10 of My Favorite Horror (and Horror-Adjacent) Themed Music Videos

From killer beats to otherworldly beasts, these music videos SLAY.

Music videos have always been a huge part of my life ever since I was a young kid. I used to race home on weekday afternoons for a music video show that aired every afternoon on Channel 66 in the Chicago burbs, and I remember there even being a music video countdown show on Saturdays on NBC (I didn’t have cable sadly, so MTV was only something I’d get to enjoy at other people’s homes). I truly love music videos in all their forms, but whenever a video feels like it is right at home in the world of horror, I consider that a huge bonus.

Lately, I’ve been winding down my nights with the various VEVO channels on Pluto, and it’s such a fun way to rediscover some of your favorite videos, or even introduce you to ones you may have missed over the years. So, in honor of my continuing obsession with music video storytelling, I chose 10 of my favorite horror-themed (or horror adjacent) videos to spotlight here.

Of course, Michael Jackson’s Thriller will always be the standard bearer, and it’s a huge reason why I became so intrigued by special effects in the first place, but I decided for this list to go with some other killer entries. And my apologies to the other 32 or so videos on my list that I didn’t get to include here, as there are so many great videos out there. Maybe I’ll do this again if all goes well.