So I had the TV on in the background while working on some stuff on my computer. The channel on was Spike TV... "the man channel." Anyway they have this show called MANswes (spelled like that) where they present "manly" questions that get answered... you know, shit like "how heavy does a boob have to be in order to smash a can of soda?" Yeah, real important shit eh?

[::SMH:: Gosh I hate this channel and how it misrepresents all males.]

I digress: so on the show, they had a question presented about what is the most suicidal style of music? Apparently, most people answered "heavy metal" and the narrator bought up points about Judas Priest and one of their fans committing suicide to them. But they claim that's not the most suicidal.

Then "rap" was brought up... just plain rap. That wasn't it either.

The show claims "country" music is the most suicidal style of music out there... from this point on, I didn't even bother to listen why and tuned back to my computer work.


Seriously though, this show indeed is lame but the answers to this question had me thinking about what could constitute as the most suicidal music? I don't know how that can be measured but please elaborate on why x genre of music can be suicidal and some samples of how somber the music can be (artists, albums, etc.)

Dido and Coldplay are pretty depressing to listen to (and that counts for pop music in this country? says alot about the people doesn't it ) actually quite alot of britpop is depressing and not just because it's shit but because it's very somber and their always signing about break ups, loss etc. It makes the vast majority of 'suicidal' black metal sound like happy bunny chocolate music.

EDIT: Also Spike isn't that bad, I mean they show TNA (no not what your thinking, Total Nonstop Action wrestling) but yeah I agree that TV channels with the pseudo-macho approach is really shit, it wouldn't surprise me if they had 'beat the gays' contest or something (shit I should stop writing now I might give them ideas). Though feel lucky, over here we have Bravo, Virgin 1, Nuts TV and plethora of other channels that I can't be arsed to name and most of them have shows like porn week or boob envy (I'm not kidding) in fact after 9 o'clock you can't through 1 page on the TV guide without seeing something that has got porn, sex or some other sexual implicant innuendo adjective

Lyrical topics alone rarely make music depressing, especially when it's a topic so generic. Hearing vocalists sing about losing girlfriends rarely does anything to me. I find it annoying.

That said, for some reason I have an addiction for descending riffs. Not ones that go up in terms of "happy tonality", but rather go down in that crushing fashion. The end of Mayhem's Illuminate Eliminate is a perfect example -- I love that song too.

Spike has reruns of CSI and Star Trek, that's good enough for me. But were you honestly expecting them to give a well-researched account on the most suicidal music? Really?

Also, does 'suicidal' equate with 'depressing' here? The two don't always overlap. I can think of stuff that makes me sad and stuff that makes me annoyed but none of it really makes me want to put a bullet through my head.

To be fair, the only people who can ACTUALLY post in the thread are people who have had thoughts about killing themselves. Personally I've never had such feelings, though I just imagine little scenes in my head with tragedies and such. That's as close as I can get to calling something "suicidal".

I think feelings of pointlessness and hopelessness are key to suicidal feelings, and so music that conveys these feelings could possibly be called suicidal. Personally, I would say music that gives off an apocalyptic vibe, such as a lot of post-rock (ex. Jesu) captures this very well. I see a bleak atmosphere and a suicidal atmosphere as very similar.

This may seem cliche, but I don't really like listening to "Hurt" by NIN. It has parts where there seem to be major chords or something. I think the major chords (or whatever it is) makes the song more depressing than it would be otherwise with minor chords only and such. The lyrics and the way they're executed also add to the depressing feel.

The vocal delivery sounds as if he is giving up, and the song is very soft and sad, comparable to a sigh. That's why it works so well as a "suicide" song.

I think that Ambient/Post-rock and some Progressive Rock often have a very sad and melancholic sound. For me this is the most "suicidal" music, but I like it a lot. Maybe I'm gonna stab myself now.



Just Kiddin'.

Billy Holiday's Gloomy Sunday was banned from BBC radio until 2003 because it was considered too depressing and a danger to the public.

Good song. I'd say Strange Fruit is just as depressing.

Well, I guess country is a pretty depressed genre, what with all the dead dogs, leaving wives and broken down trucks.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_XonuuQZSCE listen and allow Chris Martin's dreary unenthusiastic singing you bore you into depression

I actually like Coldplay.

The reason they said country music was the most suisidal was that there was a university study done in the early 90's. It showed that areas with a higher ratio of country music on the radio also had a higher suicide rate.

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95183303

Edit: How heavy did the boob have to be?

Alright, hand in your penis to the authorities.

I'd have to say Funeral Doom is pretty fucking depressing. Hell, doom metal in general. Or depressive black metal. I love all of it, but it is definately some depressing shit.

God damn, people, this topic is about the most SUICIDAL music, not depressive/depressing.

Well, most depressive music I've partaken of has had a lot of suicidal tendencies in the lyrics. I know depressive is also descriptive of a sound. But in my (limited, I must say) experience with depressing metal, there are lot's of lyrics about not wanting to live anymore, and talk of suicide. Pretty fucking emo, I must say.

suicide can be (and normally is) a result of extreme depression, so I think that depressing music is valid

Seconded! Although I do prefer Diamanda Galas's version, since it doesn't have the "happy ending" that Billie used.
Lots of people committed suicide to that song too, apparently, including the composer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzWVWY5QUzg

that Avril Lavigne song makes me want to kill myself every time I hear it

Fixed.

Fixed again.

Yes it is an extreme idiocy I never said it wasn't, however I think it was kinda childish of you to edit what I said. Tell me how many people that have committed suicide were not depressed or have any mental illness'? all I was saying is that you were wrong about suicidal music not being depressing, I mean what the hell kinda suicidal music do you listen to? care bear's OST? or maybe Hannah Montana's live album?

R.E.T. are pretty much the worst (best?) as far as suicidal music that I've heard goes... neo-Anathema as well.

Actually, Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" is and was the most suicidal piece of music I've probably ever heard. I never heard a song so sad like the way he made it without even trying to sound like he was sad. In that song, you can sense he was down and out of it. Not to mention that those were his last days before passing away. I can see why some country can seem "suicidal" as that TV show stated.



Apparently, about 35lbs. They had a floopy boobed lady crush the can.

I'm quite surprised that "suicidal/depressive black metal" wasn't mentioned yet by anyone. I don't think that shit is suicidal, but if it has the dubbed name, shouldn't it be? If not, then why call it that? Hmm...

I mentioned depressive black metal. then the next post scorned me for it.
Leviathan has an album called "The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide."

The closest thing to suicidal music that I've ever heard was not death/doom, funeral doom, or depressive black metal, but rather a couple songs by a UK crust band called Doom. The songs were "Confusion" and "Lifelock," really just a spoken word dirge that lasts for 4 minutes and then a one-minute crust song. The music in those two songs really puts out a dark and gloomy atmosphere, but the suicidal-ness comes mostly from the lyrics and the desperate, ranting vocals. I listened to this album during a more stressful part this year (I was failing a calculus course at my college) and that was a bad idea! Just hearing these two songs made me feel absolutely hopeless and overwhelmed, like I should just end it all. But I busted my ass and ended up with a C in the class, so I turned out ok



1. Confusion

Stuck in a maze, a labyrinth of hate. Shattered doors in a mask of haze. Struggling madly in a cage. Desperately searching for a way out of the maze. Running blindly not feeling the floor, nothing to stand on we fall. Lost in the halls, I’m looking for the doors. Confusion! My senses are dying. My soul is crying. Let me out, let me out! I’m screaming! Running blindly through the visions. Barefoot and defenseless. Running blindly through the dark, infested woods. Time and time again. Disillusion. I’m deeper in the maze. Further from the light. I scream out of the confusion. I’m being consumed by confusion. My world has been shattered. Crippled. All we have left is fragments of doors. Though we once had but never had. We’ve all been fooled. Confusion. My senses are dying my soul is crying. Let me out. Let me out. I’m screaming. I’m living in a demented labyrinth. tortured. Lost. Crippled. I’m a part of this confusion. Shattered confusion. Shattered vision. All that I have left is illusion. I’m screaming at the confusion. I’m being consumed by confusion. In an abstract, in a world of CONFUSION!!!



2. Lifelock

No one can see into my mind,
I can't express my true thoughts to anyone,
Life is like a lock on my mind,
Is death the only key?

As far as country goes Whisky Lullaby always made me feel depressed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYub1neLZmA


Yes, The River Knows by The Doors I always found quite depressing as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIVTZhz27tE

Ack, of course! I love Doom and the album this is on ("War Crimes - Inhuman Beings".) Ya know, I never listened to that track whole because of how gloomy it is... the moment I hear that first bass note, I immediately skip because it's creepy, not to mention probably a great tune to commit suicide to.

Actually, a lot of it is just kind of boring if you aren't in the mood for being in the dumps. Certain doom is definitely more depressing and, in my mind, fits winter weather quite nicely.

And let's not forget Joy Division, everyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go

One more thing:



This just sounds like lifelong excruciating backpain and oh my god, the percentage of my body weight occupied by just her rack is scary.

Probably no such thing as "suicidal music", it's however the suicidal idiot listening to it takes it. Whether it's NIN, marilyn manson, cannibal corpse or U2, all depends on the person.

And probably the only time I'd make such a confession.

I actually always found that cover to be quite beautiful, despite the focus of the lyrics.

What is perhaps more depressing than the song itself is the comments for the video.

Sountry is one massive contridiction. Its the only genre were youll find songs about loving your mother and the baby jesus next to songs about alcoholism.
At least metal makes sense. First a song about satan, then a song about drugs, then a song about violence, then another song about satan, etc.