Halloween Howls: Fun & Scary Music

Andrew Gold’s Halloween Howls: Fun & Scary Music is a 1996 family Halloween album that combines original novelty songs with playful versions of familiar spooky standards. Gold made the record to fill what he felt was a gap for Halloween music that could be eerie without being frightening, creating a bright, theatrical sound built from pop hooks, goofy sound effects, sing-along refrains, and friendly monster imagery. Its best-known song, “Spooky, Scary Skeletons,” later found a massive new audience online and became a durable seasonal staple.

The album moves easily between originals such as “It Must Be Halloween,” “Trick or Treat,” “Don’t Scream (It’s Only Halloween),” “The Creature from the Tub,” “Witches, Witches, Witches,” and the longer haunted-house story “In Our Haunted House.” Gold also covers “Monster Mash,” the Addams Family theme, and “Ghostbusters,” giving the record both a nostalgic, all-ages feel and a strong party-ready rhythm. Guest performers including Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop, David Cassidy, and Nicolette Larson add to its cast-of-characters charm. Later deluxe editions added the Undead Tombstone remix—and an extended version—of “Spooky, Scary Skeletons,” but the album’s appeal remains its balance of cartoonish chills, catchy songwriting, and affectionate Halloween fun.