"I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Unlike Christmas, there aren't that many songs that were written specifically for Halloween. There's "Monster Mash' by  Bobby "Boris" Pickett and "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and not may beyond that. Regardless, there are plenty of songs that, due to their subject matter, have become Halloween songs, including "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult, "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo, Strange Brew by Cream, and so on. Among the oldest of these songs, at least as far as rock 'n' roll in concerned, "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Jay Hawkins first wrote the lyrics for "I Put a Spell on You" in 1954 after his girlfriend left. Initially it was meant to be a ballad and was recorded as such in 1955 when he was with Grand Records. That version was not released at the time, although it would be released the Screamin' Jay Hawkins compilation The Whamee 1953–55 in 2006. It was on September 12, 1956, that Jay Hawkins recorded a new version for Okeh Records. According to Screamin' Jay Hawkins, producer Arnold Maxin brought chicken and ribs to the studio, and everyone got drunk. Screamin' Jay Hawkins couldn't even remember making the record.  In the end he went from being ordinary Jay Hawkins to Screamin' Jay Hawkins. 

Although not specifically written for Halloween, "I Put a Spell on You" was released in October 1956. Not only did the title of the song fit the holiday, but so did Screamin' Jay Hawkins's performance., complete with screams, grunts, and moans. "I Put a Spell on You" proved to be somewhat of a controversy, and some moral watchdogs claimed the song was about everything from cannibalism to rape. In th end, some radio stations refused to play it and it only went to no. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Regardless, it would be legendary Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed who would encourage Screamin' Jay Hawkins to entirely lean into the controversial nature of the song when he added the singer to his Rock and Roll Revue. Screamin' Jay Hawkins would emerge from a coffin, wearing a cape. Such theatrics would remain a part of his act for the rest of his career. Quite simply, Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the first shock rocker.

Since then "I Put a Spell on You" has been covered by several artists, including Nina Simone, Alan Price, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown,  Creedence Clearwater Revival, and yet others. It has also become a Halloween standard.