Sweating in the 90+ degree heat this summer? You can still get some spooky chills while working on your tan with this Summer Screams Playlist 2021 edition. I have compiled thirteen groovy 1950’s & 60’s-inspired tunes perfect for your Summerween beach or pool party. Carve a watermelon, grab a cool apple cider, and keep the Halloween vibes going from June – August!
The Halloween season never truly ends in my home. My friends and family have come to expect all manner of spooky additions to celebrations year round. The summer months are no different. Just as retro dresses are the hip Halloween fashion as of late, the 1950’s & 60’s surfer rock also blends wonderfully with Halloween & horror themes. These would be a perfect pairing for a 1950’s horror and sci-fi movie night – perhaps The Blob or I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
Season of the Witch was originally written and performed by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan and released in September 1966. It has been covered by many artists over the years but my favorite cover is this version by Karen Elson. Although the song is appropriate all year long, I have always associated it with long summer days and people watching out my front window near the Niagara River (where I grew up).
Before I was ready for more modern and mature horror, my Dad introduced me to the best of the classic b-horror films. The 1950’s had so many fun horror and sci-fi flicks featuring teenage teeny-boppers, creatures from outer space, and beach parties galore. There is only one of these films that ever terrified me as a child – The Blob (1958). Something about a monster from outer space that could not be reasoned with or defeated gave me chills. As my Dad loves to share with all my friends, co-workers, and random strangers at social functions, I told him when I was six years-old, “Dad – the Wolfman, Dracula, all those monsters aren’t real, but the Blob is from outer space and we don’t know what could be out there!”
The Blob premiered at a time when original theme songs were all the range. Burt Bacharach and Mack David wrote the song & lyrics. It is now a staple for Halloween playlists and Summerween celebrations.
Open the door to your imagination and come with me to a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. Let’s move into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. While listening to this playlist, we’ve crossed over into The Twilight Zone. Even without lyrics, this groovy instrumental sets the mood for a spooky summer soiree.
Out of Limits by the Marketts is another take on the Twilight Zone vibe. Written in 1963 by Michael Z. Gordon, this surf rock classic has been included on many Halloween playlists and compilations over the years. I first heard this song as part of the Elvira’s Haunted Hits CD and fell in love with the beachy instrumental vibe.
Gein and the Graverobbers’ Songs in the Key of Evil was my first experience with modern horror surfer rock, having picked up the CD at a record store solely based on the cover and band name. Their songs from this album all feature audio or riffs from classic horror movies and television. The Crypt Keeper’s Holiday puts a new spin on the opening theme from the popular series Tales from the Crypt.
I can completely relate to the girl this song is about! My Honey-Bunny certainly knows that the way to my heart is through scary movies.
Of course, it’s not just me. There has been much research into why we love to be scared and how it can create close bonds. Sociologist, Dr. Margee Kerr, is one of the most prominent researchers on the subject (read her books, they are fantastic). As she says in this article from The Atlantic:
One of the reasons people love Halloween is because it produces strong emotional responses, and those responses work to build stronger relationships and memories... We’re social and emotional beings. We need each other in times of stress, so the fact that our bodies have evolved to make sure we feel close to those we are with when afraid makes sense. So yes, take your date to a haunted house or for a ride on a roller coaster; it’ll be a night you’ll never forget.
This creepy surf rock hit comes from a very unlikely place – Russia! The group was formed in St. Petersburg, Russia in in 1998 by composer and guitarist Oleg “Gitaracula” Fomchenkov. Their music pays homage to classic horror and the surf rock vibes of the 1950’s and 60’s.
While no Halloween dance can quite live up to the perfection that is the Time Warp, some performers have tried to create their own spooky steps. The Munster Creep may not be well-known, but it is a fun dance celebrating Frankenstein’s monster. Shake things up at your Summerween celebration by teaching your guests this hip dance.
Put out your arms like a Frankenstin(‘s monster), stomp around the room and have a real good time!
Igor is apparently one party-loving dude. Aside from being mentioned playing the chains in the Halloween party staple, Monster Mash, Igor’s Party is an entire song dedicated to the lab assistant’s love for rock-and-roll. Frankenstein’s castle is apparently the place to go for a spooky swinging soiree!
The Ventures are groovy enough to be mentioned twice on this list. Lullaby of the Leaves is a jazz standard originally written in 1932 by composer Bernice Petkere and lyricist Joe Young. The lyrics (although not used in this instrumental version of the song) tell of a beautiful night under a leafy canopy. Changing leaves are a staple in Autumn and Halloween iconography, so I included this tune in our Summer Screams Playlist. Even on warm summer nights, I certainly long for a cool breeze blowing through red and orange leaves on the treetops.
Produced two years after Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein, or Dracula by The Diamonds, this song deals with the same theme – loving a girl who loves horror. I think my poor Honey-Bunny can certainly relate to the lyrics for this one!
Unlike the previous songs, this one is a little less on-the-nose with the Halloween in summer theme. It is not a Halloween song, but the groovy melody and twangy guitar fit with the mood of the playlist.
I love the chorus lyrics “So come with me into my world… Don’t throw our love away and go back to the dark”. They inspire me to think of all sorts of spooky stories to tell around a summer barbeque pit.
Since I only have one more chance on this list to be corny and without restraint, I am ending this playlist with a silly atmospheric track of a haunted luau. I like the background groans and moans. Oh the sweet sounds of zombies, ghouls, and black cats as I float in the pool!
Did you like it? What songs are on your Summerween playlist? Let me know on Instagram and Twitter @EmilyIsHorror
Don’t have someone special to share the day with? Check out more music and playlists here.
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