Every year around this time, drugstores, teacher’s aides and oldies stations resurrect the classic “spooky” playlist — “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” the (da da da DUMMP) Addams Family theme. But what about the songs that feel genuinely, viscerally dark?
A Music Mix office poll yielded a few easy picks: Eminem’s brutal murder fantasy “Kim,” Nirvana’s version of Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”, Alice Cooper (“Welcome to My Nightmare” — before it went to the Muppets), Nick Cave (a lot, really, but let’s start with “Red Right Hand”), Sufjan Stevens’ portrait of clown-faced serial boy-murderer “John Wayne Gacy,” and Neko Case’s of the Green River killer, “Deep Red Bells.” Also: “Basically any version of ‘Long Black Veil.’“
Give us your best below; we’ll get you started with Metallica’s “One,” featuring mad-creepy excerpts from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun:
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John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey” (mainly the song’s ending) and “Foxymophandlemamathat’s me” from Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy – that’s a couple for starters!
holy crap: STUPID MOP!! that Pearl Jam song could be made into a fright fest! scary as hell.
“A Song of Joy” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; creepy as all get-out.
I don’t think it has actual words, but I can’t listen to the creepy theme at the end of Poltergeist.
I don’t have much on my itunes that is creepy or freak me out but of what I have I’d say the Cocorosie Album Noah’s Ark has a lot of creepy sounding songs on it. Almost something like what you’d hear in a trailer for Texas Chain Saw Massacre before all the chaos starts. If you were in a scary/creepy situation the songs would put you over the edge.
Also Depeche Mode, Corrupt, but probably because it was so amazingly used in the True Blood season 2 finale.
“Deep Red Bells” is an eerie, dark song, but it’s about the Green River Killer, not BTK. And I’d include about half the songs off of Furnace Room Lullaby and Fox Confessor on this list. Neko deals with some dark themes.
Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, The Cure’s “Lullaby”, Nick Cave’s “Weeping Song”, Shreikback’s “Nemesis”, The Damned’s “Shadow of Love”, Siouxsie’s “Spellbound”
…and Joy Division’s “Dead Souls” and “Atmosphere”
I think we can also add “Night Shift” and “An Execution” to the Siouxsie list, and “The Carny” by Nick Cave (incredibly spooky stuff).
definitely “D.O.A.” by Bloodrock
And the spoken-word bit at the end of the first full-length Tool album is creepy as heck; full props to the earlier Joy Division choices and Shriekback choices as well.
House of 1000 Corpses by Rob Zombie and the theme from 28 Weeks Later. *shudders*
The overture to Phantom of the Opera is creepy and over the top–chilling every time.
My Mind’s Playin Tricks On Me – GETO BOYS
1. Insect Eyes by Devendra Banhart
2. Anything off of Nick Cave’s “Murder Ballads” album
Insect Eyes is terrifying!
I was thinking of Sufjan Steven’s “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” as well. I think the reason I (and others) find it so unnerving is that it actually makes the listener feel emotionally connected to a serial killer, which is one of the scariest things I can think of.
I was about to say the same thing!
Assorted moments in The Mars Volta’s Frances The Mute album. I woke up hearing some of that ambient stuff between songs as that album was playing and it freaked me the hell out for a bit.
the “Somebody’s Watchin Me” remix from the Geico commercials.
but seriously the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” Blue Oyster Cult cover found on the “Scream” Soundtrack is pretty chilling
It’s Gus that does the cover and I agree, creepily awesome!