Hey hey hey! Welcome back to the Today’s Spin Halloween Countdown! We’ve reached number 11 on the chart, so turn up the creep factor with this funky tune about a serial killer that taught everyone a little bit of French.
Qu’est-ce que c’est, you say?
Number 11: Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
This song has been in the Talking Heads’ repertoire from the very beginning of their illustrious career. It was originally conceived in 1974 as a ballad- they even recorded an acoustic b-side version with cello. It was reworked into its current form and released on Talking Heads:77, their debut album. “Psycho Killer” was the lead single, and reached #92 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was later included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
The timing of the release of “Psycho Killer” was eerie, though coincidental. The summer of 1977 was the “Summer of Sam” – when New York City was terrorized by a serial killer – and this tune was released just months later. It captured the imaginations of listeners with its driving bass line and lyrics that sounded like the inner dialogue of a killer.
This tune closed out the first Halloween playlist I ever put together (what seems like 100 years ago), and has been a seasonal favorite ever since. Without further ado, here are the Talking Heads, looking like teenagers in 1978, from The Old Grey Whistle Test, with “Psycho Killer.” Enjoy!
The Countdown
- 20) Eels – Fresh Blood
- 19) Squirrel Nut Zippers – Hell
- 18) Tom Waits – Whistlin’ Past The Graveyard
- 17) Donovan – Season Of The Witch
- 16) Jeremy Messersmith – Organ Donor
- 15) Neville Brothers – Voodoo
- 14) Siouxsie & The Banshees – Eve White Eve Black
- 13) The Adverts – Gary Gilmore’s Eyes
- 12) The Ramones – Pet Semetary
- 11) Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
