There are many levels of creepiness.
This list, hopefully, hits several of them.
When you're over hearing "The Monster Mash," and add these five dark tunes to the Halloween playlist we helped you start last year.
"Mind is Playing Tricks on Me" by Geto Boys
The embarrassment of riches that was new music in 1991 is legendary but the list goes well beyond Nevermind, Badmotorfinger, Bandwagonesque, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Actung Baby, Trompe Le Monde, Gish, The Black Album, Use Your Illusion, Pretty on the Inside, Green Mind, Temple of the Dog, Girlfriend, Steady Diet of Nothing, Luck of the Draw, Emotions, Death Certificate, Niggaz4Life, and 2pacalypse Now.
Any 1991 list that does not include the Geto Boys' third album,We Can't Be Stopped, is incomplete.
Earlier that year, 3' 8" Geto Boy, Bushwick Bill, was shot in the face when (depending on which story you believe) he and his boo were struggling over a gun; or he intentionally provoked his mom to kill him - since he was suicidal anyways. This way he could go and she could collect the life insurance.
Whoever shot him, he lost an eye.
When Scarface and Willie D., the other members of his Houston rap group, visited him in the hospital they saw an opportunity for a shocking album cover, so they took off his eye patch and rolled his gurney through the halls in an impromptu photoshoot Bill later said he regretted. But it worked. It got people to listen even though they had all those other options.
And what they heard with the album's single, "Mind's Playing Tricks On Me," was even scarier and the accompanying video of Bill trick or treating was that much more ominous.
The tune about post traumatic stress and suicidal thoughts went to #23 on the crowded charts and should creep out anyone who pays attention to it.
"Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne
Speaking of people getting shot, you may have heard of one of Ozzy's former guitarists being gunned down recently.
Jake E. Lee, who had the inevitable assignment of replacing Randy Rhodes after he tragically died, was with Ozzy from '82 thru '87; appearing on Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986).
Now 67 and living in Las Vegas, Lee says a gunman unloaded his entire clip on him as he was walking his dog at 2:30 am. But he and the dog are good.
Lee claims he penned a good chunk of Bark at the Moon but was robbed of writing and publishing credits by Ozzy's wife Sharon.
Before Ozzy put a pause on touring last year, the eerie song about the Wolfman was performed by the self proclaimed Prince of Darkness over 800 times, ranking it the 7th most played song in his catalogue.
If Oz would like to set the record straight on this matter that would be great because it's often bittersweet rocking out to the sweet tune when it feels like it was stolen from the guy who was there when he was needed the most.
"One Way Or Another" by Blondie
While being stalked by an ex-boyfriend who wouldn't say no, Debbie Harry wrote the ultra creepy "One Way or Another" from the point of view of her rejected Romeo.
I will drive past your house
And if the lights are all down
I'll see who's around
She is literally laughing at her stalker through the lyrics, mocking him.
To make matters worse she went on The Muppet Show and ended up hugging the monster in the end: but not you, mister.
Blondie's reclamation of power is the second-most performed song the band has.
"I Want You" by Elvis Costello
Speaking of stalkers, in 1986 Elvis Costello had so many songs he knocked out two gems, King of America and Blood & Chocolate.
Of the standouts of the two very different albums is "I Want You," which sounds like the unhinged bookend of Blondie's beau.
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
"I want you"
Not only does Costello use his voice to mimic the voice of the suitor wooing his girl, but the dissonant guitar solo sounds like the devil's violin solo in "Devil Went Down to Georgia."
It's in the Top 20 songs Elvis has performed live, which we are grateful for.
"All Nightmare Long" by Metallica
Is there no one better at writing Freddy Kruger's soundtrack than the Bay Area metal gods?
Produced by Rick Rubin, "All Nightmare Long" was a harsh reminder to critics of all ages that Metallica still had it.
From 2008's Death Magnetic, the ominous tune has all their regular signatures (changing time signatures, heavy riffs, gruff vocals, and piercing solos).
For some reason the band stopped playing the tune after their 2015 Lords of Summer mini tour.
Was it too taxing to play? You'd think during their no-repeat weekends of the M72 tour there would have been more opportunities to slip the eight minute epic in the setlist, but nope.
Metallica only has one gig left on their dance card for 2024. An annual benefit they support called Helping Hands to support All Within My Hands. It will be at the YouTube Theater next door to the Forum.
Tickets are sold out but the M72 Tour rolls on starting again in April. Grab your seats on Metallica's website.
