Monsters have been a part of our culture for as long as we know. They are scary and creepy but can also be fun and captivating.
We find them in movies, TV shows, and even some of our favorite songs. Wherever there is darkness, there are always monsters.
Wherever there are monsters, there’s music to accompany them. This blog features 29 different songs about monsters that you can listen to anytime you want to be scared out of your wits.
Top Songs About Monsters
“Monster” – Lady Gaga
Released in 2003, this song tells the story of a girl who has spent her whole life pretending to be someone she’s not because it’s safer that way. She’s scared to show her true self to anybody, so she spends her life being something else so she can fit in.
She sings about how she feels like a monster on the inside, but nobody can see because they can’t get past how beautiful she is outside. It’s a great reminder for people hiding their true selves for fear of being rejected or not accepted – you’re worth more than what you think.
“Monster Mash” – Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers
In 1962, Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers released “Monster Mash,” a novelty song about a zombie party. This song is a Halloween staple and has been covered by everyone from Beavis and Butthead to Ray Charles. It’s no surprise that this tune topped the charts in October of 1962.
he album art for “Monster Mash” is pretty terrifying too. It features Boris (Pickett) as a mad scientist surrounded by lab equipment, such as test tubes and beakers, while he dances around in his lab coat with two very detailed zombies dancing in front of him.
The bottom half of the album art features Pickett howling at the moon with three more zombies behind him.
“You’re So Vain”- Carly Simon
“You’re so vain; you probably think this song is about you.” This famous quote by Carly Simon is one of the many places she talks about her feelings for a man in this song.
It’s hard to tell if the man she’s singing about is real or imaginary. It could be an ex-lover, someone she knows, or even herself. Regardless of who it is, they are vain and self-absorbed, which is why Carly says, “I was good enough for you before anybody knew your name.”
Throughout the song, monsters are used as metaphors because they are perfect symbols for narcissists. Monsters are selfish, vain creatures that can’t stand to share anything with anyone else.
Overall, Carly Simon’s Vain tells the story of a woman who has put up with narcissism and cruelty from someone close to her to get what she wants out of him. Only when he becomes famous does he decide he doesn’t need her anymore.
“Night of the Living Dead” – Beck
“Night of the Living Dead” is a song by Beck, one of the most famous musicians in history. His music has been played on children’s television to college radio. You can find his songs on albums like Odelay and Mutations.
“Night of the Living Dead” is about an archetypal monster searching for human victims to kill. It’s a scary song, but it may not be as frightening as some listeners are used to. This makes it perfect for Halloween parties where kids are present.
The lyrics talk about how the monster takes control of its victims’ minds and sucks out their souls. Beck sings how “the creature creeps up behind you/ slugs your brain, digs your grave.” The meaning isn’t too deep or complicated, which might be why it’s so popular with kids.
Beck also talked with Rolling Stone about how he wrote this song: “I had just seen Night of the Living Dead for the first time, at the theater in Berkeley when I was 18 years old.”
“Ugly” – The Exies
One of the best songs about monsters is “Ugly” by The Exies. This song tells the story of a woman who discovers that her husband is cheating on her, and she confronts him about it.
Towards the end, he starts to reveal that he’s cheating on her with a demoness, and then she’s torn between staying or leaving.
The lyrics in this song are great because they manage to tell a story while also being super catchy. Another reason why this song is perfect for monsters is that it talks about how scared of them we are, which gives listeners some insight into how creative minds come up with these creatures.
This song was released in 2005, and it has an alternative rock vibe to it. It’s not so heavy but still manages to be edgy enough for people who are into rock music. If you’re looking for something that will get your adrenaline pumping, this isn’t the song for you – but if you’re looking for something haunting, this is perfect.
“Man In The Box” – Alice In Chains
“Man in the box” is a song from Alice In Chains’ album, “Facelift.” It narrates a story of a man with an addiction problem. He’s been floating around in a town that’s “nothing but cold and snow,” and he can’t stop wishing that he could disappear.
The protagonist in the song feels like the world is draining him of all his energy and his identity. He feels like an “invisible man,” who nobody sees anymore. The chorus repeats the lyrics, “I need to be invisible,” as if this is what will make him feel better.
Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley was inspired to write the song due to his addiction problems. Like the protagonist in “Man In The Box,” he felt invisible when he was addicted to drugs, which was one of many causes for his death.
“Ghost of Love” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Ghost of Love” is a song on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1999 album “Californication.” The song speaks to an individual’s yearning for connection. The lyrics are about the protagonist reminiscing on lost loves and finding new love. It can be interpreted as an ode to loneliness.
The song is one of many songs on the album that deals with themes of sex, drugs, and dissolution, so it can be speculated that this is part of Anthony Kiedis’s attempt at exorcising his own personal demons.
“The Monster (with Skrillex)” – Imagine Dragons
“The song is about a person who doesn’t want to believe that the monster inside of him is real. “The Monster” then becomes more real than he ever thought it could be, and he begins to accept his inner darkness.
He realizes that he’s not the only one out there with a monster inside of them, but if we all learn to love our monsters, they can see themselves in others and evolve into something beautiful. The song is an anthem for those who have struggled with their demons and have found some peace in accepting them.
“Godzilla” – Blue Oyster Cult
This entry is about how some monsters make their way to us from distant lands. In this case, Godzilla. The song talks about how the King of Monsters is so vicious and brutal that he could kill anything in his way.
It’s a challenge to anyone who would dare come near him. The lyrics also describe Godzilla being so powerful that he created himself, which is ironic considering how humans have helped bring him into our culture today.
There are a lot of similarities between Godzilla and other famous monsters. At the same time, there are stark differences between them all because they’re products of different cultures and countries around the world. This song is a great example of how people from different cultures view monsters differently.
“Furry, Happy Monsters” – R.E.M.
This one’s for children. R.E.M. joins with the furry monsters of Sesame Street as they sing a simple song that reflects that not everyone who looks like a monster is bad.
Some monstrous appearing people are just people: happy at times, sad at others. In other words, don’t judge a person by their appearance. Get to know them before you make a decision. Like most of Sesame Street’s songs, it teaches a lesson.
“Werewolves of London” – Warren Zevon
Meant to be funny, this song is perfect for Halloween and costume parties. Werewolves looking for Chinese restaurants in Soho and Lon Chaney walking with the queen are mild fare, compared with the real monster songs.
This level of monster madness is appropriate for younger teens and adolescents or to play between really scary songs like “Slayer” or “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” for comic relief. It came out in 1978 and made it to number 21 on the charts.
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead” – Bauhaus
The creepy, scary intro takes three minutes with chittering drums and heavy, deep bass tones to lead up to the menacing voice of Peter Murphy and the weird lyrics. The entire track takes nine minutes. Interpretations of the lyrics vary.
Many think the iconic Goth song is about Lugosi’s funeral. Lugosi had been drinking heavily for a few years as any hope for a comeback dissipated.
He died quietly in his sleep of a heart attack in 1956. His wish was to be cremated in the vampire cape he wore as Dracula in the movie.
“Black Sabbath” – Black Sabbath
More screamed than sung, the lyrics tell of a young man selected to be Satan’s “chosen one”. The heavy background beat of drum, bass, and electric guitar emphasize the growing panic of the man as Satan comes for him.
One of the band members, Geezer Butler, woke one night to find a large black shape standing at the foot of his bed, staring at him. After a few minutes of terror for Butler, the shape disappeared. Butler wrote the lyrics to the song the next day.
“Green Monster” – Suicide Silence
This…ummm…song is totally unintelligible, even when looking at the lyrics. The band, one of the leading lights of the deathcore genre, is making a statement about the environmental destruction by man.
The voice of Mitch Lucker is the monster. The repeated blows of bass and drum emphasize the destruction. Good song for a Halloween party. Kinda wild.
“Die Monster Die” – The Misfits
This song is about the monsters inside us in a place where mirrors don’t lie. The anger in the song is directed internally. The beat and the music is great for dancing.
This is another wonderful song for Halloween or costume parties, especially since the meaning of the song doesn’t hit you in the face.
“Zombie” – The Cranberries
An Irish band in the 1990s and 2000s, The Cranberries wrote most of their songs. They were highly focused on the violence in Northern Ireland between the Catholics (nationalists) and the Protestants (pro-British).
“Zombie” is a cry of pain wrenched forth by the death of two young boys in a bombing set off by the I.R.A. This one is brilliant but not for parties. It’s simply too painful.
“My Beloved Monster” – Eels
The song’s about a female monster who protects her man from a world that’s too mean. It was used in one of the Shrek movies.
A gentle little tune, the lyrics imply a deeper meaning. Slower and softer than death metal, it’s a change of pace for a party.
“Monsters” – Timeflies ft. Katie Sky
An amazing song, part the sweet soprano voice of Katie Sky, part rap.
The promise to take the internal monsters away. If only he could open his heart, his mind to her. But he can’t and she goes. Not really Halloween fare in my opinion.
“The Purple People Eater” – Sheb Wooley
This novelty song made it to number 1 on the charts and stayed there for six weeks in 1958. It’s cute. It’s funny.
It’s not scary. And it’s perfect for Halloween. There’s no hidden meaning. It’s not angry. It’s just cute.
“Bark at the Moon” – Ozzy Osbourne
‘Bark at the Moon’ isn’t a Black Sabbath song, but it was created by one of the band’s most famous members, Ozzy Osbourne.
The song was released on 15 November 1983 on an album with the same name. It tells the story of a man who transforms into a vicious creature to take his revenge.
“Would You Love a Monsterman” – Lordi
Could you love a Monsterman? Lordi goes all out with his costume and special effects to really drive home the point that he would slay and maim for you.
Yikes! In return the Monsterman questions whether you will be able to “understand beauty of the beast”? The song was originally released in 2002 and reached number 1 in Finland.
“Frankenstein” – Edgar Winter
We’ve featured werewolves and vampires on the list, now we feature one of the most iconic monsters of all, Frankenstein. Whether you’re talking about the monster itself or the scientist this song represents the actual monster to a tee.
Originally, the song was meant to be much longer than it was. The band had to stitch together bits and pieces of it for it to be played on the radio.
“Thriller” – Michael Jackson
Possibly one of Michael Jackson’s most iconic songs, ‘Thriller’. The song was created during an experimental time in Jackson’s music.
Disco was out and Michael had to find a new sound for his latest album where “every song is a killer” according to his own words. Thus, ‘Thriller’ was born. It was first released in the U.K in 1983 until moving on to the U.S. the next year.
The song eventually became Jacksons’ top selling track with certified 7x platinum.
“Return of the Vampire” – Mercyful Fate
‘Return of the Vampire’ comes from a Merciful Fate album of the same name. The album features a variety of demo tracks created before the band’s official release in 1982.
Because the album is composed of demos, a lot of the quality is missing. Though, that might be a good thing as it can also add a sense of eeriness to this rock song. The story is about a vampire who is brought back from the dead and is now out for blood.
“Pet Semetary” – The Ramones
This song gets its title from the hit Stephen King movie with the same name. In fact, the song was specifically written for the movie in 1989.
King was even a huge fan of the band and gave the lead singer, Dee Dee Ramone a copy of the novel Pet Sematary. The rest is history. It ended up becoming one of The Ramones’ biggest hits.
“Monster” – Skillet
You wouldn’t think from the title and lyrics that this was written by a Christain rock band, but it is. The lead singer even explained that the title ‘Monster’ is about what the Bible refers to as sinful nature.
Everyone has a sinful nature and sometimes it can be hard to deal with. Even when God forgives you of your sin, you can still feel like a monster inside.
“The Monster is Loose” – Meat Loaf
With the recent departure of one of Rock and Roll’s iconic singers, it’s only fair that we put a song here from one of his most famous albums, Bat outa Hell.
Meat Loaf created the album as a rock opera trilogy and ‘The Monster is Loose’ is the very first song on the last album of the trilogy. The song itself is a story of a man who knows he doesn’t deserve love.
“Green Eyed Monster Girl” – Sly Stone
You already know of the green monster, now get ready for the ‘Green Eyed Monster Girl’. The song was released in 1975 by Epic Records. This funky disco hit doesn’t need any lyrics to draw you in. It makes sense since disco is dance music.
The album that it’s featured in was released shortly after Sly Stone’s band had a falling out. Stone created a lot of the instrumentation for all of the songs on the album.
“My Own Monster” – Katy Perry
Katy Perry wrote the song ‘My Own Monster’ back when she was known as Katy Hudson. It appeared on an album titled with her own name. The monster in the song is a metaphor for fear. Specifically, Perry’s struggle with her own fear.
She explained the meaning of the song in 2001. “After asking kids in a joking kind of way if they still had nightlights, they responded with a cheer, after I exposed one of my more personal secrets with them, that I too struggle with fear.”
Born and raised in Austin, David is a dedicated writer and avid fragrance lover. When he's not trying out perfumes, he enjoys traveling and exploring new restaurants.