Pandora’s algorithm has found what are technically the scariest songs of all time. Incredibly, and perhaps for the best, “Thriller” is not among them.
1) Nine Inch Nails, “The Becoming”
“This song makes use of distorted ‘nonlinear’ instrument timbres and effects, which humans are programmed to find distressing. This contrasts with the hushed and screaming vocals, which create a suspenseful and unsettling mood. Melodically, this song makes use of an exotic-sounding scale, which features a major third, but a flat second scale degree, which gives a dissonant quality.”