Good music should make us ask questions. What kind of questions? Ah, that is the key.

In the case of the five songs below, the question is “what sort of hard drugs were being handed around the studio? Angel dust? Crack?” The below songs are what I personally find to be scary.

1. Revolution 9 by the Beatles

This song is a weird, creepy outro from The Beatles’ White Album. It starts of with random sampled conversations and instruments, and gradually builds into a screeching wall of sound. With various backmasked sound clips (which allegedly contain messages about Paul McCartney’s death), it contains as much Beatles lore as any three of their songs combined.

2. They’re Coming to Take Me Away

More disturbing than scary, this song is some sort of weird ode to mental instability. To whoever wrote this, seek help, I beg you!

3. Hellhounds on my Trail

Written in recorded music’s early history, Robert Johnson’s mini epic is as creepy as it gets.

4. Caledonia

This, uh, “song” by Cromagnon is a weird, distorted, lo-fi piece of crazy released before Black Sabbath’s debut and probably qualifies as the first heavy metal song. The bagpipes just push it over the limit.

5. Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima

Terrifying and nerve-jangling, this song is like getting teabagged by Satan. If you need material for a “screamer” video, this song is all you need.

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