October 2026 Music Roundup

"Thriller" and "Dracula" Lead the Pre-Halloween Streaming Race

A week before Halloween, the most popular "scary" tracks on streaming were Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Tame Impala's "Dracula." Jackson's classic leads in the US, while the "Dracula" remix is steadily climbing the global Spotify chart.

"Thriller" posted its best daily result of the year and rose into the top 20 of the US Spotify chart. "Dracula" gained noticeably over the previous week: in the platform's global ranking, both its remix with JENNIE and the original version entered the [top tier].

In the global charts for the week before Halloween, besides "Thriller" and "Dracula," KATSEYE's "Animal" and Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" also saw notable gains. The latter returned to the chart thanks to its enduring association with "predatory" Halloween aesthetics.

Seasonal playlists around the world also traditionally feature "This Is Halloween," "Monster Mash," Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me," Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters," and "Spooky Scary Skeletons."

Beyond the major hits, early October saw a sharp spike in plays for China Anne McClain's "Calling All the Monsters" and Andrew Gold's theme from The Addams Family. Their growth shows that audiences are choosing not only classic tracks but also songs from films and TV shows.

Playlists also frequently include Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" and My Chemical Romance's "Welcome to the Black Parade" — tracks that have long been part of the alternative Halloween atmosphere.

The main story of the season is the rivalry between timeless classics and a fresh viral hit. "Thriller" remains the most-streamed Halloween track in the US, but "Dracula" with JENNIE shows that modern releases can quickly become part of the global holiday canon.

LISA, Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves and John Mayer: The Week's Biggest Releases

The month's main events were LISA's first solo mini-album, John Mayer's return with a new song and his own label, and new tracks for the soundtrack of the third season of Nobody Wants This.

BLACKPINK's LISA released her first solo mini-album, Press Play. It features six tracks, including the energetic pop-rap "SaWaDiKa," the cinematic focus track "Tarantino," the danceable "Cobra," and the sensual closing track "Sweat."

Miley Cyrus unveiled the ballad "Cold Blooded," written back in the late 2010s for the EP She Is Coming but never released. The track appears on the soundtrack of the third season of Nobody Wants This as a bonus demo with minimalist piano accompaniment.

Kacey Musgraves announced a new project, Middle of Nowhere Vol. 2: Tex Mex Tapes, and shared the track "Weekend In Texas." The song blends bright horns, a light groove and soft vocals, with lyrics about wanting to escape to Texas and recharge.

John Mayer returned with the single "Tom and Jerry" — his first new solo composition in five years, following 2021's Sob Rock. The song is built around the metaphor of an endless game of cat-and-mouse in a relationship and combines soft rock with Mayer's signature guitar style.

Dominic Fike released the light, melodic track "Pangea" ahead of the album How To Quit Smoking. Girl in Red presented the mini-album BLUE about the emotions of a breakup, including the song "Missing Person."

Young Miko released her debut solo album Watch Dis! featuring Travis Scott, Summer Walker, Trina and Quavo. John Legend presented Muse, a collaborative album with Pharrell Williams that combines string arrangements, horns and powerful bass.

Among dance releases, standout efforts include the debut album Peace & Patience from Irish artist Jazzy and the second album Open Late from British DJ Sammy Virji, created during touring and aimed at the dancefloor.

What We're Listening to Before the Year Ends: Alanis Morissette, Kings of Leon, NCT Dream, U2 and the GTA VI Soundtrack

With less than two months left in 2026, the release calendar promises to be packed: from Alanis Morissette's return and The Rolling Stones' deluxe edition to U2's new album and the Grand Theft Auto VI compilation. Below are the main records coming out in November and December, plus announcements without confirmed dates.

November

• Alanis Morissette — Good Weather for Immaculate Conception
• Dove Cameron — Final Girl
• Kings of Leon — O My Beloved
• Lil Baby — Fresh
• NCT Dream — DREAM AFTER DREAM
• 2hollis — Pirouette
• Randy Travis — Same Old Way
• Snoh Aalegra — Legendary Love
• U2 — Carnaval De Luz
• TOMORROW X TOGETHER — Perfect Storm
• Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album
• The Rolling Stones — Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips

December

• Slayyyter — Wor$t Man in America

Expected in 2026
These albums have been announced, but no exact release dates yet:

• 4 Non Blondes — title not yet announced
• Lana Del Rey — Stove
• William Shatner — untitled metal album
• Dionne Warwick — DWuets

My Chemical Romance Could Top the Charts for the First Time with a 20-Year-Old Album

My Chemical Romance could score their first-ever chart-topping album with 2006's The Black Parade. The 20th-anniversary reissue, released October 23, includes six bonus tracks as well as 15 new vinyl variants, CDs and cassettes — and that has driven a powerful surge in sales.

Competition from new releases is minimal — notable debuts are expected from Josiah Queen, LISA and Anderson .Paak & Cordae, but none are expected to contend for the top spot. The main rival is Olivia Rodrigo with you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which returned to No. 1 last week. Its numbers are expected to dip next week, and that may be enough for My Chemical Romance if fans snap up the reissue.

Incidentally, Rodrigo herself posted a clip from My Chemical Romance's show in Queens — so she may be rooting for them too.