A spine-chilling, terrifying song. Japanese music that evokes madness and horror.

Don’t you ever feel like listening to scary songs? That sensation where curiosity about scary things wins out—like with horror movies, haunted houses, or famous ghost spots.

In this article, I’ll introduce tracks with chilling themes: horror-inspired worlds, madness and hidden psychology, twisted love, and more.

If you’re a horror-song freak, this is a must-read.

It might also help when you’re thinking, “There was a scary song I heard once long ago, but I don’t remember the title.”

Playlist

A spine-chilling, terrifying song. Japanese music that evokes madness and horror.
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	curseYamazaki Hako		A scary song themed around the Ushi no Koku Mairi (the witching-hour curse ritual)
2	tattletalejoōbachi		Depicting the distorted emotions of an adolescent girl
3	Karl Mayer Torn Love Part 1Kārumaiyā		Karlmeyer, a 1990s band famous for eerie sound sources
4	Flower -A last flower-ASA-CHANG & Junrei		A creepy girl’s voice and a scary string-instrument piece
5	friendfantomu shiitaa		A retro-horror shocker that portrays the dark side of friendship
6	That child’s happinessbabuchan		Grotesque songs and visuals of Hatsune Miku
7	Stalker’s Song: 3rd Block, Your HouseAbe Mao		Terrified by Mao Abe’s stalker song
8	a May flyRADWIMPS		The Fear of Sexual Crimes Hidden in RADWIMPS’ Lyrics
9	utter scumnakiso		A song where madness and dependency intertwine
10	beast trailCocco		Fierce emotions of a woman and a grotesque atmosphere
11	It’s just a burning memoryThe Caretaker		A piece that captures the fear and beauty of decaying memories
12	Ringtone of DeathEndō Kōji		Expressing fear in the score for One Missed Call
13	AstraZeneca “Atherosclerotic Disease Onset Prevention Awareness Campaign” TV Commercial SongKaori Takeda		Kaori Takeda sings in an AstraZeneca atherosclerosis awareness commercial
14	FEELS LIKE HEAVENHIIH		The theme song of “Ring”: memorable lyrics and timbre
15	I bear a grudge.Nakajima Miyuki		The scary song “Urami・Masu” expresses the madness of resentment.
16	stigmatized propertyfox capture plan		The soundtrack of the film 'Accident Property' enhances the sense of fear.
17	Mononoke DanceDenki Gurūvu		The theme of Hakaba Kitaro is avant-garde and captivating.
18	CellHisaishi Joe		Joe Hisaishi’s surprisingly eerie musical world
19	If you’re okay with itSukima Suichi		The Scary Song by Sukima Switch: “If You’re Okay With It”
20	I’ll eat you up!Gachapin		What is Gachapin’s little-known dark history?
21	WhoHiguchi Ai		Higuchi Ai’s movie theme song is beautifully eerie.
22	Our FailureMorita Doji		Morita Doji’s classic song, a poem of parting and loss
23	KasumiDIR EN GREY		A song where a father and daughter’s madness and wistfulness intersect
24	OBSCUREDIR EN GREY		Music video of the visual kei band Dir en grey
25	Hymn in Devotion to the DeityYuzura Yui		Music that evokes fear with eerie songs
26	COTTON COLORTaniyama Hiroko		Hiroko Taniyama’s eerie, hidden world of songs
27	MomFumizuki Mei		A shocking song depicting child abuse, with lyrics that resonate with the heart
28	pomegranatesuiren		An eerie musical world summoned by the madness of love
29	It’s you.Midorikawa Shobō		Depressingly impactful music that breaks taboos
30	The Metropolitan Museum of ArtOhnuki Taeko		An animated children's song that's way too scary
31	Tenshō Shō Tenshōkikuo		An EDM track with a strong gothic vibe
32	When They Cry: HigurashiShimamiy a Eiko		The signature theme songs of the anime Higurashi
33	Delusional DiaryShido		SID’s “Delusion Diary” is a stalker song about obsessive love.
34	I like you, I like you—I love you.Togawa Jun		A mad-sounding melody evokes fear
35	ChikotanGasshou Kyoku		A Boy’s First Love: A Tragic Ending and Its Lesson
36	E1evat0rShikufoni		Claustrophobia in the Elevator and the Tremors of the Heart
37	Delusional DiaryShido		The terrifying song of an insanely scary stalker woman
38	To celebrate this child’s seventh birthdayasaki		The eerie melody of ‘Tōryanse’ makes me feel a sense of madness.
39	The Spider’s Thread, Chapter TwoKinniku Shoujo Tai		A story of a boy’s pent-up frustrations and descent into madness, with visceral terror
40	When prayers turn into wordsOnitsuka Chihiro		The spine-chilling theme song of 'Ju-on'
41	A person hurrying into the nightchiaki naomi		A masterpiece that portrays the madness of a woman broken by love
42	Don’t take off your sailor uniform.āban gyarudo		A forbidden love of a high school girl, an edgy/shocking music video
43	motherMachigerīta P		Machigerita-P’s eerie “Mother”
44	doppelgängerfantomu shiitaa		A song of anger toward a fake who looks just like me
45	Kill my ex-boyfriendGōruden Bonbā		Golden Bomber's shocking song
46	Wax MuseumSeikima II		An eerie, ominous song makes the baby stop crying.
47	GeGeGe no KitaroKumakura Kazuo		The scary yet humorous theme song of Kitaro
48	Give it back to me right now.Za Pīnattsu		A song imbued with the heartbreaking emotions of a kidnapping case
49	sweet fruitSuga Shikao		A masterpiece that depicts Shikao Suga's possessiveness
50	Labyrinth ~You Who Doesn’t Appear in the Mirror~PIERROT		An aesthetic, visual-kei song that speaks to spirits.
51	Wax MuseumSeikima II		A signature song by the metal band Seikima-II
52	Nozomi, Kanae, TamaeKinniku Shoujo Tai		The masterpiece of despair and hope by Muscle Girl Band
53	clatter-clatterIssei		A theme song that portrays terrifying sincerity—darkness that grips the heart
54	doppelgängerCreepy Nuts		Creepy Nuts’ theme song depicting a split self
55	RevengeMy Hair is Bad		A song that portrays the shift in feelings from the sorrow of a broken heart to resentment
56	stalkerKizu		Fear and anxiety toward an incomprehensible entity