List of songs about or referencing serial killers

This list needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this list. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "List of songs about or referencing serial killers" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This is a list of songs about or referencing killers. The songs are divided into groups by the last name of the killer the song is about or mentions.

• "Axeman Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)" - Squirrel Nut Zippers
• The Axeman's Jazz - Beasts of Bourbon
• "Axtmann" - Eisregen
• "The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)" – Joseph John Davilla^[1]

• "Joe Ball was his name" – Macabre

• "An Execution" – Siouxsie and the Banshees^[2]
• "Bathe in Blood" – Evile^[3]
• "Báthory Erzsébet" - Sunn O)))
• "Beauty Through Order" – Slayer^[4]
• "The Bleeding Baroness" – Candlemass^[5]
• "Blissfully Exsanguinated" - Defeated Sanity
• "Countess Bathory" - Venom^[6]
• "Countess Erszebeth Nadasdy" – Barathrum^[7]
• Cruelty and the Beast album by Cradle of Filth^[3]
• Die Blutgräfin album by Untoten
• "Elizabeth" – Aiden^[7]
• "Elizabeth" – Ghost^[7]
• Elizabeth album – Kamelot^[7]
• "Elizabeth Bathory" – Tormentor
• "Rose of Pain" – X Japan^[5]
• "To the Memory of the Dark Countess" – Mütiilation^[5]
• "Torquemada 71" – Electric Wizard^[5]
• "Woman of Dark Desires" – Bathory^[8]
• "The Wrath of Satan's Whore" – Countess^[3]

• "Diary of Torture" – Macabre

• ".44 Magnum Opus" - Exodus
• "6 Foot 7 Foot" - Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz
• "Bay of Pigs" – The Acacia Strain
• "Black Privilege" - Dr. Dre
• "Cereal Killer" – Green Jellÿ^[9]
• "Death 2" – Flatbush Zombies
• "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear The Voices)" – Hall & Oates^[10]
• "Ditty" – Barkmarket
• "I Hear Black" – Overkill^[11]
• "Hello From the Gutter" – Overkill^[12]
• "Hot Damn" – Ivy Levan
• "Insane in the Brain" – Cypress Hill^[13]
• "Jumping at Shadows" – Benediction
• "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" – Beastie Boys^[13]
• "Mr. 44" – Electric Hellfire Club^[14]
• "Reign In Blood" – Necro
• "(Sam), Son of Man" – Marilyn Manson and The Spooky Kids
• "Stay Wide Awake" – Eminem
• "Son of A Gun (David Berkowitz)" – Church of Misery
• "Son of Sam" - Chain Gang
• "Son of Sam" – Dead Boys
• "Son of Sam" – Elliott Smith
• "Son of Sam" – Macabre
• "Son of Sam" – Shinedown
• "Son of Sam" – Violent Soho
• "Summer Of Sam" – Lana Del Rey
• "Unseen Darkness" – Sinister

• "Choking Games" − Nicole Dollanganger

• "Hillside Strangler" – The Destructors
• "Hillside Strangler" – The Hollywood Squares
• "The Hillside Stranglers" – Macabre
• "I Wanna Make You Scream" – Battalion of Saints
• "Notown Blues" – The Black Lips^[2]

• "Archives of Pain" – Manic Street Preachers
• "Lambs to the Slaughter" – Church of Misery
• "Mother Earth" – Crass^[15]
• "No One Is Innocent" – The Sex Pistols
• "Suffer Little Children" – The Smiths
• "Very Friendly" – Throbbing Gristle

• "Fatal Foot Fetish" – Macabre
• "Truest Shade of Crimson – Through the Eyes of the Dead

• "Anne" – Bloodbath
• "Black Friday" – Lil' Kim
• "Blackest Eyes" – Porcupine Tree
• "Blow" – Tyler, the Creator
• "Bundy" – Animal Alpha
• "Bundy's DNA" – Acid Drinkers^[16]
• "Crack" – Slowthai
• "Death 2" – Flatbush Zombies
• "The Drifter" – Green on Red
• "epaR" – Earl Sweatshirt
• "I, Motherfucker (Ted Bundy)" – Church of Misery
• "Just another psycho" - Motley Crüe
• "Lotta True Crime"- Penelope Scott
• "Meticulous Invagination" – Aborted
• "Mr. Gore" – Blitzkid^[17]
• "Murder Dividead" – Edge Of Sanity
• "Reign In Blood" - Necro
• "Serial Killer" – Vio-lence^[18]
• "Stay Wide Awake" – Eminem
• "Stripped, Raped and Strangled" – Cannibal Corpse
• "Ted Bundy" – Theory of a Deadman
• "The Ted Bundy Song" – Macabre
• "Ted Bundy's Thanksgiving Dinner" – A Lot Like Birds
• "Ted, Just Admit It…" – Jane's Addiction^[2]
• "Till Death" – Lord Infamous
• "Torch Song Trilogy" - Handsome Boy Modeling School^[19]
• "Video Crimes" - Tin Machine^[20]
• "Warrior" - Swollen Members
• "We Want Cunt" – Jeffree Star
• "What Turns You on?" – The Cassandra Complex
• "The Wheels on the Bug" – Macabre

• "Blood Sucking Freaks (Richard Chase)" – Church of Misery
• "House Sparrow" – Xiu Xiu
• "Refuse 2 Lose" - Brotha Lynch Hung

• "How Are You, Kid?" – Macabre
• "Psychopathy Red" – Slayer
• "Red Ripper Blues (Andrei Chikatilo)" – Church of Misery
• "Ripper von Rostow" – Eisregen
• "Rostov Ripper" – Impious
• "The Butcher of Rostov" – Blood Tsunami

• "El Padrino (Adolfo Constanzo)" – Church of Misery
• "Sacrifical Shack" – Pain Teens

• "Candyman" – Monte Cazazza
• "Candyman (Dean Corll)" – Church of Misery

• "213" – Slayer^[2]
• "Arcarsenal" – At The Drive-In
• "Bagpipes from Baghdad" – Eminem
• "Bandit" – Juice WRLD ft. NBA YoungBoy
• "Benz or Beamer" – Outkast
• "Big Boy’s Neighborhood Freestyle" - Kendrick Lamar
• "Black Friday"- Lil Kim
• "Body Parts" – Three 6 Mafia
• "Brainless" – Eminem
• "Break the Law"- Mac Miller
• "Cannibal" – Kesha
• "Celebrity Cannibalism" – Creaming Jesus
• "Choklit Factory" – Marilyn Manson
• "Control" – The Black Dahlia Murder
• "Da Graveyard" – Big L
• Dahmer – Macabre^[21]
• "Dahmer and the Limbs" – Nicole Dollanganger
• "Dahmer Does Hollywood" - Amigo the Devil
• "Dahmer is Dead" – Violent Femmes
• "Danger Zone" – Big L
• "Dark Horse" – Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
• "Death 2" – Meechy Darko
• "Dirty Frank" – Pearl Jam
• "Electric City" – Black Eyed Peas
• "Freak Like Me" – Brooke Candy ft. TOOPOOR
• "Freeze Dried Man" – Macabre
• "God Bless" – Combichrist
• "I'm On It" – J. Cole
• "Jeffrey" – Juice WRLD
• "Jeffrey Dahmer" – Soulfly
• "Keep it Underground" – Lords of the Underground
• "KKKill the Fetus" - Esham
• "Killer" - Phoebe Bridgers
• "Lift Me Up" - Vince Staples
• "Lil' Drummer Boy’ "- Lil Kim
• "Lord Dahmer" - Final Solution
• "Marlon JD" – Manic Street Preachers^{[dubious – discuss]}
• "Moonshine" - Swollen Members
• "Must Be The Ganja" - Eminem
• "Murder Avenue" - Geto Boys
• "Nature of the threat" - Ras Kass
• "Natural Born Killaz - Dr. Dre ft. Ice Cube
• "Now I'm High, Really High" − Three 6 Mafia
• "Orange Juice" - EarlWolf
• "Particle Accelerator" - Tad
• "Pretty Boy Swag" - Tyga
• "Psycopath Killer" - Eminem ft Slaughterhouse & Yelawolf
• "Rage All Over" - Wargasm
• "Rap, Soda y Bohemia" – Molotov
• "Reign In Blood" - Necro
• "Room 213" – Church of Misery
• "Room 213" – Dead Moon
• "Room 213" - G.G.F.H.
• "Said the Spider to the Fly" - the pAper chAse
• "Sandwitches" - Tyler the Creator
• "Siccmade" - Brotha Lynch Hung
• "Sinthasomphone" – Venetian Snares
• "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" - Andrew Rannells
• "Still Born/Still Life" – Christian Death
• "Straight Boys" - Jeffree Star
• "The Ballad Of Jeffrey Dahmer" – Pinkard & Bowden
• "Things Get Worse" - Eminem Ft. B.o.B
• "Tom Dahmer Mixtape Freestyle" – Necro
• "Transformer" – Future ft. Nicki Minaj
• "Trigger Inside" - Therapy?
• "Usual Suspects" – Hollywood Undead
• "You're Gonna Love This"- 3OH!3
• "What's That Smell?" – Macabre
• "What Will Happen Will Happen"- Lemon Demon

• "The Boston Strangler" – Macabre
• "Boston Strangler (Albert DeSalvo)" – Church of Misery
• "Dedicated to Albert De Salvo" – Whitehouse
• "Dirty Water" – The Standells
• "Little Engine" – Eminem
• "Midnight Rambler" – The Rolling Stones^[22]

• "Dealers of Fame" - Oh, Sleeper

• "Soul Discharge (Mark Essex)" – Church of Misery

• "27 Needles" – John 5
• "Albert Fish/Liverwurst" – Green Jellÿ
• "Albert Was Worse Than Any Fish In The Sea" – Macabre
• "Document: Grace Budd" – The Number Twelve Looks Like You
• "Fish" - Tyler, the Creator
• "Fishtales" – Macabre
• "The Gray Man (Albert Fish)" – Church of Misery
• "Human Consumption" - Necro
• "Instruments of Hell" – Exhumed^[23]
• "Letter to Mother" - Divine Heresy
• "Mr. Albert Fish (Was Children Your Favourite Dish?)" – Macabre
• "Mr Fish" – Sparzanza
• "Slaughter House" – Macabre
• "Three Bedrooms in a Good Neighborhood" − Death Grips
• "The Werewolf of Westeria" – John 5

• "Pretty Lavinia" – American Murder Song

• "Twistin'" – Lil Ugly Mane (featuring Denzel Curry)

• "33 Something" – Bathory
• "Clownin' Around" - Deer Tick^[2]
• "Finger Paintings of The Insane" - Acid Bath
• "Gacy's Lot" – Macabre
• "Gacy's Place" - The Mentally Ill
• "John Wayne Gacy" – SKYND
• "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." – Sufjan Stevens
• "Master of Brutality (John Wayne Gacy)" – Church of Misery
• "Melmac" - The Cribs
• "Panty Shot" – Mindless Self Indulgence
• "Pogo The Clown" – Dog Fashion Disco
• "Pogo The Clown" – Hubert Kah
• "Reign In Blood" - Necro
• "Stinky" – Macabre
• "Suffer Age" – Fear Factory
• "Three for Flinching (Revenge of the Porno Clowns)" – The Dillinger Escape Plan
• "Unaccommodating" – Eminem
• "Under the Floor" – Hail the Sun

• "Harvey Glatman (Your Soul Will Forever Rot)" – Macabre

• "The Sweet Tender Meat Vendor" - Macabre

• "Bella The Butcher" – Macabre
• "Belle Gunness" – Cassius
• "Black Widow of La Porte" – John 5

• "Fritz Haarman der Metzger" – Macabre
• "Fritz Haarman the Butcher" – Macabre
• "Most Evil (Fritz Harmann)" – Church of Misery
• "Warte Warte" – Macabre

• "Acid Bath Vampire" – Macabre
• "Make Them Die Slowly (John George Haigh)" – Church of Misery

• "Butcher Baker (Robert Hansen)" – Church of Misery
• "Robert Hansen" – SKYND

• "Choking Games" − Nicole Dollanganger

• "Blood Red Sandman" – Lordi^[24]
• "Catch Me If You Can" - Leathermouth
• "The Death of Jack the Ripper" – The Legendary Pink Dots
• "Down on Whores" – Benediction
• "Fall" - Eminem
• "In the Mind of a Lunatic" – Sigh
• "Jack" – Iced Earth^[24]
• "Jack the Knife" – The Electric Hellfire Club
• "Jack the Ripper" – Buckethead
• "Jack the Ripper" - Hobbs' Angel of Death
• "Jack the Ripper" – LL Cool J
• "Jack The Ripper" – Macabre^[24]
• "Jack the Ripper" – Morrissey
• "Jack the Ripper" – Motörhead^[24]
• "Jack the Ripper" – Nationalteatern
• "Jack the Ripper" – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• "Jack the Ripper" – Rob Kelly
• "Jack the Ripper" – Screaming Lord Sutch
• "Jack The Ripper" – The Horrors
• "Jack the Ripper" – The Fuzztones
• "Jack the Ripper in Heaven" – Club Moral^[25]
• "Killer on the Loose" - Thin Lizzy
• "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" – Reunion
• "London In Terror" - Motionless In White
• "Maxwell Murder" – Rancid
• "Music Box" - Eminem
• "Must be the Ganja" - Eminem
• "Reconstruction of the Female Anatomy" - Through the Eyes of the Dead
• "Respite on the Spitalfields" - Ghost
• "The Ripper" – Judas Priest^[24]
• "Saucy Jack" – Spinal Tap
• "She Knows" – Ne-Yo Feat. Juicy J
• The Somatic Defilement – Whitechapel^[24]
• "Tombstone Blues" − Bob Dylan
• "Unsolved Mysteries" – Animal Collective^[2]

• "Body Parts" – Three 6 Mafia
• "Exploding Octopus" – Ill Bill
• "FC: The Freedom Club" – Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
• "I Wanna Be a Unabomber" – Donnas
• "Killer Kaczynski" – Mando Diao
• "Militia Song" – Camper Van Beethoven
• "Unabomber" – J. Cole
• "The Unabomber" – Macabre
• "Unabomber" – M.I.R.V.
• "Unabomber" – The Acacia Strain
• "Unabomber" – Underground Resistance
• "What Will Happen Will Happen" - Lemon Demon

• "Abomination Unseen" – Devourment
• "Edmund Kemper" – SKYND
• "Edmund Kemper Had a Terrible Temper" – Macabre^[21]
• "Edmund Temper" – Amigo the Devil
• "Forever" – The Berzerker
• "Fortress/Outer Space/Forever" – System of a Down
• "Killifornia (Ed Kemper)" – Church of Misery
• "Murder" – Seabound
• "Severed Head" – Suicide Commando
• "Temper Temper Mr. Kemper" – The Celibate Rifles
• "Urge to Kill" – Throbbing Gristle

• "Freeway Madness Boogie (Randy Kraft)" – Church of Misery

• "Evil Ole Soul" – Macabre

• "The Iceman" – Macabre
• "Lyrical Hitman (Richard Kuklinski)" – Royce Da 5'9" and Marvwon

• Dedicated to Peter Kurten – Whitehouse
• "Dusseldorf Monster" - Church of Misery
• "In Germany Before the War" – Randy Newman
• "Vampire of Düsseldorf" – Macabre

• "The Murder Mack" – Macabre

• "The Ballad of Leonard and Charles" – Exodus
• "The Lake Of Fire" – Macabre
• "Leonard's Lake" - Lil Ugly Mane
• "Macerate and Petrify" – Venetian Snares

• "Teacakes" – Macabre

• "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" - Fantômas
• "Let's Be Bad, Henry" - the pAper chAse
• "Lucas Toole" - Downthesun
• "Murder Company" – Church of Misery
• "Serial Killer" – Macabre
• "They Like Me, They Love Me" – Jason Hill^[26]
• "While You Sleep, I Destroy Your World"- Nailbomb^[27]

• "Dr. Holmes (He Stripped Their Bones)" – Macabre
• "From the Cradle to the Grave" - Havok
• "Infecting them with Falsehood" – Deeds of Flesh
• "Murder Castle Blues (H.H. Holmes)" – Church of Misery
• "Them Dry Bones" - Macabre
• "The Torture Doctor"- Alkaline Trio

• "Megalomania (Herbert Mullin)" – Church of Misery

• "Cranley Gardens" (Denis Nilsen) – Church of Misery
• "Killing for Company" – Swans^[28]
• "Turnabout" — Moth Wranglers
• "When Lovers Die" – Children on Stun
• "You're Dying To Be With Me" – Macabre

• "Reminiscences of a Minnesota State Training School Alumni, Class of 1905" – Flare Acoustic Arts League

• "Shotgun Peterson" – Macabre

• "Sewers" – Torture Killer

• "Fed To The Pigs" – Devourment
• "Hooker Fortified Pork Products" – The Accüsed
• "Pigfarm" – Mad Sin

• "Dorthea's Dead Folks Home" – Macabre

• "Bind, Torture and Kill" – Suicide Commando
• "Bind Torture Kill" – Suffocation
• "B.T.K." - Church of Misery
• "BTK" - Exodus
• "Lotta True Crime" - Penelope Scott
• "Raider II" - Steven Wilson

• "Barbazul versus el amor letal" - Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota
• "The Black Knight" – Macabre
• Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder - Cradle of Filth
• "Into the Crypts of Rays" – Celtic Frost
• "Tritt Ein" – Saltatio Mortis
• "The Window" - The Black Dahlia Murder

• "Acosador Nocturno" - Soulfly
• "City of Angels" - Testament
• "Disappearing Syndrome" – Hail the Sun
• "Godzilla" - Eminem
• "Going Going Gone" – Exodus
• "Kamikaze" - Eminem
• "Killer" – King Diamond
• "Knight Stalker" - Shadow Project
• "Night Crawler" - Judas Priest
• "Night Crawling" - Miley Cyrus featuring Billy Idol
• "The Night Stalker" – Bewitched
• "Night Stalker" – Macabre
• "Night Stalker" – Super Heroines
• "Noche Acosador" – John 5
• "Nocturnal Predator" - Legion of the Damned
• "Ramirez" - The Acacia Strain
• "The Reflecting God" - Marilyn Manson
• "Richard Ramirez" - SKYND
• "Richard Ramirez Died Today Of Natural Causes" - Sun Kil Moon
• "Smooth Criminal" - Michael Jackson^[29]
• "Snake Eyes and Sissies" - Marilyn Manson
• "Where Evil Dwells (Richard Ramirez)" – Church of Misery
• "Your Window Is Open" – Macabre

• "Come On Down" - Green River
• "Deep Red Bells" – Neko Case
• "Green River" – Church of Misery
• "The Green River Murderer (He's Still Out There)" – Macabre
• "I Wanna Know What Love Is" - Julie Ruin
• "Sane vs. Normal" - Mnemic
• "You Can't Slip" - Sir Mix A Lot

• "Danny Rolling" – The Murder Junkies

• "Born to Raise Hell (Richard Speck)" - Church of Misery
• "Richard Speck Grew Big Breasts" – Macabre
• "What the Heck Richard Speck? (Eight Nurses You Wrecked)" – Macabre

• "Shankill Butchers" – The Decemberists
• "Shankill Butchers" – Sarah Jarosz

• "Doctor Death ((Harold Shipman))" - Church of Misery
• "Lips of Ashes" – Porcupine Tree
• "What About Us?" - The Fall

• "Werewolf of Bedburg" – Macabre

• "Archives of Pain" - Manic Street Preachers
• "The Chapeltown Rag" - Slipknot
• "Leeds Ripper" – Throbbing Gristle
• "Leeds United" – Luke Haines
• "Night Shift" – Siouxsie and the Banshees
• "The Ripper" – Pallas
• "Ripping Into Pieces (Peter Sutcliffe)" – Church of Misery

• "Disappearing Syndrome" – Hail the Sun

• "The Ripper Tramp from France" - Macabre

• "El Comegente" - Soulfly

• "25 Cromwell St." - Apoptygma Berzerk
• "Evil" – Interpol
• "Strip the Soul" - Porcupine Tree

• "Aquemini" - Outkast
• "Atlanta, GA" - Shawty Lo feat. Gucci Mane, The-Dream, and Ludacris
• "the ends" - Travis Scott feat. André 3000
• "Growing Pains" - Ludacris feat. Fate Wilson and Keon Bryce
• "Thought Process" - Goodie Mob feat. André 3000

• "Aileen" – Willam
• "Aileen Wuornos" – SKYND
• "Disease of Men" – Kristin Hayter^[30]
• "Filth Bitch Boogie (Aileen Wuornos)" – Church of Misery
• "For I Am the Light (And Mine Is the Only Way Now)" - Kristin Hayter
• "Holy Is the Name (Of My Ruthless Axe)" − Kristin Hayter
• "If the Poison Won't Take You My Dogs Will" – Kristin Hayter
• "Poor Aileen" – Superheaven
• "Sixth Of June" – It Dies Today

• "Poison" – Macabre
• "Taste the Pain (Graham Young)" – Church Of Misery

• "Dear Editor" – Kamelot
• "Death 2" – Flatbush Zombies
• "Gemini" – Slayer
• "Nostalgia in Lemonade" − Avey Tare
• "Sick of Living (Zodiac)" – Church of Misery
• "Venus in Furs" – Electric Wizard
• "The Zodiac" – Kamelot
• "Zodiac" – Macabre
• "Zodiac" – Melvins
• "Zodiac" - Six Feet Under
• "Zodiac (He Is Still Out There.....)" – Christian Death
• "Zodiac Shit" – Flying Lotus

• Serial killer
• List of serial killers
• Murder ballad

• Olive W. Burt, American Murder Ballads and their Stories, Oxford University Press, New York, 1958
• Olive W. Burt, "Murder Ballads of Mormondom", Western Folklore, 18:2, April 1959, pp. 141–156
• Olive W. Burt, "The Minstrelsy of Murder", Western Folklore, 17:4, October 1958, pp. 263–272
• Daniel A. Cohen, "The Beautiful Female Murder Victim: Literary Genres and Courtship Practices in the Origins of a Cultural Motif, 1590–1850", Journal of Social History, 31:2, Winter 1997, pp. 277–306
• Chet Flippo, "Nashville Skyline: The Subject Was Murder", CMT.com, February 5, 2004
• Will Robinson Sheff, "The Dark Side of Folk: Songs about Murder", Audiogalaxy
• Michael E. Bush, "Murder Ballads in Appalachia", (thesis) Marshal University, Huntington, West Virginia, 1977
• Kenneth D. Tunnel, "99 Years is Almost For Life: Punishment for Violent Crime in Bluegrass Music", The Journal of Popular Culture, 26:3, Winter 1992, pp. 165–181
• Ellen L. O'Brien, "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MURDER": THE TRANSGRESSIVE AESTHETICS OF MURDER IN VICTORIAN STREET BALLADS", Victorian Literature and Culture, 28, 2000, pp. 15–37

• Bloody Ballads: Classic British and American Murder Ballads, Sung by Paul Clayton, Ed. by Kenneth S. Goldstein, Riverside Records, New York, 1956 (includes cover notes)
• Blood Booze 'n Bones, Sung by Ed McCurdy, banjo accompaniment by Erik Darling, Elektra Records, 1956 (includes 12 page booklet)
• Murder Ballads, by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mute Records, 1996
• Murder Metal, Macabre, 2003 (This band appears to have become known for a death metal variation of the murder ballad)