List of songs about or referencing serial killers

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.

This is a dynamic list of songs and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

A–B

Axeman of New Orleans

• "The Mysterious Axman's Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa)" – Joseph John Davilla^[1]

Joe Ball

• "Joe Ball was his name" – Macabre

Elizabeth Báthory

• "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]
• "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]

Robert Berdella

• "Diary of Torture" – Macabre

David Berkowitz

• ".44 Magnum Opus" - Exodus
• "Bay of Pigs" – The Acacia Strain
• "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

Paul Bernardo

• "Choking Games" − Nicole Dollanganger

Kenneth Bianchi & Angelo Buono

• "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]

Ian Brady & Myra Hindley

• "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

Jerry Brudos

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

Ted Bundy

• "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

C–F

Richard Chase

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

Andrei Chikatilo

• "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

Adolfo Constanzo

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

Dean Corll

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

Jeffrey Dahmer

• "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 Neigborhood 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

Albert DeSalvo

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

Dnepropetrovsk maniacs

• "Dealers of Fame" - Oh, Sleeper

Mark Essex

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

Albert Fish

• "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
• "Instruments of Hell" – Exhumed^[23]
• "Human Consumption" - Necro
• "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

Lavinia Fisher

• "Pretty Lavinia" – American Murder Song

Lonnie David Franklin Jr.

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

G–J

John Wayne Gacy

• "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
• "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 Murray Glatman

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

Carl Großmann

• "The Sweet Tender Meat Vendor" - Macabre

Belle Gunness

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

Fritz Haarmann

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

John George Haigh

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

Robert Hansen

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

Karla Homolka

• "Choking Games" − Nicole Dollanganger

Jack the Ripper

• "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]

K–M

Theodore Kaczynski

• "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

Edmund Kemper

• "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

Randy Kraft

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

Joachim Kroll

• "Evil Ole Soul" – Macabre

Richard Kuklinski

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

Peter Kürten

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

Lawrence Bittaker & Roy Norris

• "The Murder Mack" – Macabre

Leonard Lake & Charles Ng

• "The Ballad of Leonard and Charles" – Exodus
• "The Lake Of Fire" – Macabre
• "Macerate and Petrify" – Venetian Snares

Leonarda Cianciulli

• "Teacakes" – Macabre

Henry Lee Lucas & Ottis Toole

• "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]

Herman Mudgett (a.k.a. H. H. Holmes)

• "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

Herbert Mullin

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

N–R

Dennis Nilsen

• "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

Carl Panzram

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

Christopher Peterson

• "Shotgun Peterson" – Macabre

Alexander Pichushkin

• "Sewers" – Torture Killer

Robert Pickton

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

Dorothea Puente

• "Dorthea's Dead Folks Home" – Macabre

Dennis Rader

• "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

Gilles de Rais

• "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

Richard Ramirez

• "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

Gary Ridgway

• "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

• "Danny Rolling" – The Murder Junkies

Richard Speck

• "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

S–Z

Shankill Butchers

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

Harold Shipman

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

Peter Stumpp

• "Werewolf of Bedburg" – Macabre

Peter Sutcliffe

• "Archives of Pain" - Manic Street Preachers
• "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

Jack Unterweger

• "Disappearing Syndrome" – Hail the Sun

Joseph Vacher

• "The Ripper Tramp from France" - Macabre

Dorángel Vargas

• "El Comegente" - Soulfly

Fred West/Rose West

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

Aileen Wuornos

• "Aileen" – Willam
• "Aileen Wuornos" – SKYND
• "Disease of Men" – Kristin Hayter^[30]
• "Filth Bitch Boogie (Aileen Wuornos)" – Church of Misery
• "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

Graham Frederick Young

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

Zodiac Killer

• "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

See also

• Serial killer
• List of serial killers
• Murder ballad

References

Further reading

• 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

Further listening (recorded compilations)

• 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)