Holiday

Why Andrew Gold’s “Spooky, Scary Skeletons” Is Your New Favorite Halloween Song

In honor of its 25th anniversary, Craft Recordings reissues hit songwriter Andrew Gold’s classic 1996 holiday LP Halloween Howls thanks to its signature song going viral on TikTok

October 30, 2021October 30, 2021 Ron Hart 2 Comments 1996, 2021, Andrew Gold, Andrew Gold’s Halloween Howls, Craft Recordings, Craft Recordings 1996, Halloween, Linda Ronstadt, Spooky Scary Skeletons

Andrew Gold (Image: Courtesy of Craft Recordings)

Andrew Gold might be more world renowned for his Award-winning work with Linda Ronstadt in addition to his own string of hits that include “Lonely Boy” and “Thank You For Being A Friend” (aka the Golden Girls theme song).

But in 1996, the late Mr. Gold released an album of Halloween-themed songs with Andrew Gold’s Halloween Howls: Fun and Scary Music. It was his goal at the time to fill a void in the holiday music market he believed wasn’t been satisfied in a more direct way by creating one of his own. Recruiting from his rolodex of A-List friends, including Ms. Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop and David Cassidy among others, Gold and friends romp through a fun collection of originals and covers of such classic Halloween fare as Ray Parker Jr’s “Ghostbusters” and “The Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett (it would have been cool to AG took on a tune from the Rocky Horror Picture Show).

“Each holiday has a mood and usually has music to go with it,” he wrote in the album’s original liner notes. “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. So, I fixed that.”

Andrew Gold Andrew Gold’s Halloween Howls, Craft Recordings 1996/2021

On September 17th, Craft Recordings celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Halloween Howls with its first ever vinyl release. Housed in a gatefold jacket with new artwork from acclaimed artist Jess Rotter and pressed on neon orange wax, the reissue couldn’t have come at a better time as the LP’s signature song “Spooky, Scary Skeletons” has recently become a viral smash on TikTok in recent months thanks to TikTok star Boomer(@minecrafter2011) and enhanced by a special “Undead” remix.

VIDEO: Andrew Gold “Spooky, Scary Skeletons”

Today, the song has become a Gen Z anthem, the track amassing upwards of 4 billion views across different incarnations on YouTube, with 7 million-plus individual clips uploaded on the site. The single, meanwhile, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Children’s chart in 2020, as well as No. 2 on TikTok’s Weekly Top Tracks chart.

VIDEO: Spooky, Scary Skeletons TikTok compilation

But that wasn’t the song’s first Rodeo on the Internet, as “Skeletons” first went viral in 2005 when a YouTuber paired it with a 1929 Disney cartoon called “The Skeleton Dance,” getting over 34 million views.

VIDEO: The Skeleton Dance x Spooky, Scary Skeletons

“Watching ‘Spooky, Scary Skeletons’ continue to build momentum over the past few years has been exciting to be part of,” Kay Anderson, Senior Director of Marketing for Craft Recordings, tells Rock & Roll Globe. “It’s evident how much love and quirky creativity Andrew Gold poured into his album Halloween Howls, seeing a need for more original Halloween music. And now, 25 years later, ‘Spooky…’ is on the way towards being cemented as a modern-day cult classic and perennial holiday hit; alongside the ranks of ‘Ghostbusters,’ ‘This Is Halloween,’ and ‘Monster Mash.’

“The song’s stickiness is also testament to Gold’s talented songwriting, his storied musical career is fascinating to dig into, and we’re honored to help celebrate that.”