The Most Disturbing Music Videos of All Time
It's Halloween, so if you wanna scare your friends, here is your chance.
Halloween is right around the corner, and while the music video art form is undergoing a transformation thanks to streaming, many of today's artists still rely on music videos to help elevate their music.
Sometimes, the results are horrifying. We all remember the day we were first exposed to Marilyn Manson's eerie music video for "The Beautiful People," or what we were doing when Tool's cartoonish depictions of rape in "Prison Sex" sent us all reeling. As shown by our list below, the music video format is one that can truly shock and awe, and while horror films are having their moment this week, let's revisit some of the most disturbing music videos in recent memory.
"A Little Piece of Heaven" By Avenged Sevenfold
The playful animation, musical skeletons, and goofy cut-outs quickly lull the viewer into a false sense of security, but the next thing you know, the video's protagonist is killing his girlfriend and viciously raping her rotting corpse. At one point he even purchases a heater to keep her body warm. The cartoonish nature elevates the disturbing narrative told by M. Shadows and will forever change the way we listen to this song.
▲"Tarnished Gluttony" by Job For a Cowboy
A man takes an unconscious boy into the woods and uses a small blade to cut open his stomach and remove his insides. He then, for some f*cking reason, puts a rotting squid corpse inside his stomach, sews him up, and sends him out to sea. "For hypocrisy has it's own elegant symmetry," the lead singer screams. I mean, I guess.
▲"Come to Daddy" By Aphex Twins
One of the most disturbing music videos of all time, Aphex Twin does not shy away from the terror and dread his song conveys. Rumor has it Richard D. James heard "Firestarter" by The Prodigy and crafted this song and video to show them "how it was done." A bunch of man-faced toddlers draped in weird dresses run around a post-apocalyptic town, killing everyone and terrifying the masses while Richard James screams out, "I want your soul!" Yes, the result is much more terrifying than "Firestarter."
▲"Obscure" by Dir en Grey
Japanese Metal band Dir En Grey seriously gives no f*cks about making you uncomfortable. Their video for "Obscure" is a total mind-bender and relentlessly bombards the viewer with graphic images of gore, violent orgies, and creepy clowns, among so many other things. It's not for those who can get easily queasy, but if you're trying to give yourself a heart attack, go ahead and watch it. I dare you.
▲"First of the Year (Equinox)" by Skrillex
This is a tale of sweet, vengeful justice but is pretty creepy none the less. A pedophilic man follows a young girl into an abandoned warehouse with ill intentions and then gets way more than he bargained for when the girl uses the telekinetic powers of dubstep to transform into a demon and rip him to shreds.
▲"The Emperor’s New Clothes" by Panic! At The Disco
Let's take a break from the hardcore gore and revisit a music video that's creepy in a more PG-13 way. Brandon Urie transforms into a demon in a land of corpses and talking skulls. Thanks to the signature theatricality of Panic! At the Disco and Mr. Urie himself, the whole video is impeccably designed and will scare the pants off your kids this Halloween.
▲"Lazarus" By David Bowie
Made less than a month before he died, "Lazarus" and its accompanying video both deal with mortality, with Bowie openly discussing his demise as he lies blindfolded on a discolored hospital bed. Hands begin to reach for Bowie over the corners of the bed, while Bowie sings about his "life as a king." It's the most badass way to go out, and eeriness aside, it reigns as Bowie's requiem and final masterpiece.
▲"Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson
If the spirit of Halloween were to take human form, it would no doubt look like Marilyn Manson. In fact, this whole list could be dedicated to him. While "The Beautiful People" reigns as Manson's scariest video, "Sweet Dreams" is an underrated gem of a horror show. Marilyn Manson wears a bridal dress and...well you'll just have to see for yourself.
▲"The Bird and the Worm" by The Used
The Used have always been compelling in their absurdity. Their best moments have been a strange balance of catchy, radio-ready hooks combined with thematically disturbing material. "The Bird and the Worm" is one of the group's darker videos, with lead singer Bert McCracken graphically depicting his experiences as a schizophrenic.
▲"Bleed" by Meshuggah
This video has all the horror tropes you could imagine. Quick pan visuals, pale people in chains and chokers with blood dripping out their mouths, and cockroaches running around. It all culminates in one of the most disturbing and metal videos of all time. It's impossible to put this video into words.
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