Halloween Fun : The S-s-scariest Songs ever?

By Priya Elan

Posted on 31/10/07 at 11:27:53 am

Oh great undead, Halloween is upon us and in between fighting off the ghosts in the photocopier and flicking spiders off the teabags, we've been pondering the scariest songs ever....

continued...

We’ve scrapped the cobwebs off our keyboard and come up with this lot…

The news desk's Tom Pinnock said: “'The Bed' by Lou Reed, especially the ghostly choir at the end (shudder)...”

News editor Paul Stokes mentioned PJ Harvey’s beautiful cover of ‘Is That All There Is’ “It’s such a downer you get scared at what you might do,” he said. "I always have to listen to another song after hearing this just to get my head right again, not that I’m knocking it, that’s what music should do – move your emotions.”

Web boss Anthony Thornton plumped for The Butthole Surfers’s ’Sweet Loaf’:

“"Daddy, what does regret mean?"
"There's a funny thing about regret son. It's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done ... and if you see your mom this weekend tell her satan, Satan. SATAN"”

Picture Editor Marian Paterson vote was for ’Wicked Arabella’ by The Kinks . “Not that scary but the best drum beat ever.”

Associate editor Dan Silver said: ’Dead Skin Mask’ by Slayer and quoted a bit slab of the lyrics to illustrate.

“Dance with the dead in my dreams [hello? hello Mr Gein? ]
Listen to their hollowed screams [Mr Gein? ]
The dead have taken my soul [lemme out of here Mr Gein]
Temptations lost all control [Mr Gein? I dont wanna play anymore
Mr Gein]
Dance with the dead in my dreams [Mr Gein, its not any fun anymore,]
Listen to their hollowed screams [I dont want to play anymore Mr Gein]
The dead have taken my soul [Mr Gein? lemme out of here Mr Gein]
Temptations lost all control [lemme out, lemmmmeee oouuuuuuttt!!]”

Features editor James McMahon agreed stating: “ It’s easily the most terrifying song in the world ever.”

Elizabeth Curran spook-some fave was : “‘Release The Bats’ by The Birthday Party. ‘Gallows Pole’ by Led Zeppelin always creeps me out a bit.”

Here are some more that made our list…

Kate Bush – ‘The Dreaming’
The Velvet Underground – ‘The Gift’
The Cramps – ‘Human Fly’
The Birthday Party – ‘Hee Haw’
Nico – ‘Janitor Of Lunacy’
The Cure- ‘Subway Song’
Suicide – ‘Frankie Teardrop’
Blondie – ‘Victor’
The Cramps – ‘I Was A Teenage Werewolf’
Daniel Johnson – ‘Casper The Friendly Ghost’
Billie Holiday - 'Gloomy Sunday'
Ted Leo And The Pharmacists – ‘I’m A Ghost’
Sonic Youth – ‘Death Valley ‘69’
The Kinks – ‘Wicked Arabella’
80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster – ‘Puppy Dog Snails’
DWD- ‘Rucksac Killa’
PJ Harvey- ‘Down By The Water’
The Police- ‘Every Breath You Take’
Led Zeppelin - 'Gallows Pole'

Have we missed out any tunes that have the ffffearsome factor?
Leave a comment below and let us know

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51 comments

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Hugo [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 11:59

Loving the random Police song in there :oD

Big D [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:00

Simon Diamond by The Coral. Deeply haunting, & Scousers are just creepy anyway

TheTuckster [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:05

You haven't put any Tom Waits in? You fools.

Chris G [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:06

Tom Waits - What's He Building? and Jeff Buckley's reading of Egar Alan Poes Ulalume. Surely these should be top of the list?!

Alan [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:06

We Suck Young Blood by Radiohead. I had to that song whenever I was alone doing my paper round.

Gavin [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:07

Surely its got to be the whole of "Digital Ash in a Digital urn" by bright eyes, that whole thing is creepy!

william mclean [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:10

what about "the end" by the doors?

Matt [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:20

The Boiler by Rhonda & the Special AKA, but for all the wrong reasons. A truly brilliant piece of music that I never want to listen to again.

Matt [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:21

PS. Good call Chris G, those two would be in my list too!

Ian [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:23

Archives of Pain by the Manics, or intense humming of evil

Peter W [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:26

"Spark" by Tori Amos. Wierdly beautiful in places, but scary / freaky in others.

James [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:29

Outside This Bar - American Music Club Jeff Buckley's cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' Oh, and anything Robbie Williams has ever done sends a chill down my spine. But not in the same way.

redsleepingrichey [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:29

'The Intense Humming of Evil' by Manic Street Preachers. Infact, the whole album actually.

Gav [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:30

Rammstein - Mutter, scary sh1t !

Anthony V [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:32

"From Her to Eternity" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds sends the willies up me all the time.

stu [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:34

mogwai - like herod the loud parts scare me everytime

Dejaiel [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:35

I'm not a MSP nut but Intense Humming of Evil gives me the heebie jeebies.

grom [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:38

Aphex Twin - Come to daddy Has a scary video to go with it too!

Wost [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:39

Gary Numan - Asylum. It's the B-side to Cars. My sister used to freak me out with it as a child. Perfect for Halloween or just for upsetting children generally.

eve [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:39

"Heat Miser" by Massive Attack still freaks the hell out of me...

Visitor [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:43

My Body Is A Cage by Arcade Fire gets me every time.

Nick [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 12:52

the beatles i wanna hold your hand *shudders*

Jez [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:01

It's gotta be Metallica- The thing that should not be that song is weird.

[Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:02

jess buckleys cover of creep? it never happened, it isnt him singing it! how can you not tell that?!

Mark S [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:03

No Sabbath yet? War pigs or black sabbath Thank me later

Smithers [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:13

"Pretty Polly" by Queen Adreena - I love it, but I sometimes have to skip past it because I find it so disturbing.

Howie [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:14

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Hallelujah - weird & scary. Cant believe no-ones mentioned Ghost Town by the Specials either!

[Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:16

Mama by Phil Collins. No irony intended

Kim Bendix Pedersen [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:21

Anything by King Diamond

Sean [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:22

Just about any Misfits or Samhain song ever written. I'll go with "Mommy, Can I go Out and Kill Tonight?" by The Misfits if forced to choose one.

Michael H [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:36

I think 'Suffer Little Children' by the Smiths is uniquely creepy. Gives me the shivers every time I hear it. 'Over the moors, take me to the moors...'

meyers [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:40

frankie teardrop definetely- go buy the album 'suicide' now

Andy [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:47

Manic Street Preachers - The Intense Humming of Evil is a terrifying song - the music, the sound effects and the lyrics *shudder*

Will [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:52

"Climbing Up The Walls" by Radiohead. Freaky lyrics ("I am the key to the lock in your head, who keeps your toys in the basement") and a generally scary mood. Also, all of Manic Street Preacher's The Holy Bible. Richey Edwards was seriously messed up when he wrote some of the lyrics for that.

Joe [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 13:59

The Pixies, Where is my mind!!!! Proper trippy, especially when your on Bugle!

Tabitha [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 14:22

Patrick Wolf, The Childcathcher. The lyrics for that song are disturbed. Patrick Wolf may be a genius but that song is just wrong!

Jon [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 14:57

Kim by Eminem has to be one of the scariest - it's so violent!

styro [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 15:00

The bonus-track on Sonic Youth's "Experimental Jet Set...." is reall y scary. Listen to the album and fell asleep. After 10 minutes of silence at the end you will get rudely awakened by alert signals and a Japanese girl yelling inapprehensable things.... *shudder*

styro [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 15:01

not forget to mention Mike Patton!

Ross [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 15:03

"Car Chase Terror" by M83 is especially haunting! Not to be listened to in your car at night. The terror in her voice makes you think she is actually shiting herslef!

ffsdf [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 15:13

oh dear,no killing joke,must be having a laugh

Jamie C [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 15:17

Surely it has to be Nannageddon from the Mighty Boosh? It made me fearful of my gran for a month!

steveh [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 15:32

beautiful and sinister-' Cold blue steel and Sweet fire' by joni mitchell - descent into heroin hell

Jr (Brazil) [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 16:15

What about "Voodoo Doll" and "Eve White Eve Black" of Siouxsie & Banshees? I don't remember anyone as devil as Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie summoning the dark powers on their live shows. What a evil singer and what a drummer.: "Are you listening to your fear the beat is coming nearer like the little drum in your ear transfixes you to your fear " Also, Cure's "Pornography" song (or any from this album) is more appropriate than Subway song.

Graemo [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 16:51

Tell your picture ed that the Kinks song she voted for is called wicked "Annabella" not "Arabella"

wetback [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 17:16

anything by nickleback

Toby [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 17:49

The Carny - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Rollo [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 17:56

"Goodbye blue sky" by Pink Floyd is v.scary!!!

Martyn [Visitor] //October 31 2007 at 22:51

Street Spirit gave me shivers when I was little, still does abit now now. Something by Tom Waits should get mentioned too. xox

jane [Visitor] //November 1 2007 at 09:00

surely patrick wolf- the childcatcher must be up there??

BT [Visitor] //November 1 2007 at 19:50

The Intense Humming Of Evil by the Manics! It's so hard to listen to. That monologue? Then that awful whistling noise??? I think I need to change my sheets... And not in a good way.

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Halloween Fun : The S-s-scariest Songs ever?

By Priya Elan

Posted on 31/10/07 at 11:27:53 am

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