This is a difficult one. What is a villain? It can mean different things to different people. In the theater, a villain is portrayed as someone whose bad actions are essential to the plot.
A similar meaning can be applied in everyday life. We meet bad people who we could refer to as villains. But, they won’t all be people who may want to cause you harm. Good songs that make you feel like a villain are hard to come by, but I am going to give it a go.
There seems to be this feeling in some of today’s music that violence is acceptable. Some songs go into quite graphic detail about one person wanting to inflict hurt or harm on another. Let me say at the outset, you won’t find any of that here.
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What About A Villain Of The Peace?
Are public disturbances villainous? They could be described as such. Governments often see and describe protesters as “villains of the peace.” People who deliberately get in the way of something you are trying to achieve could also be labeled the same.
Songwriters have written about these emotions that cause us to feel villainous. Some songwriters have even written and sung songs about villains of the past, some rather unsavory characters. We could include a few of those to lighten the mood.
Can songs make you feel villainous?
They can, and they can take things to extremes, but we don’t need to consider those. Some songs deal with the subject on a lower level. Let’s take a look at a few of the songs that make you feel like the bad guy.
Top 100 Songs That Make You Feel Like a Villain
1
Another One Bites The Dust by Queen
This song was written by Queen’s excellent bass guitarist Johnny Deacon. You may gather that from the very bass riff-oriented style. It was included on their album, The Game, released in 1980.
Deacon played most of the instruments on the track. Apart from the bassline, he also played piano and guitar and added some handclaps. Roger Taylor put on a drum loop, and Brian May added some extra guitar sounds.
It became an iconic part of their stage set…
And Freddie Mercury was always able to whip the crowd up with this song. It reached #7 in the UK and #1 in America and has been recognized as Queen’s best-selling single.
The theme of the song is interesting. It refers to pushing forward with what you want to achieve and not letting people get in your way. In that respect, they become a very villain to only you. The song is saying, if they try to obstruct, just push them aside.
2
I Dreamed a Dream by Chase Holfelder
This song is an interesting take on the famous song from the musical play Les Miserables. It was based on a French song with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The play was written in 1862 by Victor Hugo.
The story of Fantine is the subject of the original song…
Fantine is portrayed as a young, ordinary, working-class French girl, or “grisette” in French. She gets pregnant by a rich young student who then deserts her. Subsequently, she has the baby, Cosette, but is thrown out on the street after losing her job and the song is her wishing for a better life.
This is a song that re-imagines the situation but takes the boys’ side. In it, he tries to portray himself as being the one that is misunderstood, just as much as Fantine has been.
The song is written in a minor key which gives it a slightly disturbing feel as he puts his case. That change to the minor only goes to emphasize his villainous nature.
3
The Hell Song by Sum 41
How could you describe this track from Canadian band Sum 41? Punk with a melody, possibly. It has a Pop-Punk feel about it as they race through the music.
This song was released in 2003 and taken from their album, Does This Look Infected? It was written by Deryck Whibley and Greig Nori. This is a song about the serious problems that we all have to face. It looks at the image of the “bad man” and considers his motivations and his almost despair at not knowing where to turn.
“Everybody’s got their problems – Everybody says the same things to you – It’s just a matter of how you solve them – But what else are we supposed to do?” The song was inspired by a friend of Whibley who contracted HIV, and it is his take on how he looks at it. A “silent” villain you cannot see.
4
Last Midnight by Meryl Streep
Quite often, you will hear actors, be they male or female, sing songs in musicals. Out of their comfort zone, they can sound like a duck being strangled. Not the case here with Meryl Streep singing this song from Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. She shows she has a very good voice indeed.
It is essentially the turning point in the story…
The witch, played by Meryl Streep, is angry and berates people for not keeping promises. She asks them, “Told a little lie – Stole a little gold – Broke a little vow – Did you?”
In a twist, she turns out not to be the antagonist. Rather, she is a victim. She didn’t mean to lay a curse on the baker’s parents and send them through the woods. And she didn’t plan that there would be giants.
Everyone is laying the blame on her and seeing her as the villain. Whilst her actions did cause the situation, she shows that she is in as much pain as everyone else. A big performance from probably the best actress of this and other generations, as well as one of those songs that make you feel like a villain.
5
Al Capone by Prince Buster
How about we take a quick tongue-in-cheek look at a song about a real-life villain? Although, “villain” isn’t a strong enough word to describe him. People like to pretend they are gangsters today and think they are tough. We even have some politicians with delusions in this area. But the “real deal” is here, and they wouldn’t last five minutes in the company of this man.
The song was written by Prince Buster and released in 1964. This was at a time when there was a growing fascination for Capone and others like him. Not many took that much notice at the time, but in 1967, interest was revived, and it reached #18 on the UK chart.
I have chosen this one because it has a slight backstory…
In the mid to late-60s, British youth culture saw West Indians in dark sunglasses as villains. They referred to them as “rude boys.” Some West Indians, especially Jamaicans, liked to play up to the image. Al Capone was the song they adopted as their anthem for pretend or, in some cases, actual villainy.
6
Street Fighting Man by The Rolling Stones
This was a song that caused plenty of controversies when it was released in America in 1968. In the UK, it was taken from the Beggars Banquet album. It is considered to be one of The Stone’s most important works and was one of their better songs. Does it make you feel like a villain? “Villain” is possibly the wrong word. If we return to the “villain of the peace,” then it certainly did for some.
It was written about the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations in America, student riots in Paris, and the protest outside the American embassy in London, which turned nasty. Jagger was at the protest in London and was even charged by police horses attempting to control a crowd of 25,000.
Subsequently, the song was banned from many radio stations in America. When interviewed, Jagger said he was pleased. Commenting, “The last time American radio stations banned a Stones song, it sold over a million copies.”
The song wasn’t written to cause trouble…
But, it was written to highlight issues. Because of that, some with villainous intent made the most of it. It was a confrontational song, although, as its first few lines attest, “Everywhere I hear the sound – Of marching, charging, feet boy – Cause summers here and the time is right – For fighting in the street, boy.”
That is a play on words to the “Dancing in the Street” idea. Clever lyric writing. With a string of American hits behind them, this only reached #48.
7
Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood
George Thorogood and his band, The Destroyers, were a Blues Rock band that seemed to go under the radar a bit. They were pretty good at the basic “white-boy blues” thing, as you can hear on this track. It was a track that was originally on an album of the same name.
The song is a cross between a sped-up version of Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man” and what you might hear from Muddy Waters. Thorogood takes the riff and adds a mean sound to it. The first few chords he plays set the tone and let us know he is “bad.” Which in those days didn’t mean good but meant rather unpleasant. A villainous song if ever I heard one.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t a commercial success. It wasn’t made as a Pop song, far from it. However, it was played consistently on the developing MTV for some years, which renewed interest in the song.
8
Bad Reputation by Joan Jett
Joan Jett had been in a band, The Runaways, but when the group folded, she released this album as a solo project. None of the record companies were initially interested. So, she and her producer Kenny Laguna funded the pressing and released it between them.
The single was released in 1980 and taken from the album of the same name. The album was credited as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, but at the time of recording, the band had yet to be formed.
This is classic British Punk Rock as we know it. The song even featured members of the Sex Pistols, and she came to London to record it. It thrashes away with typical Joan Jett energy and leaves little room for any finesse in lyrics or style. She is telling the world she has a bad reputation, and she is proud of it. She doesn’t care what anybody else thinks.
9
Bad Company by Bad Company
Bad Company was formed in 1973, essentially from the remnants of the band Free with Mick Ralphs added on guitar. Boz Burrell, formerly of King Crimson, was chosen for the bass but wasn’t the first choice at the time. But that is another story. Bad Company was their first and probably best album which gave us the single “Can’t Get Enough.”
If a villain includes killing to defend himself, then this could be an example. It is a song about having to survive in the harshness of the Old West. “I was born, six guns in my hand – Behind a gun, I’ll make my final stand – That’s why they call me – Bad Company, and I can’t deny – Bad Company till the day I die.”
The narrator then tells how he teamed up with others, and they became known as villains, but probably worse. “Now these towns, they all know our name – Six gun sound is our claim to fame.” The song was written by Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, and it has got that melancholic Free sound.
10
The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde by Georgie Fame
Down to the last two songs that make you feel like a villain. But, before we go to my last choice, let’s lighten the mood with this track from Georgie Fame. A song about historical villains. It is the story of the notorious duo and their life of crime that made villains out of others they came into contact with.
Georgie Fame, a British jazz and blues musician, released the song in 1968. It went to #1 in the UK and #7 in America. It was released on the back of the film that came out in 1967 that told the story.
11
Killer Queen by Queen
This is a track taken from what is, in my opinion, Queen’s best album released in 1974, Sheer Heart Attack. It was their third album, but it is the work that finally convinced the world there was a new standard to try and emulate. It reached #2 in the UK and #12 in America.
The song is about a high-class call girl he meets who is tangled up with the wrong people. Whilst not the villain herself, it is implied she is surrounded by them.
It is a song that has been applied to a variety of people over the years since its release. Wives, girlfriends, and even mothers. It carries an image of a “bad” girl who is out looking for her next victim. “She’s a Killer Queen – Gunpowder, gelatine – Dynamite with a laser beam.”
12
Run This Town by Jay-Z feat. Rihanna and Kanye West
13
Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj
14
Blood in the Cut by K.Flay
15
Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd
16
The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band
17
Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses
18
My Way by Frank Sinatra
19
Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
20
You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi
21
I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
22
Dark Horse by Katy Perry feat. Juicy J
23
Criminal Mind by Gowan
24
You Know My Name by Chris Cornell
25
Ghost Town by Adam Lambert
26
Iron Man by Black Sabbath
27
God’s Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash
28
Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
29
Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
30
Toxic by Britney Spears
31
Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
32
Lose Yourself by Eminem
33
How to Be a Heartbreaker by Marina and the Diamonds
34
Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
35
Natural Born Killaz by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube
36
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
37
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey by The Beatles
38
Seven Devils by Florence + The Machine
39
The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News
40
Barracuda by Heart
41
The Devil You Know by Anthrax
42
The Devil Within by Digital Daggers
43
Mr. Brightside by The Killers
44
Control by Halsey
45
In the End by Linkin Park
46
In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins
47
Mad World by Gary Jules
48
Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin
49
Unholy Confessions by Avenged Sevenfold
50
Take Me to Church by Hozier
More 50 Songs That Make You Feel Like a Villain
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- Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
- Psycho Killer by Talking Heads
- Killer by Adamski ft. Seal
- Closer by Nine Inch Nails
- You Don’t Own Me by Grace ft. G-Eazy
- Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode
- Bury a Friend by Billie Eilish
- Thunderstruck by AC/DC
- Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd
- House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
- Gold Digger by Kanye West
- The Man by The Killers
- Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Master of Puppets by Metallica
- Blood // Water by grandson
- Antisocial by Ed Sheeran & Travis Scott
- Tainted Love by Soft Cell
- Heartless by Kanye West
- Serial Killer by Lana Del Rey
- Psycho by Muse
- Backstabber by Kesha
- The Night We Met by Lord Huron
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
- Burn by Nine Inch Nails
- O Death by Ralph Stanley
- I’m Not Afraid of You by The Turtles
- Maneater by Hall & Oates
- Blue Monday by New Order
- Bulletproof by La Roux
- Glory and Gore by Lorde
- Devil’s Haircut by Beck
- Psychopath by St. Vincent
- Numb by Linkin Park
- Murder Was the Case by Snoop Dogg
- Me and the Devil Blues by Robert Johnson
- The Beast by Tech N9ne
- Oh No! by Marina and the Diamonds
- Bodies by Drowning Pool
- Walk the Dinosaur by Was (Not Was)
- Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots
- Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson
- Love Is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar
- The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme) by John Williams
- The Evil That Men Do by Iron Maiden
- The Hills by The Weeknd
- Killing Strangers by Marilyn Manson
- No Light, No Light by Florence + The Machine
- Strange Days by The Doors
- Enter Sandman by Metallica
- Haunted by Beyoncé
Want More Songs About Doing Wrong or Being Done Wrong?
Well, have a look at our detailed articles on the Best Songs About Revenge, the Best Songs About Monsters, the Top Songs about Greed, the Top Songs about Regret, and the Top Songs About The Jungle for more naughty song selections.
And you’ll need to listen to them. So, check out our in-depth reviews of the Best Headphones For Rock & Metal Music, the Best Headphones for Music, the Best Headphones Under $200, the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, the Best iPhone Earbuds, and the Most Comfortable Earbuds you can buy in 2023.
Songs That Make You Feel Like a Villain – Final Thoughts
What is it about villains? There does seem to be a fascination with them. Film companies have been making films about them ever since the very first movies were made. And they still make them. I suppose there is a fascination with that kind of lifestyle.
We have looked at some songs that portray villains differently, some that offer a level of sympathy, and others that just observe. So, I suppose it is a subject that many will always be fascinated by.
Until next time, happy listening.
