The Most Frightening Or Unnerving Song

[blessmycottonsocks]

Having watched the 2018 horror movie Malevolent last night, I have to nominate the 1950s novelty record "Beep Beep".
The way the song accelerates was perfect to build a sense of unease, when you know things are building towards something horrible.

 

[skinny]

Old-timey country songs give off some menace.
Case 1; Ed Noack
Australia's Beasts of Bourbon gave this a shot in the 80s but it doesn't hold a candle to the chilly ambience of the original.

Case 2 - This is Buster Scruggs. Not a properly old song, but eekness galore. The song's so mournful it reeks of skeletons. Can almost hear them bones a-rattlin'.

 

[GerdaWordyer]

Not at all frightening or unnerving are songs sung in breathy babygirl "sexy"girl vocals. They make me angry, if anything. But hearing Astrid Gilberto literally makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Isn't hair standing up pretty much a fear response, or can it be a just strong aversion response?

 

[FrKadash]

Love Sutcliffe Jügend and TG, but these two tracks are pretty heavy,

 

[EnolaGaia]

Not at all frightening or unnerving are songs sung in breathy babygirl "sexy"girl vocals. They make me angry, if anything. But hearing Astrid Gilberto literally makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Isn't hair standing up pretty much a fear response, or can it be a just strong aversion response?

Hair standing up (aka piloerection) is a corollary effect of goose bumps, and both effects represent involuntary reflexes.

Goose bumps can be caused by strong emotion of various types, not all of which involve negative or aversive states. For example, both euphoria and sexual arousal can trigger goose bumps and piloerection.

 

[henry]

although ive never seen twin peaks, a situation i intend to reverse this month, sycamore trees by little jimmy scott ?

 

[FrKadash]

although ive never seen twin peaks, a situation i intend to reverse this month, sycamore trees by little jimmy scott ?

Good choice!

As to Twin Peaks, Season 3 was absolutely brilliant in my opinion, definitely worth watching them in order though!

 

[henry]

ive got to bone up on it as im about to get all Convenience Store this summer

ive dug all the music though, the julee cruise / angelo badalamenti record was everywhere when i was at uea

 

[skinny]

Good choice!

As to Twin Peaks, Season 3 was absolutely brilliant in my opinion, definitely worth watching them in order though!

Seconded.

 

[Lord Lucan]

It's odd isn't it how a song can have a particular effect on you? I've always disliked 'Moondance' by Van Morrison. It's a song I've always found creepy, not lyrically, but musically. I think it's the flute that plays in the background, especially the solo warble at the very end. Also for some bizarre reason I always associate it mentally with the type of cartoon graphics that were popular in 60's t.v shows (think the opening sequence of Bewitched). I know the two have no relevance to each other but I just perceive the song as slightly unsettling but I picture it in my mind as a cartoon. Always have and still do to this day.

 

[maximus otter]

Loreena McKennitt singing She Moved Through the Fair:

Brrr...

maximus otter

 

[skinny]

 

[Jepra Peld]

Not a song but this theme tune. I don't know what they were thinking.

Oh and this. Not the song so much, but I remember listening to a radio play about a soldier in WWI who has some sort of breakdown while this song is playing.

 

[Lizard King]

Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush . I remember being a small kid in the mid to late seventies, a series of winter powercuts. This song played just before the power went out. It still gives me the spooks.

 

[Ulalume]

I have a high tolerance for what many people consider unnerving music - I even sort of appreciate Diamanda Galas.

The song I can't handle though is DOA by Bloodrock. Just...no. Not even linking a video here :hide:
A fun bit of trivia - Bloodrock played at a co-workers prom back in the early 70's. That must have been a real hoot.

 

[escargot]

I have a high tolerance for what many people consider unnerving music - I even sort of appreciate Diamanda Galas.

The song I can't handle though is DOA by Bloodrock. Just...no. Not even linking a video here :hide:
A fun bit of trivia - Bloodrock played at a co-workers prom back in the early 70's. That must have been a real hoot.

Never 'eard of it until right now. It's a bit Transfusion, innit?

 

[escargot]

Not a song but this theme tune. I don't know what they were thinking.

Oh and this. Not the song so much, but I remember listening to a radio play about a soldier in WWI who has some sort of breakdown while this song is playing.

The BBC one, I remember seeing that and as you say, what were they thinking? It's like the start of a sci fi episode about aliens watching us. With less eerie music it'd be pleasant.

The second, aah, you can't beat a nice cheerful music hall comic song to have a breakdown to.

 

[Dinobot]

Nights In White Satin creeped me out as a child, and still turns my stomach to this day...

 

[Ulalume]

Nights In White Satin creeped me out as a child, and still turns my stomach to this day...

I can imagine it would, it's an eerie sort of song. The reason it never gave me the creeps is because, as a small child, I had the idea that it had been used in The Planet of the Apes, specifically in a scene where the apes could fly. I recall vividly watching this in the theater, which is amusing since 1. both the song and the movie came out before I was born, and 2. the scene doesn't exist.

Next time you hear it, just imagine apes with wings swooping through the air and it will seem less unnerving.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

I can imagine it would, it's an eerie sort of song. The reason it never gave me the creeps is because, as a small child, I had the idea that it had been used in The Planet of the Apes, specifically in a scene where the apes could fly. I recall vividly watching this in the theater, which is amusing since 1. both the song and the movie came out before I was born, and 2. the scene doesn't exist.

Next time you hear it, just imagine apes with wings swooping through the air and it will seem less unnerving.

Were you mixing it up with the "Fly my pretties, fly!" Sequence in the Wizard of Oz?

 

[Dinobot]

I can imagine it would, it's an eerie sort of song. The reason it never gave me the creeps is because, as a small child, I had the idea that it had been used in The Planet of the Apes, specifically in a scene where the apes could fly. I recall vividly watching this in the theater, which is amusing since 1. both the song and the movie came out before I was born, and 2. the scene doesn't exist.

Next time you hear it, just imagine apes with wings swooping through the air and it will seem less unnerving.

You just want me to have nightmares for the rest of my life, don't you....

 

[GerdaWordyer]

I have a high tolerance for what many people consider unnerving music - I even sort of appreciate Diamanda Galas.

The song I can't handle though is DOA by Bloodrock. Just...no. Not even linking a video here :hide:
A fun bit of trivia - Bloodrock played at a co-workers prom back in the early 70's. That must have been a real hoot.

A band from Fort[ean] Worth gave us that one hit wonder.

 

[GerdaWordyer]

A band from Fort[ean] Worth gave us that one hit wonder.

I had the record and used to crank it up on Hallowe'en.

 

[Ulalume]

A band from Fort[ean] Worth gave us that one hit wonder.

Yeah, what is it with Fort Worth? It also gave us Possum Kingdom by the Toadies. Which isn't on the same level of unnerving as DOA but also not something you want to hear while driving around in the middle of the night. (Speaking from experience, here.)

Also, how telling is it that we're both up at 4 AM discussing unnerving songs.

 

[GerdaWordyer]

Yeah, what is it with Fort Worth? It also gave us Possum Kingdom by the Toadies. Which isn't on the same level of unnerving as DOA but also not something you want to hear while driving around in the middle of the night. (Speaking from experience, here.)

Also, how telling is it that we're both up at 4 AM discussing unnerving songs.

Perhaps the spirit of 1969 imbues this July--50th anniversary of Summer of Goatman! (Link is really silly) https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2019/06/a-monstrous-50th-anniversary-on-the-horizon/

 

[GNC]

Who was it (as in which celebrity) that was scared of Bossa Nova Baby by Elvis Presley? Just heard it on the radio and it brought back a half-memory. Probably lost to the mists of time now...

 

[henry]

in this instance its all in the delivery ... truly nightmarish with no sound ... bobby pickett

 

[Mythopoeika]

in this instance its all in the delivery ... truly nightmarish with no sound ... bobby pickett

I'd forgotten about the face-pulling!

 

[Spudrick68]

Although intentionally theatrical with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, this song can be a little unsettling:

 

[Spudrick68]

Or this (apologies for the ad beforehand):