The benefit of seasonal songs | Halloween edition
Fun, or cringe? Whichever camp you’re in, the predictability in streaming surges of seasonal hits is something every artist would enjoy.
Seasonal periods are signposted by a number of things; the changing of the weather, retail promotions, clocks changing, dining habits. One of the biggest signifiers is, of course, music. Some people rejoice in seasonal songs they can heartily sing along to, others grumble and moan. Those who rejoice are the ones that drive predictable seasonal trends in the surges of streams and sales of tracks – much to the glee of rightsholders.
Songs that gather dust for the majority of the year can also garner such attention on an annual basis that they become synonymous with the season they’re inspired by. When October rolls around, it’s hard not to get in the Halloween spirit. One of the most entertaining parts of the season is its unique soundtrack. We have Christmas songs, so why not Halloween songs?
Andrew Gold, who recorded Halloween Howls noted, “Each holiday has a mood and usually has music to go with it…However, it’s been very hard to find any tapes or CDs of Halloween music. In fact, there’s mostly just scary sound effects available and very few songs.” An issue he very much fixed. The album includes recordings of Halloween hits like “The Monster Mash”, “The Addams Family”, and Gold’s original track, “Spooky, Scary Skeletons”.
Gold’s original spooky song enjoyed a resurgence last year thanks to TikTok and its trending power. In the music industry, tracks like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” show how seasonal songs tied to nostalgia and cultural traditions can thrive year after year. Much like the holiday success of “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Halloween-themed songs enjoy a predictable resurgence in October, providing a dependable revenue stream. These tracks demonstrate how specific holidays and seasonal shifts can push certain songs to annual peaks, establishing them as cultural and financial staples in the streaming world.
Halloween Hits
If you’re planning a Halloween party, or simply want to get into the spirit of the season, here are some spooky season favourites. Add these to your party playlist, and be part of the masses the spike the streams and sales of these tracks every year.