There are countless lists out there about the weirdest, craziest, and most bizarre songs of all time. And there are a lot of songs that fit those labels. But what about crazy-sounding songs that are actually brilliant in retrospect? Let’s dive into five insane songs and compositions that are actually legitimately great songs.
1. “Vegetable Soup” by Igorrr
Gautier Serre, better known by his stage persona Igorrr, has been making experimental industrial music for a couple of decades now. We can confidently say that no one else in the world sounds quite like this French musician.
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One of his more notable works has to be “Vegetable Soup” from the 2012 album Hallelujah. There is no easy way to describe this song, other than it will likely become your favorite if you like listening to chickens cluck along to an extreme metal melody.
2. “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead
Radiohead have quite a few songs in their discography that are very experimental, especially when it comes to wacky time signatures. However, “Pyramid Song” really takes the cake. If you think this song sounds insane, that’s likely because of the pendulating time signatures that make up the bulk of the track.
For those not versed in music theory, it’s possible to count a song in a number of different ways if you don’t know the exact time signature. Some have associated “Pyramid Song” with 3/4 or even 12/8. Others say that it should be counted as 3/4 plus 2/4 plus 3/4. However, the best way to count this song is most likely through 16/8, divided into 3 plus 3 plus 4 plus 3 plus 3. Which, and don’t let this make your brain explode, makes up a pyramid.
3. “Bird Song” by The Holy Modal Rounders
Psychedelic and freak folk band The Holy Modal Rounders didn’t shy away from getting really weird with their music. The entirety of Bird Song: Live 1971 is a wild ride. However, “Bird Song” is a track that’s worth exploring in more depth.
The lyrics of this insane song could be about doing psychedelic drugs, letting loose and freeing yourself, or possibly self-induced death. It could also just be a really passionate song about being a bird. Either way, it’s a pioneer freak folk song.
4. “I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar” by The United States Of America
The United States Of America only released one self-titled album before disbanding, and the 1968 tune “I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar” is one of the strangest and surprisingly most vulgar songs on this list. It’s your standard psychedelic/art rock fare, but the lyrics are what really make this song fascinating.
“Now listen, Baby / And try to understand / That tying you is fine and whipping you is grand / Now I just can’t tell you how much fun it’s been / You make me feel twenty-five again.” You heard that right; the song is about having a kinky extramarital affair in the weirdest wording possible.
5. “Dracula Mountain” by Lightning Bolt
This track from the 2003 album Wonderful Rainbow is a fan-favorite among lovers of the noise rock band Lightning Bolt. To the untrained ear and those who don’t exactly love noise rock, “Dracula Mountain” sounds like five minutes and 10 seconds of utter chaos. To fans and fellow musicians, the composition of the song sounds similar to an extremely anthemic opera composition. It’s a real treat, especially if you’re a little insane yourself.
Photo courtesy of The Holy Modal Rounders Facebook page
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