Glenn Danzig has accomplished quite a bit in his 70 years since he was born a future longhair named Glenn Allen Anzalone in the New Jersey suburb of Lodi. The highlights include pioneering an entire genre known as horror punk with a band having one of the coolest names in history: Misfits. Before that group even had the chance to gain a foothold, he broke them up and moved forward with a goth/deathrock hybrid in Samhain, which then evolved into his eponymous outfit that exists to this day.
The iconography of his various bands is just as recognizable as the music, if not more, and who cares if he surreptitiously lifted the logos from other sources before Wikimedia Commons was created? The man is a genius because he believes in everything he writes about, be it killer wolfs (his spelling – not ours), archangels, and the devil — lots of the devil and the various monikers by which he goes.
And because he takes it so seriously, we do too. That’s why Vanyaland has decided that on the occasion of his seven-decade run here on this earth, we’d celebrate by ranking Glenn Danzig’s 70 best songs. Curated by senior writer Michael Christopher and editor-in-chief Michael O’Connor Marotta, it’s all here; every band he started, the deep cuts, the blackest of the black.
70. ‘Killer Wolf’
A few years into a solo run and several after the breakup of the Misfits, Danzig’s sophomore 1990 album Lucifuge leaned heavily into blues territory, and “Killer Wolf” provides perhaps the greatest distance from where he was creatively a decade prior. Glenn told Faces Magazine that “Killer Wolf” is “my version of an old blues song about a guy who wolfs around the door of every girl in town.” We’re gonna have to look the other way on some of the lyrics here, too, but that’s a common cause when revisiting some of these works. — Michael O’Connor Marotta
69. ‘Devil on Hwy 9’
To date, 2017’s Black Laden Crown is the last studio album of original material from Danzig. And while the production left something to be desired, it’s got some bangers, including the lead single. “Devil on Hwy 9” is one of two tracks to feature the return of Joey Castillo, who got behind the drum kit for Glenn the first time in a decade and a half. Weirdly, he was one of five drummers enlisted for the LP, which might explain some of the blips in overall cohesiveness. Still, if it is indeed a swan song, it’s not a bad way to go out. — Michael Christopher
68. ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’
Though featured on the band’s 1982 debut album Walk Among Us, “All Hell Breaks Loose” is one of those Misfits songs that packs a mightier punch in the various live recordings (enjoy a performance from San Francisco below), and kicking off a three-song finale on widely-circulated 1981 bootleg Necronomicon, leading into “Hate Breeders” and “Bullet,” showcases the primal fury of this band with so little fucks to give. — MM
67. ‘Halloween II [Samhain]’
Any horror punk band worth its salt is going to have a song somehow tied to Halloween, and the Misfits had two of them. “Halloween” and its B-side, “Halloween II,” are completely different songs, with the latter kicking off with Latin incantations and moving at a slow, dirge-like pace. When Samhain later covered it on Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire, it only made sense and came off less shlocky than the original, fitting in perfectly within the goth vibes of the album. — MC
66. ‘Bodies’
Bassist Eerie Von takes us for a walk as Glenn gets his Zeppelin on for this Danzig III: How The Gods Kill standout, but louder than his hollers and galloping nature of the track is the completely bizarre music video for Def Jam Recordings, where the band plays in an intimate, backstage set-like setting for for adoring groupies and hard-working roadies, coming off as something we’re more likely to find in that era from Extreme or Trixter than the brooding Danzig. Even the band looks like it’s having a lot of fun banging this one out. — MM
65. ‘Ju Ju Bone’
Proof that no one can take the goofiest phrases and make them sound catchy as hell quite like Danzig, this standout from 2010’s Deth Red Sabaoth is a latter-period number that bullseyes both targets. “Goofy” might not have been his intent with a stone-faced delivery, but neither is still rocking that gigantic Danzig skull belt buckle. We’ll take both with pleasure. — MC
64. ‘Braineaters’
A goofy song in its own right, the oi punk grunt of “Braineaters” makes the list solely for its music video — the only one the classic and true Misfits would ever make — which was filmed here in Boston at the legendary Durgin-Park. The Faneuil Hall mainstay shut down in 2019 after nearly 200 years of biz, opening back in 1827 (fucking hell), but on one night in 1983 it hosted the band and a wealth of Boston punk and hardcore royalty, including members of The F.U.’s, D.Y.S., SS Decontrol, and Impact Unit, ahead of a gig at The Channel. We chatted with The F.U.’s Jon Sox about it when Durgin shut down. — MM
63. ‘Twist of Cain [Samhain]’
Though there had been whispers that a Samhain recording of the lead track to the Danzig debut was floating about, it didn’t make an official appearance until the eponymous box set by the former, released in 2000. The faster, deathrock version of Samhain’s “Twist of Cain” is a fascinating piece of history, especially after a dozen years of only having the Danzig version for reference. Glenn snarls his way through the lyrics, keeping in line with the music. It’s not better than what you’d have to consider the “original,” but intriguing, nonetheless. — MC
62. ’20 Eyes’
As Bret Easton Ellis once wrote, “The better you look, the more you see” — so imagine having 20 fucking eyes?! A blistering dose of punk fury and piss n’ vinegar aggression, the live versions of “20 Eyes” usually pack more punch than the various recorded versions floating around. A distinctive Misfits song without really having anything distinctive about it, outside of having a whole lot of fucking eyes, Glenn told WNYU in 1981 that the song came to him in a dream. How pissed you are at any given time dictates just how visceral you scream the “eyes” part of the instantly memorable chorus. — MM
61. ‘Circle of Snakes’
Most casual fans of Danzig had long checked out by the band’s eighth solo album, which is a shame, because Circle of Snakes is a somewhat stripped-back affair – not stripped-down, mind you – hearkening back to an earlier era in the catalog many assumed long passed. It surprisingly doesn’t get bogged down by muddied production, with the squealing guitars of the title track (Tommy Victor doing his best John Christ imitation) contrasting well with a heavy and chunky bottom end. The riffs are clean and upfront, a trait that would follow throughout the record. — MC
60. ‘American Nightmare’
Long before Glenn officially did Elvis for the forever-in-the-making 2020 album Danzig Sings Elvis, he got his King on for “American Nightmare,” a rockabilly lounge cruiser immortalized as the closing track on ’85 compilation Legacy of Brutality. Glenn even provided the clapping on the track, as well as some guitar and bass, so you know he was feeling pretty fucking good about this tune adding a whole new component to the band’s classic horror punk sound. — MM
59. ‘Father’s Grave’
“Danzig Doesn’t Duet” should be a shirt. Throughout his career, he hasn’t done guest spots, brought in additional vocalists – none of that nonsense. Then, Melissa Auf der Maur came calling. The former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist had been vision boarding a collaboration with Glenn, and it finally came to be when she sent him a track for her second solo album, 2010’s Out of Our Minds. “Father’s Grave” sees Auf der Maur as a grieving daughter burying her daddy while Danzig plays the role of the gravedigger, helping her to let go. It’s every bit as amazing as it sounds. — MC
58. ‘She’
Something about “She” and the way it sets a tone — from opening lyric “She walked out with empty arms / Machine gun in her hand” that Glenn delivers with such cool confidence to it kickstarting the infamous 1986 self-titled compilation, also known as Collection — it’s a perfect mix of melody and grit, a hallmark of that classic Misfits sound that knew how to smooth out the roughness. — MM
57. ‘Bringer of Death’
Overlooking the battlefield sounds that sound a bit too reminiscent of Metallica’s “One,” and the fact that the main riff is really close to Nirvana’s “School,” this is just a badass metal song. It was near the end for the original Danzig lineup, and Glenn is already deep into his experimentation with adding industrial tints to his voice, which was just one of the things the other guys soured on. But when it still worked, it worked. — MC
56. ‘Brand New God’
Though it sits just outside the classic solo trilogy in the often-debated realm of respect, Danzig’s 1994 album 4p is wildly underrated. Coming just after the (unexpected?) success of “Mother ’93”-fueled EP Thrall-Demonsweatlive, his fourth solo album is the last to feature the classic and strongest solo lineup of John Christ (guitar), Eerie Von (bass), and Chuck Biscuits (drums). The yearning riff intensity of “Brand New God” sets a muscular tone, finding a band confident in its abilities and pandering to a more mainstream metal audience with creative precision. — MM
55. ‘Trouble’
By the time Danzig Sings Elvis came out in 2020, it was far too late. His voice worn too thin, the production too shitty, the approach too faithful, and general interest long since waned. That’s unfortunate, because for the man affectionately dubbed “Evil Elvis,” the long-promised covers album of songs made famous by the King was destined to be more than just a curiosity, as both the singer and audience were serious as a heartbreak hotel about it. “Trouble,” a Presley song Glenn had been tweaking since the days of Samhain, was finally released as part of the 1993 Danzig EP Thrall-Demonsweatlive. It provides a window into what could’ve been, with Glenn’s singing at its apex, balancing sincerity with swagger as he spits, “Don’t mess around, don’t mess around with the evil.” — MC
54. ‘It’s Coming Down’
After the rebooted crossover success of “Mother” for both MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball and Buzz Bin audiences, the Thrall-Demonsweatlive EP was a whole new demographic’s introduction to Danzig, and when they pressed play on the cassette or CD, it was the pummeling “It’s Coming Down” that greeted them as the opening track. Its video was banned by MTV by depicting bondage, S&M, and sexual torture, with Eerie Von telling Columbia Daily Spectator in 1994: “It was part of mine and Glenn’s personalities, part of what we used to see when we lived in New York. …I like stuff that people think is bizarre. It was pretty heavy, but so what? Sexually, you’re either open minded or you’re not.” — MM
53. ‘Five Finger Crawl’
Glenn Danzig defiantly kept one foot firmly planted in the industrial sound he explored on 1996’s Blackacidevil when he came to 6:66 Satan’s Child three years later, despite the awful response to the former. But he also leaned on the electronic effects to mask the damage he’d done to his voice over the years, having never received proper training, leaving it sounding constantly blown out. The blend of metal and industrial here is hard to resist, especially as the thick guitar riffs – done mainly by Danzig himself – almost redeem any otherwise missteps. — MC
52. ‘London Dungeon’
Misfits displayed many modes over their short career, from the doo-wop horror punk of the early years to the more aggressive hardcore towards the end. And when the band slowed things down, relatively speaking, the songwriting was able to showcase all the nuances under their barrage of noise and insults. “London Dungeon” is perhaps the best example, as a mid-tempo cautionary tale about the night Glenn and guitarist Bobby Steele got arrested in England after getting into a bar fight while on tour with The Damned. It’s deceptive in its nature, a slow-burn swirling like campfire embers around the torture it describes. — MM
51. ‘You & Me’ (Less Than Zero)’
Had the 1987 film Less than Zero done better, and the soundtrack’s profile been higher, this song might’ve gotten some legs or at least resulted in some heavy-duty confusion from fans who last heard Glenn Danzig in Samhain. Credited to “Glen Danzig and the Power and Fury Orchestra” – replete with a misspelling of his first name – “You & Me (Less Than Zero)” is actually the first song credited to the classic lineup of Danzig, along with a handful of session players and backing vocalists. Invoking the great ballads from the late ‘50s, it’s atypical of pretty much anything else in the collective Danzig oeuvre. Coincidentally, the soundtrack also featured Roy Orbison doing “Life Fades Away,” a song the crooner and Glenn wrote together, and it kind of sounds like a companion piece to “You & Me.” — MC
50. ‘The Hunter’
Though Glenn lists himself as its songwriter, 1987 track “The Hunter” is actually a cover of Albert King’s blues classic, from the 1967 album Born Under A Bad Sign (Mono Version). The debut Danzig record was a heavy hard rock album, with the masculine muscles to prove it, but the blues feel that would soon bloom on Lucifuge was present, with Glenn taking on a Jim Morrison-like approach to his evolving vocal prowess. — MM
49. ‘Wicked Pussycat’
This might as be close as Danzig ever got to penning a loving ode to someone. It doesn’t matter that someone is given the avatar of a “Wicked Pussycat.” Featuring guitar squeals mimicking meowing and the gloriously cheerful bondage lines, “I like you lots now, I like you better/Walking your cat-girls in leashes and leather,” you wonder if Glenn may have truly been in love. Then again, knowing him, it was probably a literal cat he was writing about. — MC
48. ‘Some Kinda Hate’
It’s always a damn shame when the “the maggots in the iron lung won’t copulate,” but that doesn’t hold back this absolutely bizarre track that’s one part doo-wop, girl-group, and Motown, and another part the horror punk that flows through this early era of the Misfits. A person’s love of the Misfits is rated by how hard they lean into the “whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh” of this sexy lil’ beast. — MM
47. ‘Pain Is Like An Animal’
Much like Danzig Sings Elvis, The Lost Tracks of Danzig were something oft spoken about by Glenn, which didn’t materialize until years later. Thankfully, there was no expiration date as it was all previously unreleased material, covers, and outtakes from the entirety of the Danzig catalog, held up only by the rights for much of it being owned by American Recordings. When it landed in 2007, the two-disc set featured a bevy of treasures, including this missing link between Samhain and Danzig. — MC
46. ‘Left Hand Black’
If Danzig’s third album How The Gods Kill reflected a creative peak, then “Left Hand Black” resides as its most underrated asset. Guitarist John Christ pierces mountains with his riffs, a freight train of lightning to Glenn’s thunder, and the former’s lyrics about amassing and wielding power crashes down from above with such a fervor: “I’m gonna stand on the top of the world and challenge the heavens,” he blasts down with vocal wraith that’s both a threat and a promise. “Gonna bring you God… in the palm of the left hand black.” A king wails. — MM
45. ‘Am I Demon’
What exactly is Glenn Danzig? It turns out, sometimes not even he knows. Yet while the rest of us are more concerned about whether he’s a horror punk icon (yes), songwriter extraordinaire (Cash and Orbison say yes), deathrock legend (yes), industrial innovator (meh), groundbreaking director (oof), he’s trying to answer the all-important question: “Am I Demon?” because he needs to know. You need to know. — MC
44. ‘Sistinas’
The evil hard rock intensity of How The Gods Kill gets a brief reprieve with “Sistinas,” a Roy Orbison-tinged ballad that’s far different from any from the era of fading hair metal bands. A crooning Glenn describes this one as being about depression, isolation, and loneliness, and its inclusion on Danzig III gives the record a new kind of emotional depth and rare vulnerability. — MM
43. ‘To Walk the Night’
Taken from Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire, the final album while the band was in existence, the gloomy “To Walk the Night” would have fit on the soundtrack to any slasher flick of the ‘80s. It nails the teen goth outsider vibe, waxing on walking solitary in the night, left to forever roam alone. There’s a distanced, almost disassociated sense in Glenn’s vocals that makes it feel haunting, but still just as real as anything Robert Smith sang on The Cure’s Pornography. — MC
42. ‘Hate Breeders’
The animalistic fury of “Hate Breeders” punches the listener in the face while quickly nursing the wounds with harmonies. The pummeling track is another on this list that takes on a new life when performed live, and the Necronomicon version that circulated must have inspired countless bands to get on stage and let it fucking rip. An anthem for the childless (but probably not). — MM
41. ‘Blood and Tears’
The majority of Glenn Danzig’s vocal comparisons land on Elvis, but the Jim Morrison ones aren’t without merit either – just check out the Lucifuge deep cut “Blood and Tears.” Owing as much thematically to the best of Roy Orbison as it does the Doors’ singer stylistically, the song presents an unexplored softer side of Glenn, maybe even a bit vulnerable. — MC
40. ‘November’s Fire’
The Samhaim era is an uneven one, a true experimental bridge from the Misfits’ gritty horror-punk to the polished blues rock n’ metal of the solo records, and most of its value comes from the atmospheric nature of these raw tracks. But there are some true flashes of what was to come, and “November’s Fire,” off 1986’s Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire, is perhaps easiest to revisit nearly four decades later. And the album cover still looks cool as fuck on a t-shirt. — MM
39. ‘Horror Biz’
The studio career of Glenn Danzig is rife with trying to get certain songs right, over and over again. It wasn’t rare for him to lay down a track for an album, shelve it, then try again for the next LP. This habit of rinse and repeat played out publicly early in his career, continuing when he got to Samhain, with “Horror Biz” being a curious entry on the band’s 1984 debut, Initium, as it revisited the 1979 Misfits single, “Horror Business.” Faster and heavier than the original, it’s unclear what exactly Danzig was going for, be it simple tinkering or showing his new unit could still wield the punk axe as well as his old one. — MC
38. ‘We Are 138’
Face it, you can’t see the number 138 without thinking of the Misfits, and while still no one knows what the band is referencing here — Glenn would only say it’s about violence, despite some theories tracing it back to George Lucas’ 1971 dystopian sci-fi film THX 1138, where an android police take over society — the repetitive, slow-burning mantra battle-cry of the title plays over and over and over until its embedded in our brains until the end of time. “We are 138… we are 138… we are… 138!” Sing it again and again like robots. — MM
37. ‘Death Comes Ripping’
The frenzied “Death Comes Ripping” has kicked off just about every Misfits gig since the 2016 reunion with Danzig. There’s something to be said for opening with one of the more breakneck compositions by the band, like they want there to be little doubt that not a step has been lost. Like the reunion itself, it’s commendable, but that’s not a song to tussle with guys, so be careful up there. — MC
36. ‘Dirty Black Summer’
Just over two years after sophomore album Lucifuge, 1992’s How The Gods Kill was primed to take Danzig’s solo career to new audiences as MTV’s support for heavy music finally hit heavy rotation. “Dirty Black Summer” was the lead single, and its video brought Danzig and his masculine growl to the mainstream. A song about devious youth getting into trouble with no school and nothing to do, this writer takes a moment every June to declare “it’s gonna be a dirty black summer” as soon as the news reports on something bad happening. And now that the youth are more feral than ever, summer’s are even dirtier and blacker than they were in the soft-touch ’90s. — MM
35. ‘Overture of the Rebel Angels’
Not too many artists in the hard rock genre were stepping outside of their assigned box in the early ’90s, at least not to the degree Glenn Danzig did with the 1992 neo-classical release Black Aria. While its creator was – and remains – very proud of the undertaking, it wasn’t much more than a novelty to metal fans. Classical reviewers who bothered to chime in considered it amateurish, but that’s a notoriously snobby sect anyway. Clocking in at well under a half hour, it’s worth a listen, with the dungeon synth opener “Overture of the Rebel Angels” a fine starting point. — MC
34. ‘Teenagers From Mars’
Another track with weirdo lyrics about the “insemination of little girls,” (see “Killer Wolf” at Number 70), the true test of how “Teenagers From Mars” holds up since first surfacing in 1979 as a b-side to “Horror Business” is how fucking lethal it sounded this spring at Coachella, where few in the audience were even alive when Misfits were at their peak. And hell, to go back to our own teenage years and read lyrics like this for the first time: “We are the angel mutants / The streets for us seduction / Our cause unjust and ancient / In this B film born invasion.” Oh, how we cared. — MM
33. ‘Black Mass’
Finally leaving the industrial overtones in the rearview, Danzig thundered back to heavy metal form in 2002 with 777: I Luciferi. Released at a time when nu-metal was the headbanger music du jour, a song like “Black Mass” eschews any such trends with bombastic riffage and Glenn screaming shit that makes no sense whatsoever to us mere mortals, like the chorus of “Asar un Nefer.” It sounds cool, though, and that’s all that matters. — MC
32. ‘Archangel’
Another rare Samhain entry on this list, Initium standout “Archangel” again shows glimpses of the Danzig sound that would crystallize on the solo records without losing the horror-punk punch. And maybe that’s because it was originally written during the Misfits era for Dave Vanian of The Damned. The recording never materialized, and ended up revisiting certain parts of the song for his new project. — MM
31. ‘Sacrifice’
At some point in the mid-’90s, Glenn Danzig became so enthralled with the industrial music typified by the likes of Ministry and Nine Inch Nails that he wanted to get in on the fun. There are hints of it sprinkled all throughout Danzig 4, and by the time of Blackacidevil in 1996, he’d fully embraced the genre. Gone was the classic Danzig lineup of John Christ, Eerie Von, and Chuck Biscuits, replaced by much cheaper musicians and a whole lot of digital programming. The results were a disaster, even with Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell making a guest appearance on a handful of songs. Industrial was already going the way of electronica – back underground – and fans were left scratching their collective heads wondering “WTF is this shit?” Standing above all that is “Sacrifice.” It sounds familiar not in respect to the Danzig canon, but more like a Trent Reznor throwaway that Godflesh dumpster dove. Glenn does the croon-to-scream just as well as anyone, and even with the loaded effects on the scream portion, it’s a diamond in a box of cubic zirconia. — MC
30. ‘Godless’
Nearly seven minutes in length, How The Gods Kill opener “Godless” is not only an assault on the senses, but it showcases a band unit at its full Voltron peak: Chuck Biscuits thunderous drums open the charge with relentless precision before John Christ’s guitar assault and Eriee Von’s bass beatdown come together with such hard rock range. It takes nearly two minutes for Glenn to chime in, allowing the three other dudes to stake as much a claim to this masterful record as he does. Glenn’s surname defines the band, but this quartet defines this song.— MM
29. ‘Mommy, Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight?’
The cleverness of “Mommy, Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight” is how innocuous sounding the first quarter is – the definition of “innocuous” having slightly extended parameters – before it stumbles to a stop. That’s when everything changes as Danzig a cappella asks his mother if he can go murdering people that evening. The music returns at a frenetic pace, essentially inventing the circle pit in just two minutes. — MC
28. ‘Cantspeak’
With MTV on-side and giving Danzig previously-unthinkable airplay and attention, “Cantspeak” gave the band perhaps its most ’90s moment though the ultra-dated stop-motion animation music video, which aligned bad computer graphics with the ballad’s scratchy, atmospheric, and almost industrial vibe. “Cantspeak,” about some sort of helpless desperation and composed of deep album cut “Let It Be Captured’s” guitar parts played in reverse, a nod to the Satanic accusations bands of the genre were met with at the time and in years prior, foreshadows some of the more electronic-leaning sounds he would take the project towards as the decade progressed. — MM
27. ‘I’m the One’
Danzig II: Lucifuge is the favorite of so many, and “I’m the One” is a big part of why the second album by the band is so popular. A lot of the time, when an artist spreads their wings a bit, there’s a “stay in your lane” clapback from fans and critics. But when it’s done as well as Danzig did on this sparse and swampy slice of bayou-fueled blues, both tend to go silent. Now, why is he wrestling an alligator in the video for the song? Lay down all the criticism you want there. — MC
26. ‘I Turned Into A Martian’
Earning a perfect 10 on the Misfits’ “woah-oh-ohhh” scale, “I Turned Into a Martian” is the escapist fantasy that feels weirdly hopeful (when not causing so much destruction). Where most Misfits tracks center around death and the horrifying end of things, “I Turned Into a Martian” celebrates a rebirth. And hey, who among us hasn’t just wished we’d turn into a fucking alien and enjoyed a second act. Bonus points for these ripping opening lyrics: “Possession of the mind is a terrible thing / It’s a transformation with an urge to kill / Not the body of a man from earth / Not the face of the one you love, ’cause / Well, I turned into a Martian.” Add your own “woah-oh-ohhh” here. — MM
25. ‘Thirteen’
One of the most interesting songs in the Danzig catalog is “Thirteen,” because of the multiple lives it’s had and the journey to get to where it did. Initially, Glenn wrote it for Johnny Cash, who put it as the centerpiece to his acclaimed 1994 comeback record, American Recordings. Five years later, it ended up as the closing number on Danzig’s 6:66 Satan’s Child, an interpretation somehow even more Southern gothic than Cash’s, partially due to Glenn’s increasingly hoarse delivery. As he would say years later, “I keep it a little more Danziggy,” a line that’s entirely too funny to ignore. Much like his take on the Nine Inch Nails hit “Hurt,” Cash’s rendition remained the more popular “Thirteen” until 2009, when director Todd Phillips ran Danzig’s over the opening credits to The Hangover. The film subsequently exploded into the mainstream, bringing the song along for the ride and effectively superseding the Cash version. — MC
24. ‘Devil’s Plaything’
As Glenn Danzig tapped into his inner Jim Morrison on Danzig II: Lucifuge, the mood blossoms in kaleidoscopic grayscale on “Devil’s Plaything.” A Renaissance faire-like acoustic opening riff tumbles along before the knives get sharpened, and it’s another masterclass in guitarwork from the immortal John Christ. A song about one person controlling another, it has captivated with a sinister thump for 35 years. — MM
23. ‘1000 Devils Reign’
This is just good old-fashioned Danzig doing what he does best, set to a backdrop of a crunching guitar riff. The title is just as arcane as “Twist of Cain,” or “Snakes of Christ,” or “We Are 138” – it’s probably got some deep meaning that Glenn dug up straight from a dusty tome he uncovered in a bookstore in Germany in the late-’80s and will scoff at you not getting the reference. But damned if you won’t find yourself singing along to the chorus by the second time it comes around and air-drumming to the simple but propulsive thumping. — MC
22. ‘Going Down To Die’
There are several anthemic moments on the underrated 4p, but none reach the heights of “Going Down To Die,” a mountainous blues-metal yearner about facing one’s own mortality. Glenn lets it absolutely rip here, with one of his best vocal performances on the record. Fun fact: “Going Down To Die” was almost included on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, which might have given it the wider attention it deserves. — MM
21. ‘Astro Zombies’
Mindless subservient beings carrying out the extinction of the human race doesn’t exactly feel like the start to a cheery number, but you try not tapping your toe when the “whoa-oh-ohs” kick in during “Astro Zombies.” That was the cunning brilliance of Glenn Danzig; he could take the most disturbing and uncensored topics and make them feel like a drunken night chant along at the local pub. — MC
20. ‘Tired of Being Alive’
Perhaps the most defining track on Lucifuge, the John Christ riff cannon that is “Tired of Being Alive” caps off an astounding four-track run to open the record (“Long Way Back From Hell” into “Snakes of Christ” into “Killer Wolf”) and takes this sophomore effort way past the simplified hard rock origins of the debut. Glenn’s vocals are all-consuming, and the last 30 seconds take this era’s distinctive sound and shift it into overdrive. — MM
19. ‘Until You Call on the Dark’
The fourth Danzig LP has a lot of transitional songs, little indicators of the future direction the band would be taking as Glenn gained more control and did whatever he wanted under the banner of his last name. However, a song like “Until You Call on the Dark” is straight up old school Danzig, and something that wouldn’t sound out of place on Danzig III. It’s a fist-in-the-air anthem without a clear idea of what we’re fist-pumping about, which is in the vein of the best songs in rock and roll. — MC
18. ‘Bullet’
Every person’s discovery of classic Misfits material comes with various levels of an “oh shit” response, and maybe the most visceral came from all of us hearing “Bullet” for the first time. The Misfits’ second single, hitting August 1978 and referencing the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy, is a punk rock blitzkrieg that breathlessly rips through its 1:38 runtime (“we are…), offering one of the most unrelenting tracks in a purely lethal catalog. And it’s just hella fun to sing/scream along to this shit: “Texas is an outrage when your husband is dead / Texas is an outrage when they pick up his head / Texas is the reason that the president’s dead.” Ride, Johnny, ride. — MM
17. ‘Snakes of Christ’
Much like “Not of this World” bled out of “Twist of Cain” on the first Danzig record, “Snakes of Christ” became intertwined with Lucifuge lead track “Long Way Back from Hell.” The difference is “Snakes of Christ” stands up solidly on its own, mainly because of that earworm guitar refrain. Another reason might be because the riff is so familiar; check “War Machine” by Kiss and “Sex Type Thing” by Stone Temple Pilots, and you’ll find a pre and post-Danzig variation on it. — MC
16. ‘Attitude’
We’ll just come right out and say it: “Attitude” is the most Italian song to ever fucking exist because it features an angry short guy from New Jersey acting all incredulous about how he thinks he’s being treated. Give this script to your Uncle Jerry or Cousin Vito, drop a few crass insults about someone they know named Josephine or Marie, and let him get all worked up no matter the grievance: “Attitude, you got some fucking attitude! I can’t believe what you said to me! You got some attitude!” Buddy calm down, no one’s out of line here but you — cooler heads prevail down by the shore — MM
15. ‘Static Age’
One can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened had Static Age been released when it was recorded in 1978, instead of 18 years later. As the first album recorded by Misfits, it saw them more back-alley rough and tumble than full-on horror punk. The title track is an anti-television/wasted youth screed in line with The Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” and could easily have been earmarked as a generational anthem had its release not been delayed. — MC
14. ‘She Rides’
We’re not sure anyone ever did a strip tease to any Misfits or Samhain material, but Danzig’s solo output got certain dancers up on the pole right out of the gate. “She Rides” is a sleek, seductive, and sinister romp, referencing the primordial she-demon mythology of Lilith, and is regarded as the band’s first sex song. Glenn’s love for big-boobied demon women is now very well-documented, and it began with a song that a lonely stripper, somewhere right now across a forgotten part of middle America, is dancing to right now. — MM
13. ‘Halloween’
Did you think the Misfits’ favorite holiday was going to be Arbor Day? Of course not. It’s Halloween, and the band needed an anthem to express their love of all things spooky while retaining the punk ethos. That’s why “anything goes,” because there are razor blades coupled with candy apples and burning bodies set to hang from poles in this dystopian view of October 31. Unsurprisingly, “Halloween” has proven to be one of the more popular Misfits standards, covered to varying degrees of success from the bland (Dropkick Murphys) to the respectable (AFI). — MC
12. ‘Horror Business’
A song that permeated pop culture for decades, from inspiring zines and DIY outlets to an incredible short-lived subculture clothing shop in a long-gone Allston, “Horror Business” has defined the Misfits in so many ways. Inspired either by the murder of Nancy Spungen or 1960 horror film Psycho (depending on who you ask), its sandpaper hardcore punk delivery made it an inspired choice as the band’s third single, and the single artwork depicted the titular character from 1946 film The Crimson Ghost, which would become the band’s unmistakable mascot for decades. Take it with you into the bathroom and see what happens. — MM
11. ‘All Murder, All Guts, All Fun’
What if the Misfits were a little more talented musically and had a bit cleaner production, but kept the rest the same? Top to bottom, it would be summarized in “All Murder All Guts All Fun” from the Samhain debut Initium. Danzig may have dissolved his previous outfit, but by going on about exploding intestines and popping eyeballs, he showed that it wasn’t so easy giving up the Crimson Ghost. — MC
10. ‘Mother’
The quintessential Danzig track and his most commercially successful, “Mother” stands as one of the greatest songs no one ever needs to hear ever again. Like “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction or “Disco 2000” by Pulp, we can appreciate its brilliance by only needing to revisit it on anniversaries — or via memes on Mother’s Day. A sinister cautionary tale about youthful rebellion and the parents who get in the way, the fact that it regained popularity on MTV in the early ’90s, six years after its original release when heavier and darker music pierced the mainstream, speaks to how ahead of its time it truly was. An iconic way to ascend a solo career’s throne — MM
9. ‘Die, Die My Darling’
Glenn appreciated the fandom Metallica had for the Misfits – along with the royalties when they’d cover his songs – and he became friendly with the Bay Area titans, even touring with them in ‘94. But when Metallica were suddenly deemed “not cool” by the metal gatekeepers, Danzig gleefully jumped on the bandwagon, mostly by shit-talking their 1998 version of “Die, Die My Darling” whenever he got the chance. Inexplicably, he then got onstage and performed the track with them at one of their 2011 30th anniversary shows. So, insert shoulder shrug emoji here, the point is “Die, Die My Darling” is one of the best songs from the Misfits, and Metallica’s cover is pretty good too. — MC
8. ‘Hybrid Moments’
“If you’re gonna scream, scream with me / Moments like this never last” endures as a lyric that sends a dopamine rush to the brains of Gen X with every listen, even now clocking in the thousands for some of us. Recorded in 1978 but unreleased until the classic ’85 comp Legacy of Brutality, “Hybrid Moments” is classic Misfits, a punkabilly and horror-punk bouncer that shimmies, shakes, and sounds as lethal as it did nearly 50 years ago, punching you in the face with one hand and patting off the blood with a napkin in the other. — MM
7. ‘Twist of Cain’
It’s hardly an understatement that the debut LP from Danzig came as a shock to longtime Misfits and Samhain fans. It was slower, dirty, bluesy, and had more in common with The Doors than The Damned. Right out of the gate, with guitarist John Christ’s signature pinch harmonics leading the way, “Twist of Cain” indicated that Glenn Danzig had stepped into a new musical realm. The punk-inspired gang vocals were still intact, here with an uncredited assist from Metallica’s James Hetfield. Lyrically, the song is inspired by an early example of Glenn educating us on the “true” history of the world as only few are privy, in this case, he says, the original Bible details how Cain was the spawn of Satan – not Adam and Eve – and born specifically to commit the first murder. Sounds legit. — MC
6. ‘Her Black Wings’
A sledgehammer of a song about “a woman to the 10th power,” as Glenn once told Faces magazine, “Her Black Wings” executed the more muscular sound and writing of Danzig II: Lucifuge. John Christ’s sweeping guitarwork slashes and burns like a recoiled snake while the Eerie Von and Chuck Biscuits rhythm section pummels a beat through a doomsday clock countdown rhythm. It’s a captivating effort and proper standout from the start of a peak creative era. — MM
5. ‘Long Way Back From Hell’
Already etching in stone a classic album opener on the debut LP with “Twist of Cain,” the follow-up, Danzig II: Lucifuge, upped the game with “Long Way Back from Hell.” Instead of a riff, John Christ drops multiple dive bombs before Eerie Von’s bass lays down a driving foundation for Glenn to come in with all those vocal intonations that would become meme-worthy once the internet was invented. — MC
4. ‘Last Caress’
Glenn Danzig’s got something to say — and it would pretty much get him cancelled today. The iconic “Last Caress” is a Misfits masterclass where melody and groove conflict with offensive lyrics, this time about murder and rape in probably the band’s most crass offering. It won a USA Today poll on the greatest songs ever sung by an artist or band from New Jersey, besting — by a lot — more obvious picks from Bruce Springsteen and The Smithereens, and holds firm as one of the greatest efforts in the punk genre. Metallica’s infamous cover brought the Misfits into the innocent ears of a new generation of fans, and for those of a certain age, there would seldom be such a feeling of hearing this shit for the first time.
3. ‘Skulls’
To the untrained ear, or someone who doesn’t pay any mind to the lyrics, a good chunk of Misfits songs have an almost happy-go-lucky feel with an undercurrent of sloppy punk instrumentation. “Skulls” certainly fits that bill, taking on a much different interpretation once one gives a modicum of attention to Glenn singing about hacking the heads off little girls and hanging them on his wall. It’s equal parts brilliant and horrifying – hence the term “horror punk” – and a key reason why the band gets rediscovered generation after generation, beyond the Crimson Ghost pervasiveness at Hot Topic. — MC
2. ‘Where Eagles Dare’
Released on Halloween 1979 as the b-side to “Night of the Living Dead,” the impassioned and epic “Where Eagles Dare” is perhaps the most quintessential Misfits song — it’s confrontational, vulgar, and catchier than Ceddanne Rafaela roaming the outfield of Fenway Park. After serving up lyrics like “An omelet of disease awaits your noontime meal / Her mouth of germicide seducing all your glands” over a grueling punk rock powderkeg just waiting to explode, its climactic chorus of “I ain’t no goddamn son of a bitch / You better think about it, baby!” is unmistakable. Go yell that shit out at The Model, and hear the next line yelled back at you by some asshole with good intentions. — MM
1. ‘How The Gods Kill’
The third Danzig record,1992’s How the Gods Kill, finds the classic lineup of the group arguably at their fully realized finest. While the previous LP, Lucifuge, fully explored Glenn’s love of the early-American blues songbook, abetted by the complementary guitar work of John Christ, Danzig III was more balanced with gothic tones, heavy metal, and slow-moving balladry. The title track hits all the marks, with a gorgeously slow build and beautifully sublime vocals before exploding into a cacophony of pinch harmonics and Glenn not just screaming but howling. It’s a masterful example of the quiet/loud/quiet approach that the band didn’t do nearly enough. As Christ told Vanyaland, “How the Gods Kill” still resonates when he plays it live, with a reaction so powerful it convinced him to get back in front of audiences. — MC