Would you willingly listen to a few songs knowing they are all about serial killers? Well, maybe you already did….
On August 9, 1969, 16 stab wounds shocked the world. “The Family” didn’t care that their victim was eight and a half months pregnant. Manson’s orders were clear: “Destroy everyone in the most horrifying way possible.” The horrors committed at Roman Polanski’s home outraged American society, even angering Manson himself, prompting him to lead another murder to show them how it should be done. The chosen site was 3301 Waverly Drive, home of Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary. They were brutally stabbed multiple times with a bayonet, and one of the most chilling images was the phrase “Helter Skelter” written in blood on the refrigerator door.
When Charles Manson was arrested, he claimed he took the phrase ‘Helter Skelter’ from the Beatles’ song of the same name, stating it referred to an impending race war between whites and blacks. The murders, he believed, would accelerate the coming conflict.
Shortly after, the tables turned. The man who found inspiration in an English band’s song became a muse for many artists who wrote songs inspired by the heinous acts committed by “The Family.” Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Neil Young are just a few examples of this phenomenon. But Manson isn’t an isolated case—many songs delve into the terrifying corners of history’s most disturbed minds.
This Songs Are About Famous Serial Killers
1.Elizabeth Báthory (1560 – 1614)
Legend has it that this Hungarian aristocrat was responsible for the deaths of 650 women. The motives were clear—Elizabeth was obsessed with her beauty and believed that the blood of virgins could keep her young, which led her to bathe in this vital fluid. Although these tales are often questioned as exaggerations by her enemies, over 300 witnesses testified that the countess tortured and murdered several women.
‘Countess Bathory’ by Venom“
Welcoming the virgins fair, to live a noble life
In the castle known to all, the Counts infernal wife
She invites the peasants with endless lavish foods
But when evening spreads it wings, she rapes them of their blood.”
‘Elizabeth’ by Ghost“
Underneath the moonlight of old Hungarian skies
Buried in the blood-drenched earth
These barren lands of ice
She was an evil woman with an evil old soul
Piercing eyes emotionless
A heart so black and cold.”
2.Jack the Ripper (late 19th century)
In 1888, a series of murders shook London’s Whitechapel district. The culprit was dubbed “Jack the Ripper,” a cunning and mocking figure who primarily targeted local prostitutes. He earned his nickname after removing the organs from at least three victims. While some doubt his existence, Jack has left a unique mark on our culture.
‘The Ripper’ by Judas Priest“
In London town streets
When there’s darkness and fog
When you least expect me
And you turn your back, I’ll attack.”
‘Jack The Ripper’ by Screaming Lord Sutch“
There’s a man who walks the streets of London late at night
With a little black bag that’s oh-so tight
He’s got a big black cloak hangin’ down his back
Well, that’s one big cat I just hate to fight.”
3. Ed Gein (1906 – 1984)
Technically not a serial killer, but his twisted mind has inspired countless movies and songs. Gein confessed to murdering two women, but the horror struck when authorities discovered what he had done with the bodies. He was known for exhuming corpses and crafting objects from the remains, including a mask of human skin, plates made from skulls, furniture upholstered with human skin, and a belt made of human nipples.
‘Dead Skin Mask’ by Slayer“
Graze the skin with my fingertips
The brush of dead warm flesh pacifies the means
Incised members ornaments on my being
Adulating the skin before me.”
‘Deadache’ by Lordi“
The mad butcher goes bump in the night
And loneliness
It makes nights endless.”
4. John Wayne Gacy (1942–1994)
While some may find a fear of clowns irrational, the terrifying story of this man proves that such fear might be justified. Between 1972 and 1978, numerous boys and young men disappeared in Cook County, Illinois. After extensive investigation, John Wayne Gacy was found guilty of at least 33 murders. Gacy often met his victims while performing as the clown “Pogo” at children’s parties, later taking them to his home to assault and murder them. He was sentenced to death in 1980 and executed 14 years later.
’33 Something’ by Bathory“
The smell of love the smell of human
Blood and excrement.
Once you’ve played with Mr. Gacy,
There’s no way out. No release.”
5. Ted Bundy (1946 – 1989)
Ted Bundy’s horrific acts are well-known to anyone familiar with his story. During the 1970s, Bundy attacked numerous women across the United States. His crimes went beyond murder and rape, as he often returned to crime scenes to have relations with the decomposing bodies. He was arrested in 1975 and confessed to 30 murders, though many believe this number is an understatement.
‘Ted, Just Admit It…’ by Jane’s Addiction
“I am the killer of people
You look like a meatball
I’ll throw away your toothpick
And ask for your forgiveness.”
‘Stay Wide Awake’ by Eminem“
So dark and so cold my friends don’t know this other side of me
There’s a monster inside of me it’s quite ugly and it frightens me.”
6. Issei Sagawa (1949)
In 1977, Issei Sagawa moved to Paris to pursue a Ph.D. in literature. Three years later, he invited his classmate Renée Hartevelt over under the pretext of transcribing poetry. Suddenly, he felt an urge to consume her energy and shot her in the neck. Sagawa spent two days eating her body before being caught while trying to dispose of the remains in a lake. Despite confessing, he was never imprisoned, as his defense argued he was insane. He was placed in a psychiatric hospital and released ten years later.
‘Too Much Blood’ by The Rolling Stones“
A friend of mine was this Japanese. He had a girlfriend in
Paris. He tried to date her in six months and eventually she
said yes. You know he took her to his apartment, cut off her
head.”
7. The Zodiac Killer
One of the most mysterious cases to hit American society. Between 1968 and 1969, seven people were murdered in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco. Only two people survived the attacks, claiming a mysterious man in his 20s or 30s attacked them while they were in their car. The case gained international attention when the killer contacted the media, claiming responsibility for 37 murders. To add to the mystery, he sent strange letters written in an unknown language. The case remains unsolved, and no one knows who the Zodiac Killer was. Fun fact, although you pro bably already know this: There is also a movie!
‘The Zodiac’ by Kamelot:
You will never really know my name without reflection
A careful devil’s irony in pure perfection
In pure deceit.”
8. Harold Shipman, ‘Dr. Death’
One of the most bizarre cases in the UK is that of Harold Shipman, a man who led an apparently normal life with one traumatic event—the death of his mother in his presence. Shipman studied medicine and worked at a hospital, but suspicions grew as he signed an alarming number of death certificates, often administering high doses of morphine to his patients. It’s said that he simply wanted to relive the moment of death over and over. Arrested and later nicknamed ‘Dr. Death,’ Shipman committed suicide in his Wakefield prison cell. He is linked to 218 probable murders.
‘The True Story of Harold Shipman’ by Jonathan King
*”Good morning to you
I want you to hear
The likely true story of Harold ShipmanYou’ll wake in the night
You’ll be shaking with fright
But for God’s sake don’t fall for a media demon.”*
The stories of these people evoke strange feelings in us. On one hand, we can’t help but feel terror at the horrific acts they committed, yet at the same time, they spark a morbid curiosity. What do you think about the influence of these killers on pop and rock culture ?
