100 songs about Serial Killers

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100. Talking Heads "Psycho Killer"
99. Therapy? "Trigger Inside"
98. Judas Priest "The Ripper"
97. Dog Fashion Disco "Pogo the Clown"

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:19 (twenty years ago)

96. Robert Earl Keen- "Whenever Kindness Fails"

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:22 (twenty years ago)

95. Everyone who has ever sung in the English language, "Mack the Knife"

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:24 (twenty years ago)

94. Sufjan Stevens, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

93. Oh, and Nick Cave's entire Murder Ballads, but for quality I'll stick with "The Curse of Millhaven" (since "O'Malley's Bar" is arguably a mass murder and not a serial killing, even though it's a better song).

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

92. The Polics "Murder By Numbers"

91. The Chieftains feat. Elvis Costello "St. Stephen's Day Murders"

― scnnr drkly (scnnr drkly), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:38 (twenty years ago)

esham - the night i met kenan hebert

― -+-+-+++- (ooo), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:40 (twenty years ago)

There's also this:

Murder Rock - 101 songs about killin'

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:45 (twenty years ago)

90. Holocaust - death or glory

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:46 (twenty years ago)

89. Beatles - Maxwell's Silver Hammer

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:47 (twenty years ago)

88. Steve Wynn - "405"

― LOL Thomas (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:49 (twenty years ago)

Slayer's written more than few, i believe

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:50 (twenty years ago)

87. Warren Zevon, "Excitable Boy"
86. Bruce Springsteen, "Nebraska"
85. Freedy Johnston, "This Perfect World"
84. Woody Guthrie, "Pretty Boy Floyd"

― Vornado, Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:57 (twenty years ago)

83. Every song by Macabre

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Thursday, 11 May 2006 20:59 (twenty years ago)

82. The Fibonaccis - "Mean Ed Gein"

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 11 May 2006 21:11 (twenty years ago)

81. Jane's Addiction "Ted, Just Admit It..."

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 11 May 2006 21:23 (twenty years ago)

80-61. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000000H03/ref=m_art_li_1/102-6172405-7032910?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=5174

― naus (Robert T), Thursday, 11 May 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

60. Snoop Dogg, "Serial Killa"

― max (maxreax), Thursday, 11 May 2006 21:30 (twenty years ago)

59. The Lucksmiths - World Encyclopedia of 20th Century Murder
58. The Decemberists - The Shankhill Butchers

― Steve Goldberg (Steve Goldberg), Thursday, 11 May 2006 21:34 (twenty years ago)

57. Jack Kittell "Psycho" (NOT the same as the Sonic's song of the same name)
56. Uncalled 4 "Grind Her Up"
55. Mentally Ill "Gacy's Place"

― Max Hechter (Max), Thursday, 11 May 2006 21:46 (twenty years ago)

54. The Wrens "Surprise, HoneyComb"

― just another chicagoan (just another chicagoan), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:03 (twenty years ago)

53. Beatles-"Maxwell's Silver Hammer"

― lurk, Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:21 (twenty years ago)

52. Space and Cerys Matthews "The Ballad of Tom Jones" ("you're worse than Hannibal Lecter, Charlie Manson, Freddie Kruger")

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:25 (twenty years ago)

51. Diane by Husker Du (see here)

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:34 (twenty years ago)

50. Killdozer-"Ed Gein"

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:55 (twenty years ago)

53. Beatles-"Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
-- lurk (lur...), May 11th, 2006.

Someone already said that, buddy

― punis (punis), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:57 (twenty years ago)

53. "Across the Sands" by the Stone Roses

― punis (punis), Thursday, 11 May 2006 22:59 (twenty years ago)

49. Strangler In The Night -- Albert
48. Albert Albert -- The Bugs
47. I am the Hillside Strangler -- Child Molesters

First two come from a nifty bootleg LPcomp called "Death Dealers" (featuring the voices of John Wayne Gacy, Charles Manson, Ed Kempur, Jeff Dahmer)

Punk rock is such a treasure trove for this sort of topic...

― Max Hechter (Max), Thursday, 11 May 2006 23:25 (twenty years ago)

46. Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler

― Some Guy, Thursday, 11 May 2006 23:32 (twenty years ago)

45. "Suffer Little Children" - The Smiths

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Thursday, 11 May 2006 23:51 (twenty years ago)

44. "Son of Sam" - Chain Gang

(does "No More Hot Dogs" by Hasil Adkins count??? -- probably not.)

― Mike McG, Thursday, 11 May 2006 23:54 (twenty years ago)

43. Morrisey - Last of the Famous International Playboys

― Some Guy, Thursday, 11 May 2006 23:56 (twenty years ago)

42. Oasis - "D'You Know What Amin?"

― Kenneth Anger Management (noodle vague), Thursday, 11 May 2006 23:59 (twenty years ago)

41. Kinky Friedman - "The Ballad of Charles Whitman" (although Whitman was more of a spree killer than the serial variety)

― Fetchin Bones (Fetchin Bones), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:02 (twenty years ago)

40. Landscape - "My Name Is Norman Bates..." (okay, so it's fictional)

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:04 (twenty years ago)

39. tad - nipple belt

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:04 (twenty years ago)

38. David St. Hubbins, "Saucy Jack"

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:04 (twenty years ago)

37. almost the entire sutcliffe jugend catalogue

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

36. come - i'm jack

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

35. most 80s whitehouse

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

34. "Deep Red Bells" - Neko Case

― phil d. (Phil D.), Friday, 12 May 2006 00:34 (twenty years ago)

"the killer" by Racebannon. From "acid or blood," coming out this year. (Maybe the BEST album. Ever.)

― chadbeck (squirrel boy), Friday, 12 May 2006 02:26 (twenty years ago)

Aaron, thank you for that link to the "Diane" story.

― sleeve (sleeve), Friday, 12 May 2006 03:00 (twenty years ago)

Some of the killers named only killed once, which doesn't make them serial, does it? [/pedant]

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 12 May 2006 03:33 (twenty years ago)

33. Morrissey - Jack the Ripper
32. Slayer - Dead Skin Mask
31. Sonic Youth - Death Valley '69

Can we count the alleged acts of violence committed by members of NWA on "Straight Outta Compton," or do they have to be real crimes?

― The Cricklewood Massive (The Cricklewood Massive), Friday, 12 May 2006 03:50 (twenty years ago)

30. GZA - "Luminal"

― Cheek0 (Cheek0), Friday, 12 May 2006 04:38 (twenty years ago)

29. "Knoxville Girl" by, let's say the Louvin Brothers

(Since they're clearly so into it that it's as creepy as it is sublime which is saying a lot).

― Mike McG, Friday, 12 May 2006 05:19 (twenty years ago)

Son of Sam - The Dead Boys

― blindlemonpledge, Friday, 12 May 2006 05:29 (twenty years ago)

Rolling Stones "Midnight Rambler"

― andyjack (andyjack), Friday, 12 May 2006 09:30 (twenty years ago)

26. throw your arms around me - hunters & collectors

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 12 May 2006 10:03 (twenty years ago)

25. Hollywood Squares - Hillside Strangler
24. Screaming Lord Sutch - Jack The Ripper
23. Blanks - Northern Ripper

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Friday, 12 May 2006 10:51 (twenty years ago)

22. Screaming Daemon - Burke and Hare (What A Horrible Pair)

― Ben Dot (1977), Friday, 12 May 2006 12:56 (twenty years ago)

21. Shoot Out The Lights--Richard Thompson

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Friday, 12 May 2006 13:36 (twenty years ago)

20. Blind Melon- "Skinned"

― jijij, Friday, 12 May 2006 14:14 (twenty years ago)

"Henry" - The Human Oddities

― Uncle Tom (Uncle Tom), Friday, 12 May 2006 15:18 (twenty years ago)

which would be #19

― Uncle Tom (Uncle Tom), Friday, 12 May 2006 15:19 (twenty years ago)

18. The Adverts - "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" (does 2 count as a serial killer?)
17. Sweeney Todd Cast - "The Worst Pies In London" + 15 others.

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 12 May 2006 15:25 (twenty years ago)

16. Elliot Smith - "Son Of Sam"

(do gangsters count? plenty of songs about Al Capone f'rinstance)

― koogs (koogs), Friday, 12 May 2006 15:39 (twenty years ago)

15. Link Wray - "Jack The Ripper"

― Ron E. Mexico, Friday, 12 May 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

14. Green on Red - "The Drifter" (about Ted Bundy)

― Eazy (Eazy), Friday, 12 May 2006 16:45 (twenty years ago)

The original lyrics to Michael Sembello's "Maniac," although it probably doesn't count since I don't think it was recorded or released.

― slugbuggy (slugbuggy), Friday, 12 May 2006 20:55 (twenty years ago)

13. Chesterfield Kings - "Richard Speck"

― Jean Tully de Molinaire (Jean Tully de Molinaire), Monday, 15 May 2006 17:12 (twenty years ago)

10. Shadow Project - Night Stalker

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Tuesday, 16 May 2006 01:31 (twenty years ago)

can someone please explain the neko?

― anthony easton (anthony), Tuesday, 16 May 2006 05:50 (twenty years ago)

I read some interview with her recently where she said that song was about the feeling of fear she had when there was a serial killer (or rapist?) in her area when she was a young girl.

― Vornado, Tuesday, 16 May 2006 13:55 (twenty years ago)

yeah that was the green river killer, right?

― Mike McG, Tuesday, 16 May 2006 19:15 (twenty years ago)

I never thought of "This Perfect World" as being about a serial killer. It's certainly about the reverberations of someone who's passed away and how they continue into the living present, but I don't interpret the narrator as being the murderer - or, at least, as someone who's come to kill again.

It's a beautiful song, though.

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Tuesday, 16 May 2006 20:27 (twenty years ago)

Randy Newman - In Germany Before the War

― Kocho, Thursday, 25 May 2006 01:02 (twenty years ago)

That makes #9

― Kocho, Thursday, 25 May 2006 01:03 (twenty years ago)

8. Space - "Neighbourhood" ("At 666 there lives a Mr Miller/
He’s our local vicar and a serial killer")

Do fictional serial killers invented for the purposes of a "comedy" song count?

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 25 May 2006 06:16 (twenty years ago)

Re: "This Perfect World" -- "Last time I was here they found her in the lake" "You better lock that door, somebody might get in / Didn't I teach you that?" "I still deserve to say goodbye no matter what I've done" "You think I'm made of stone / Didn't you tell me that?" "They say that soon I will be gone away" "Lock this after me" -- I think it's pretty clear that the first-person singer is a murderer (although, admittedly, not necessarily a serial murderer).

How about:

Old 97s - Great Barrier Reef ("My name's Stewart Ransom Miller, I'm a serial lady killer")? Not numbering it, though.

― Vornado, Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:25 (twenty years ago)

Can we count the alleged acts of violence committed by members of NWA on "Straight Outta Compton," or do they have to be real crimes?

-- The Cricklewood Massive (cricklewood.massiv...), May 12th, 2006.

Why not go for the real thing?

7. Geto Boys - "Mind of a Lunatic"

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:46 (twenty years ago)

Greenskeepers - Lotion

It's not technically a song about a serial killer, but it is about Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, which is loosely about Dahmer...so if you squint your eyes and tilt your head, that could be number 6...

― InqRob, Friday, 26 May 2006 22:44 (twenty years ago)

real crime not alleged

― konig, Friday, 2 June 2006 05:57 (twenty years ago)

6. Throbbing Gristle, Urge to Kill

Whitehouse and various other idiots to thread

― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 June 2006 09:33 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

5. Interpol - evil

― meisenfek, Saturday, 20 November 2010 00:27 (fifteen years ago)

Came here to post Whitehouse and am undaunted by the rong description of them as idiots. Could finish the chart here but I'll just go with one.

4. Whitehouse, "Dedicated to Denis Andrew Nilsen"

― ban this sick stunt (anagram), Saturday, 20 November 2010 08:49 (fifteen years ago)

enjoy their work but idiots seems fair enough

― Raage Saga (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 20 November 2010 13:23 (fifteen years ago)

it's not really big and clever being a serial killer or being interested in their squalid pathologies

― Raage Saga (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 20 November 2010 13:24 (fifteen years ago)

3. Stagger Lee counts right?

can't believe no one said that already

― gospodin simmel, Saturday, 20 November 2010 15:32 (fifteen years ago)

2. swans - killing for company

― charlie h, Saturday, 20 November 2010 16:16 (fifteen years ago)

> it's not really big and clever being a serial killer or being interested in their squalid pathologies

reasonable opinion. still, maybe a bit oversimplifying(which is also a valid part of pop culture).

― meisenfek, Saturday, 20 November 2010 21:19 (fifteen years ago)

I'm tetchy but y'know? There's a lot of teenager looking to shock in this shtick on the whole. Norman isn't quite a serial killer, tbf. Shd've gone with Frenzy maybe. Hitch is more interested in guilt than the nature of the crimes, I reckon.

― a ticker tape of "must not fuck up" (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 20 November 2010 21:27 (fifteen years ago)

If serial killers who have been brought back to life as dolls count(via satanicritual)...
#1 Geto Boys - Chuckie

― coolsundays, Saturday, 20 November 2010 22:29 (fifteen years ago)

> Norman isn't quite a serial killer, tbf.

agree about the Hitchcock part. The link between all this is that Ed Gein was the role model for the Bates charakter.
Anyway, it was bizarre to put Hitchcock in context to Whitehouse.

― meisenfek, Sunday, 21 November 2010 12:00 (fifteen years ago)

In what world was Stagger Lee a serial killer?

― Shakey Mo Fee Nané (kkvgz), Sunday, 21 November 2010 12:07 (fifteen years ago)

I mean, that's a song about a guy who kills another guy that's based on a guy killing another guy in real life and to my knowledge, neither of them killed any other guys.

― Shakey Mo Fee Nané (kkvgz), Sunday, 21 November 2010 12:08 (fifteen years ago)

didn't we give up on the "serial" part way up there (Excitable Boy?). Also, Stagger Lee's myth describes only one murder, but there are no reasons to believe it was his only one.

― gospodin simmel, Sunday, 21 November 2010 13:01 (fifteen years ago)

Dead Kennedys - I Kill Children

The Fall's "A Past Gone Mad" includes the line "serial killers were always a bore in my book."

― Kent Burt, Sunday, 21 November 2010 14:59 (fifteen years ago)

staggerlee is quite clearly not a serial killer, unless he has killed many men who have stole his stetsons by killing them at bars from shots to the head.

― rappa ternt sagna (jim in glasgow), Sunday, 21 November 2010 15:01 (fifteen years ago)

poptones?

― rappa ternt sagna (jim in glasgow), Sunday, 21 November 2010 15:02 (fifteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0OyffGOJzI

― A brownish area with points (chap), Sunday, 21 November 2010 19:21 (fifteen years ago)

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