10 scary songs that will chill you to your core—and then some

Some people think you can convey more tension with a whisper than a scream. But sometimes a bestial roar at top volume can stop a heart cold in midbeat. Our list of 10 scary songs that will chill you to your core isn’t particularly subtle. But we’re sure subtlety was the last thing on your mind when you landed on this page.

With everything from metal superstars to gothic icons to avant-garde volume dealers and creepy-crawly art rockers, these acts belong to no one genre. The one thing they do know is how to bring the fear. You could also ratchet the terror index up a bit with the right volume. But really, these scary songs will work their darkness through the tiniest of in-ear gratification.

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Our scary songs list focuses on the corners of the underground where pursuit of vision is preferred to commercial success. Think about it: The man who directed the best zombie movies worked outside of the ratings system. He was doing things his way, like these artists have done. And believe us, there’s a lot of women and men with decidedly dark visions. Fortunately, they make art and not the covers of true-crime magazines.

We hope you enjoy our list of scary songs that will chill you to your core (and then some). On the other hand, maybe we don’t. We want you to feel that shock and terror like you’ve never felt before. If you love being scared, we’re hoping we could help you reach peak fear factor. Try putting them into one playlist and listening in the dark. And then find a good book to curl up with. Because you might be up for a while after listening. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.