13 Spooky Music Videos
August 24, 2026
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I love music – which is why I often post playlists to this blog. In my playlists, I tend to stick with more on-theme horror music. When it comes to
I love music – which is why I often post playlists to this blog. In my playlists, I tend to stick with more on-theme horror music. When it comes to music videos, however, sometimes bands can take a not-so-scary song and turn it into something creepy. From eerie sets and costumes to full-on short films, here are 13 spooky music videos to enjoy!
It is a rite of passage for all Halloween fans to watch Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video at some point. It is certainly the gold standard for horror storytelling in music video form. A werewolf transformation, dancing zombies, and chilling narration from the king of horror actors, Vincent Price – what more could you ask for?
You really cannot have a spooky music video list without this one, so let’s get it out of the way early and onto some lesser-known videos.
Ice Nine Kills pay homage to fan favorite horror films with each of their songs. Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic, Psycho (1960) is the inspiration for this song & music video. The opening is in black and white, featuring lead singer Spencer Charnas as a Norman Bates character. The hunter becomes the hunted, however, and final girl Nadia Teichmann delivers her own brand of justice.
As the music ends, the video cuts to a courtroom scene where Charnas stands accused of murder, with the DA asserting that his music videos point to his killer tendencies. But is Charnas actually the killer? Moments after the hearing adjourns, a cop investigating the case is murdered by a masked killer. Who is behind these grisly murders?
This is a wonderfully cinematic music video.
The Swedish rock band, Ghost, is known for their unique costumed stage personas. The lead singer’s persona is “Papa Emeritus”, an anti-pope figure with demonic imagery. They often create fun, horror music videos for their music.
In the music video for “Square Hammer”, a movie screening goes awry as the demonic figures jump from the screen to terrorize the audience. The style and storyline offer nods to silent film classics like Metropolis (1927) and Nosferatu (1922).
Fans of 70’s and 80’s horror will appreciate the aesthetic of “Onions” by Cults. Singer Madeline Follin plays an eerily cheerful housewife serving up gore and carnage for zombified bandmate Brian Oblivion. I love the campy details – from the Little Shop of Horrors-like puppetry to a fridge full of body parts. It’s no wonder that this video was nominated in the “Most Bizarre” category at the Berlin Music Video Awards in 2025.
Be forewarned – this video features ample gore and gross-out moments.
I heard “The Ugly and the Beautiful” by The Real Tuesday Weld long before I ever saw the music video. I always thought it was a nice little love song – nothing creepy or horror-like in and of itself. Then I saw the music video.
A lone janitor gets more than he bargains for when he encounters a mysterious tiny stage and creepy singer. The empty ballroom, moody lighting, and performances all provide a creepy atmosphere. It feels a little like a Twilight Zone episode.
Next up on our music video list is the animated “Flowers” by Emilie Simon. This Tim Burton-esque stop-motion animation is filled with spooky magic. Featuring a wolf-man, mad scientist, skeletal carousal, graveyard, and more, this is a wonderful find for horror fans.
My absolute favorite artist is Michelle Prebich of Bat in Your Belfry. We met years ago at ScareLA and I have followed her work ever since. I even commissioned a portrait from her for my 15th anniversary with my Honey-Bunny, which hangs prominently above my desk – certainly my favorite piece of art.
Released in 2014, the music video for “Comfort Me with Absinthe” was directed by Michelle Prebich and animated from her character designs by Justine Prebich (animator, background designer, colorist). The video follows a curious black cat as it follows the green fairy from glass to deadly glass of absinthe. The animation is stop-motion with layered mediums. I particularly love the use of green sand to represent the fatal elixir, covering the revelers and then revealing their skeletons.
Love this style too? Check out their other collaboration with Mr. Moonshine, “Wolves on Parade”.
“London” by Badflower is another example of a song I was obsessed with even before seeing the music video.
A wounded man (lead singer, Josh Katz) walks to a house in the middle of the snowy woods. He shares a brief romantic moment with a beautiful woman on the other side of the house’s glass windows. Then a horde of zombies played by the Badflower bandmates drags him away. It isn’t the most overt horror video on this list, but it has the atmosphere of a moody horror film and a blood-soaked finale.
“How Deep Can I Go?” by Australian comedian & musician Kaye Smythe (a.k.a. “Hairy Soul Man”) uses artful 2D props to create fanciful set-design. While the lyrical content is shocking, the artistic details are charming and warrant multiple viewings to take in all the small touches. In a time where most videos use computer generated images, the basic practical effects of his video don’t disappoint. My personal favorite moment is when he “tosses” an eyeball into a jar – these moments add comedy and charm to the piece.
Are you in the oddly specific crossover audience of horror and K-pop? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! The music video for the catchy “Black or White” is all about good versus evil. Each member of the group is stalked by an evil doppelganger who seeks to murder them in brutal and bloody ways. From a Jekyll & Hyde-like situation to vampires to an evil demon in a tv to a thug with a baseball bat – there are plenty of horror themes in this nearly six-minute video.
“Lullabye” by The Cure is a music video personification of sleep paralysis. From a cobweb-laden marching band to a creepy figure on the ceiling, every frame of this spooky music video has a nightmare-like quality. The flowing and understated song adds to the dreamy atmosphere. Released in 1989, this music video still ranks as one of the most unnerving rock videos.
Anyone who has ever owned a cat knows that some days they are the most fuzzy, adorable, and snuggle-able creatures on the planet, and other days they are murderous balls of unending chaos. The music video for “She Wants Me Dead” chronicles a tuxedo cat who is tired of her master’s annoying ways. She devises a series of fatal traps to finally take him down.
The song also ties into a video game with the same premise. It is available for the PS4, the Apple Store, and via Google Play.
For our final entry, let’s try some catchy J-pop. Fans of J-horror will appreciate some of the imagery in this spooky video from Phantom Siita. Empty school hallways, blood-colored pin butterflies, and creepy Japanese schoolgirls with a cat. I am also obsessed with the red-lined school uniforms they wear – so spooky-cute!
I am always looking for new and interesting videos. Share them with me via my contact form, Facebook, or Instagram.
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