Watching “Hocus Pocus” and other quintessential Halloween movies is certainly a nice way of getting into the ghoulish spirit. But what might help you most is listening to the best and most memorable Halloween songs — whether you’re putting up Halloween decorations around the house or having a few seasonal cocktails with friends.

To determine the most played Halloween songs of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on sales, streams, and airplay from music magazine Billboard. Songs were ranked according to a cumulative score based on their performance on the Billboard Hot 100.

Let’s just get one thing straight right away: It’s not “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. While “Thriller” is arguably the greatest album ever made — and the video of the title song may be the greatest video ever produced — the song itself doesn’t rank as the most popular Halloween song of all time. But it’s in the top 10. 

After loading up with candy, decorating the house, and preparing a playlist with the best Halloween songs and a queue of classic horror movies, all that’s left for a successful holiday celebration is a memorable costume — this is the most popular Halloween costume in every state. 

Click here to see the most played Halloween songs of all time

To determine the most played Halloween songs of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on sales, streams, and airplay from music magazine Billboard. Songs were ranked according to a cumulative score based on their performance on the Billboard Hot 100, wherein a week at position No. 100 is worth one point, a week at position No. 99 two points, and so on, up to a week at position No. 1 worth 100 points. Only songs identified by Billboard as “Halloween songs” in a variety of articles on the best Halloween songs were considered. Supplemental data on total weeks on the Billboard 100, peak position, and appearance dates also came from Billboard.