The laugh comes from Michael Jackson's 1982 hit Thriller, where actor Vincent Price closes the track with a famous spoken rap and a chilling cackle. Price was a horror film legend, so his voice gave the pop song its movie monster feel. The clip later circulated on soundboards and in Halloween mixes detached from the full song, becoming shorthand for an over-the-top evil laugh. Its hahaha shape is now used far beyond October, whenever creators need instant spooky villain energy without any dialogue.