9 by the Searchers: This tale of a guy who goes to a gypsy woman to help him get the ladies but who ends up "kissing everything in sight" including a cop after quaffing the spooky brew is almost as cheesy as "The Monster Mash," but it has always been one of my favorites.



2. Witchy Woman by the Eagles: The title is pretty self-explanatory, making it an obvious Halloween playlist choice, but the stellar vocals and guitar work set this song above the others.



3. Black Magic Woman by Santana: Closely related to Witchy Woman -- what's up with all these songs about women tricking men into loving them with magic? Any way, the song is a keeper for the outstanding signature Santana guitar.



4. Spooky: Yet another song about a woman of questionable ways. It mostly sounds like she's just not that into him ("I get confused 'cause I don't know where I stand...") but the guy chooses to chalk it up to her being "spooky." This one's kind of cheesy, but too obvious a choice to leave out. Plus, it ends with a Halloween proposal!



5. Any song by 60s rock group the Zombies: Partly because they're called the Zombies, partly because the line, "what's your name, who's your daddy?" from "Time of the Season" is pretty creepy, and partly because there are some amazing organ solos in these songs.



Happy Halloween!