Songs About Serial Killers

Posted Thu May 8 5:17pm PDT by Robert of the Radish in The Y! Music Playlist Blog

(Play Playlist - Yahoo Music Unlimited)

Serial killers are a subject of great fascination in America. There are scores of best selling books and box office hits based on these abominations of society. Their popularity is fueled by both a natural morbid curiosity and the desire to be scared just for the thrill of it. A serial killer is defined as someone who has perpetrated multiple murders with the victims usually being unknown to the killer. The phrase "serial killer" first appeared in the in the 1970s and is credited to either Robert Ressler (FBI) or Dr. Robert Keppel (arguments exist on who actually coined the term). It was meant to help distinguish murderers who claim victims over a long period of time from those who claim multiple victims at once (mass murderers). A third type of multi-person killer is a spree killer.

Serial killers usually have a “cooling-off” period in between killings and many times lead what appears to be a normal life. Indeed, this is probably another reason why they fascinate us. Sexual abnormalities are also involved in many cases.

Serial killers are in a different category than those whose actions are spurred by greed, jealousy or for political / religious reasons. Some serial killers revel in the notoriety they receive.

Would we have less serial killing if the media did not give them the attention they so desire? It’s a good question and not one we can answer here. One thing we know for sure is that serial killers have unfortunately achieved “cult” status in many subcultures.

Of course, the subject of serial killers has also made its way into music. Some are sung from the perspective of the killer or the victim, others are stories based on a fictional monster, while still more are about real life killers like Jeffrey Dahmer or Richard Speck. The following playlist contains songs about serial killers as taken from a diverse range of musical genres.

Enjoy, but not too much…

Please add and songs about serial killers that you are aware of , which did not make the list, in the comments.

Songs About Serial Killers

3 Comments

1. Yahoo! Music User - Thu May 8 5:49pm PDT

C'MON! "No More Tears" by Ozzy Osbourne, even though he's up there already?

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2. Somebody - Fri May 9 7:32am PDT

Nothing to Gein by MuDvAyNe!!!! It's about Ed Gein... duh!

3. patchlogan2000 - Fri May 9 12:33pm PDT

dead body man by insane clown possie is not about a serial killer. it is about a man that collects dead bodys. now they do have two songs i can think of that are about serial killers, the song named 12 on the riddle box cd and sleepwalker(not sure what cd its on.

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Songs About Serial Killers

Midnight Rambler - Rolling Stones

Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen

John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - Sufjan Stevens

Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon

Psycho Killer - Talking Heads

Jack The Ripper - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Murder By Numbers - The Police

Son Of Sam - Elliott Smith

Skinned - Blind Melon

Jack The Ripper - Morrissey

The Ballad Of TV Violence (I'm Not The Only Boy) - Cheap Trick

Ted, Just Admit It - Jane's Addiction

Dirty Frank - Pearl Jam

Bloodbath In Paradise - Ozzy Osbourne

Hitchhiker Joe - The Rugburns

I Love The Dead - Alice Cooper

Gary Gilmore's Eyes - The Adverts

Serial Killer - Cold

Psycho Joe - Blues Traveler

Serial Killer 101 - Velvet Acid Christ

The Ripper - Judas Priest

The Dead Body Man - Insane Clown Posse

Real Solution #9 (Mambo Mania Mix) - White Zombie

Jonestown - Concrete Blonde

SST Superstar Charles Manson - Ultraviolet Eye

Lord Abortion - Cradle Of Filth

Dead Skin Mask - Slayer

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