Recent posts about mental illness got me wondering - what are my favorite songs about anxiety? Here are 5 standouts, and a longer playlist at the bottom.
Great post! What a list - most of which (save Pat Benetar) I wasn't aware of. So, some additions to future playlists!
My suggestion is an album - one of my favourites, back in the day: Orbus Terrarum by The Orb. Putting this CD on at around four in the morning when one reality needed to blend into another ... damn. On the surface there's an illusion of calm, but there's an underlying tension that inevitably leads to some serious nail biting.
this one’s not anxiety-specific, but I like to play this loudly when I need to self regulate: Please Remain Calm by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/D7rELtlc5Hb
And this one is about mental health in general: Room Full of People In Your Head by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/mbZl8JMc5Hb
Regarding the prompt you have given us, I immediately thought of "Place To Be" by Nick Drake. On an album full of devastating sadness yet beauty, it's hard to choose one song to share. But, this one came to mind.
"Glass Eyes" by Radiohead. The album is about divorce, the devastating breakdown of a relationship, and the pain, sorrow, anxiety, and depression that follows. "Glass Eyes" is possibly its most poetic and poignant track.
Love this topic! I immediately thought of two: Anxiety by Pat Benatar and Terrible Thought by Poe. The latter is about OCD and really hits the nail on the head for those who suffer with it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYmKURhxHw
Backstory: the song was written in London after was exiled from Brazil. According to one site, "Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were arrested without trial on December 27, 1968, and detained for 57 days. They were ordered to stay within the confines of their home state, Bahia, after release and were ‘invited’ to leave the country shortly thereafter. To this day it is unclear exactly why Gil and Veloso were targeted specifically, perhaps it was their popularity among the youth, or their eccentricity and general aversion to the establishment, or a combination of both. "
I enjoyed this, Steve, and I was amazed at how many anxiety-related songs there have been! Etymology fan that I am, I began to wonder if angst and anxiety might have a similar root. Apparently not, despite roughly similar definitions:
Great post! What a list - most of which (save Pat Benetar) I wasn't aware of. So, some additions to future playlists!
My suggestion is an album - one of my favourites, back in the day: Orbus Terrarum by The Orb. Putting this CD on at around four in the morning when one reality needed to blend into another ... damn. On the surface there's an illusion of calm, but there's an underlying tension that inevitably leads to some serious nail biting.
Loved this post!
this one’s not anxiety-specific, but I like to play this loudly when I need to self regulate: Please Remain Calm by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/D7rELtlc5Hb
And this one is about mental health in general: Room Full of People In Your Head by Cloud Cult - https://spotify.link/mbZl8JMc5Hb
Some great tracks here Steve! I hadn’t heard any of them except for the Preoccupations song (excellent album btw).
I was wondering if you’d get Overkill in there and saw it near the bottom of the Spotify playlist.
Fear My Society by The Wants is another good one:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1nIrh2vUiuHkj2fMalZn9i
Because they are, you know….
https://youtu.be/7YvAYIJSSZY?si=U4x6ZXjZFJeJGa9z
You know I'm gonna go with a Rush tune :D "Freeze" would fit the bill!
Regarding the prompt you have given us, I immediately thought of "Place To Be" by Nick Drake. On an album full of devastating sadness yet beauty, it's hard to choose one song to share. But, this one came to mind.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5QUeSXjTMHbq1fW5da2waF?si=119269ce32824c9b
"Glass Eyes" by Radiohead. The album is about divorce, the devastating breakdown of a relationship, and the pain, sorrow, anxiety, and depression that follows. "Glass Eyes" is possibly its most poetic and poignant track.
https://open.spotify.com/track/0uOeAmfdyaekD2RIGwCDwq?si=c405441310a64a49
Love this topic! I immediately thought of two: Anxiety by Pat Benatar and Terrible Thought by Poe. The latter is about OCD and really hits the nail on the head for those who suffer with it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYmKURhxHw
Thanks for this issue Steve! What a great selection of songs 🎶
You know, thanks to the newest issue of the Ponytail Press I’ve found a new favorite anxiety-themed song: „How R U” by DijahSB
https://open.spotify.com/track/4NgiFQiCDSK2kvRuZSnHPz?si=I7G6uRpmSJK7yQZVhGgxzg
These are also on point, I think:
• „Mirror” by The Drums
https://open.spotify.com/track/5vF4mZ79OmA8JHHqRjloQ4?si=MTeMYznyT1C3ZQ5f_b1nxQ
• „Still as the Night” by Rowan Drake
https://open.spotify.com/track/4DwSzfkzhnT6GF80xHVhQF?si=m7O3RrFRTje9NM_ediK_nA
• „Mind Games” by Verzache
https://open.spotify.com/track/5x28j84C6lbutAAeq2jxHX?si=AAM7FH01RKi3BlaHpSX1aw
Not exactly anxiety, but I think of "A Little More Blue" by Caetano Veloso, as one of the great songs about homesickness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYC7S1kEhVg
Backstory: the song was written in London after was exiled from Brazil. According to one site, "Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were arrested without trial on December 27, 1968, and detained for 57 days. They were ordered to stay within the confines of their home state, Bahia, after release and were ‘invited’ to leave the country shortly thereafter. To this day it is unclear exactly why Gil and Veloso were targeted specifically, perhaps it was their popularity among the youth, or their eccentricity and general aversion to the establishment, or a combination of both. "
Oh yeah, I love preoccupations- and the band! But really, I think they are amazing, Here's one of my favorites of theirs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nYFmuGwt3flHsA4W3QBWbW42h-xdz5yAk
Pat Benetar - Get Nervous
Anxiety by Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez
Breathe Me by Sia
And one of my favorites not about anxiety, but other mental health issues js Sail by AWOLNATION.
Literally the second I scheduled this post, Chase Roper posted an amazing piece and poem about anxiety that I want to share with you all.
https://open.substack.com/pub/chaseroper/p/riding-the-waves-of-anxiety?r=1046qe&utm_medium=ios
I enjoyed this, Steve, and I was amazed at how many anxiety-related songs there have been! Etymology fan that I am, I began to wonder if angst and anxiety might have a similar root. Apparently not, despite roughly similar definitions:
"Angst and anxiety have often been used interchangeably, and while they present similar characteristics in how they manifest, they stem from different sources. While both angst and anxiety relate to the unease of unforetold suffering, angst is usually associated with a deep philosophical dread of dissatisfaction."--from Privatetherapy.com: https://www.privatetherapy.com/blog/anxiety-angst/#:~:text=Angst%20and%20anxiety%20have%20often,deep%20philosophical%20dread%20of%20dissatisfaction.
Despite all that (and never one to leave well enough alone), I offer "Angst in My Pants" by Sparks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUViOpzm6I
But…but…but…https://youtu.be/_GICtWmX754?si=EorNxPBI7KPdyI5P
I was having such a peaceful Friday morning, sipping coffee and reading some of my fellow Substack mates.
Now I'm full of anxiety! ;-)