100 Best Songs About Darkness

Darkness Songs

Themes about the dark are exceedingly popular across different genres. In art, literature, poetry, and music, different aspects of mystery are portrayed with darkness. Singers and songwriters creatively bring to life the dark side of life with their emotive lyrics. Songs about darkness explore the grim reality of human emotions.

The confessional tone in these songs reflect on human behavioral changes and psychological changes that come about in people through a shocking event or episode that takes place in their life. How evil thoughts take shape or manifest is essayed through darkness that remains rooted within. The list below showcases songs about darkness from a variety of genres, such as rock, pop, country, R&B, reggae, jazz and more.

Top 10 Songs About Darkness

1. “Darkside”—Alan Walker featuring Au/Ra and Tomine Harket

2. “Darkness”—Eminem

3. “Dancing in the Dark”—Bruce Springsteen

4. “In the Dark”—Purple Disco Machine and Sophie and the Giants

5. “Conversations in the Dark”—John Legend

6. “I Will Follow You into the Dark”—Death Cab for Cutie

7. “Dark Clouds”—Rod Wave

8. “Shot in the Dark”—AC/ DC

9. “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”—Fall Out Boy

10. “Under Cover of Darkness”—The Strokes

What Does "Darkness" Convey in Songs?

Darkness conveys a wide spectrum of elements that are brought to life with gripping narrative. Musicians from different genres showcase a concept or idea metaphorically with songs about the dark. Although darkness in actuality relates to the absence of light, the meaning is often associated with multifaceted aspects of evil showcasing wickedness, sadness, and fear.

The sense of hopelessness and alienation people feel in different phases of their life is explained with the manifestation of darkness in songs about despair. Negative thoughts that stem from the mind are showcased with brutal honesty in songs about night and darkness.

The conflict and turmoil that lurks in the mind is exquisitely showcased in songs about the dark side of human beings. Certain songs describe the protagonist’s feeling about being kept in the dark by a lover, friend, or family member. These songs often reveal the dark side that manifests for the greed of money.

#11—20

11. “Fade Into Darkness”—Avicii

12. “Dance in the Dark”—Lady Gaga

13. “Crawling in the Dark”—Hoobastank

Scroll to Continue

What is a "LOWES #00907 - 866-483-7521 NC" Charge on My Credit Card Statement?

Should I Watch..? 'Sonic The Hedgehog 3' (2024)

A List of Dams in Punjab

14. “Love in the Dark”—Adele

15. “Dark Horse”—Katy Perry featuring Juicy J

16. “The Dark Side”—Muse

17. “In the Dark”—Dev

18. “Called Out in the Dark”—Snow Patrol

19. “Dark Paradise”—Lana Del Rey

20. “Little Dark Age”—MGMT

Living in "Darkness" and Night

The lives of people living in the dark are theatrically illustrated with sadness and negativity in songs about death. Different aspects of nothingness and the empty void one feels are linked with the mind plagued with darkness. In a great number of music videos, the mystery of the unknown is often showcased with dark visuals and eerie themes.

Magical powers and the mystical world of fantasy is theatrically portrayed with the dark to convey a message or hidden meaning. Lyrics that tell a story of the dark world through witchcraft, sorcery, and wizardry are exceeding popular across different genres. Certain singers and songwriters express the beautiful moments of silence that are associated with the night. These songs showcase a peaceful feeling that comes forth through solitude in the dark.

#21–30

21. “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”—The National

22. “Dark Necessities”—Red Hot Chili Peppers

23. “Morning After Dark”—Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and SoShy

24. “Dark Is the Night for All”—a-ha

25. “Dark Side”—Blind Channel

26. “Dark Horses”—Switchfoot

27. “Whispers in the Dark”—Mumford & Sons

28. “Stay in the Dark”—The Band Perry

29. “Dancing in the Dark”—Rihanna

30. “Pictures in the Dark”—Mike Oldfield

What Does "Darkness" Symbolize in Songs?

Darkness is symbolically associated as the dwelling place of evil. While the goodness in people is represented with light, the wicked ways that people adopt is portrayed with darkness that engulfs their soul and mind. These dual theories about good and evil are showcased in different ways by singers and songwriters from different genres.

While "darkness" triggers a number of feelings and emotions, songs about darkness tend to be focus on the following themes:

#31–40

31. “Tall Dark Stranger”—Buck Owens

32. “Fear of the Dark”—Iron Maiden

33. “Dark Horse”—Amanda Marshall

34. “Heartbeat in the Darkness”—Don Williams

35. “Dark Lady”—Cher

36. “Standing in the Dark”—Lawson

37. “The Dark of the Matinee”—Franz Ferdinand

38. “Darkside”—Blink-182

39. “In the Dark”—Billy Squier

40. “Rainbow in the Dark”—Dio

#41–60

41. “Left in the Dark”—Jim Steinman

42. “Fishin’ in the Dark”—The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

43. “Dark Fantasy”—Kanye West

44. “Slow Dancing in the Dark”—Joji

45. “In the Dark”—Bring Me the Horizon

46. “Eyes That See in the Dark”—Kenny Rogers

47. “In a Darkened Room”—Skid Row

48. “Out of the Dark”—Falco

49. “Piano in the Dark”—Brenda Russell

50. “Born in the Dark”—Doug Stone

51. “Dark Road”—Annie Lennox

52. “Daughter of Darkness”—Tom Jones

53. “Ribbon of Darkness”—Gordan Lightfoot

54. “Shot in the Dark”—Ozzy Osbourne

55. “Dancing in the Dark”—Kim Wilde

56. “Dark & Long”—Underworld

57. “Kiss in the Dark”—Pink Lady

58. “Whisper in the Dark”—Dionne Warwick

59. “Puttin’ the Dark Back into the Night”—Sawyer Brown

60. “Tryin’ to Hide Fire in the Dark”—Billy Dean

#61–80

61. “Sprint in the Dark”—Aretha Franklin

62. “The Darkest Day”—Loretta Lynn

63. “Dark Side”—Kelly Clarkson

64. “Slippin’ into Darkness”—War

65. “Darkness”—Darren Hayes

66. “On the Dark Side”—Eddie and the Cruisers

67. “Keep It Dark”—Genesis

68. “Reach Out of the Darkness”—Friend & Lover

69. “Darkness Surrounding”—Avenged Sevenfold

70. “Glow in the Dark”—The Wanted

71. “Dark Horse”—George Harrison

72. “Beware of Darkness”—George Harrison

73. “Footsteps in the Dark”—The Isley Brothers

74. “Dark Star”—Grateful Dead

75. “Dark Sky Island”—Enya

76. “Darkness on the Edge of Town”—Bruce Springsteen

77. “The Dark End of the Street”—James Carr

78. “Dark Come Soon”—Tegan and Sara

79. “Dark Globe”—Syd Barrett

80. “Dark Moon”—Bonnie Guitar

#81–100

81. “Darkness”—Aerosmith

82. “Whispers in the Dark”—Indecent Obsession

83. “Dark Therapy”—Echobelly

84. “Dark Knight Dummo”—Trippie Redd featuring Travis Scott

85. “Dark Clouds”—Space

86. “Darkness Settles In”—Five Finger Death Punch

87. “Dark Times”—Ben Platt

88. “Dark Ballet”—Madonna

89. “Dark Days”—Gerry Cinnamon

90. “Dark Times”—The Weeknd featuring Ed Sheeran

91. “In the Dark”—Camila Cabello

92. “My Name Is Dark”—Grimes

93. “Dark Dark World”—Poppy

94. “How Did We Get So Dark?”—Royal Blood

95. “Party in the Dark”—Mogwai

96. “Alone in the Dark”—Sheryl Crow

97. “Dark Queen”—Lil Uzi Vert

98. “After Dark”—Drake

99. “Darkness Visible”—Mumford & Sons

100. “My Dark Disquiet”—Poets of the Fall

Other Notable Songs About the Dark

• “Darkness and Cold”—Purple Mountains
• “Dancing in the Dark”—Imagine Dragons
• “Get Dark”—AFI
• “Trip the Darkness”—Lacuna Coil
• “Writer in the Dark”—Lorde
• “Darkness Keeps Chasing Me”—Grace VanderWaal
• “Light in the Dark”—Kate Ryan
• “Dark Side”—Phoebe Ryan
• “Dark Places”—Beck
• “Whispers in the Dark”—Skillet
• “Dark Chest of Wonders”—Nightwish
• “In the Dark”—3 Doors Down
• “Light Up the Dark”—Taylor Henderson
• “Darkness and Light”—John Legend featuring Brittany Howard
• “The Dark”—Caro Emerald
• “Dark Night of the Soul”—Van Morrison
• “It Might Get Dark”—White Denim
• “Darkshines”—Muse
• “Afraid of the Dark”—Young Ejecta
• “Dark Side of the Gym”—The National

• “Through the Dark”—One Direction
• “Decks Dark”—Radiohead
• “People Who Eat Darkness”—Steven Wilson
• “Darkness Within”—Machine Head
• “Lies in the Dark”—Tove Lo
• “Angel of Darkness”—Alex C. featuring Yasmin Knoch
• ‘After Dark”—Little Birdy
• “We’re For the Dark”—Badfinger
• “Dark Water”—Amy Lee
• “My Dark Place Alone”—Murderdolls
• “Dark Hollow”—Bill Browning
• “Dancing in the Dark”—Solange
• “After Dark”—Kylie Minogue
• “So Dark”—Prince
• “The Dark of the Sun”—Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• “All Our Dark Tomorrows”—Bruce Cockburn
• “Life (Diamonds in the Dark)”—John Dahlback featuring Agnes
• “The Darkest Nights”—As I Lay Dying
• “Jerusalem (Out of Darkness Comes Light)”—Matisyahu
• “Darker Than the Light That Never Bleeds”—Linkin Park and Steve Aoki

• “In the Dark”—Corrine Bailey Ray
• “Dark Age”—The Hippos
• “The Dark is Rising”—Mercury Rev
• “Dark Saturday”—Metric
• “After Dark”—The Count & Sinden featuring Mystery Jets
• “Dark Matter”—Bjork
• “Aeons of Raging Darkness”—Rhapsody of Fire
• “Dark Horse”—The Ghost Inside
• “Long Dark Road”—The Hollies
• “Paint a Dark Picture”—Tech N9ne featuring Dirtball
• “Meet Me On the Dark Side”—Mellissa Auf der Maur
• “Dark Eyes”—Bob Dylan
• “Promises in the Dark”—Pat Benatar
• “Darkness Til’ Dawn”—Carly Simon
• “Waiting for Darkness”—Ozzy Osbourne
• “Darkroom”—Paul McCartney
• “My Heart Bleeds the Darkest Blood”—Shai Hulud
• “A Shot in the Dark”—A Day to Remember
• “Dark City”—Electric Light Orchestra
• “In the Dark Places”—PJ Harvey

• “Echoes in the Dark”—Uriah Heep
• “Dark New Ages”—Bad Religion
• “Only After Dark”—Mike Ronson
• “Deep in the Dark”—Laura Branigan
• “The Edge of Darkness”—Iron Maiden
• “Dark Side of Me”—Coheed and Cambria
• “Cold Dark and Yesterday”—Daryl Hall & John Oates
• “A Voice in the Dark”—Fancy
• “Dark Room”—Michele Morrone
• “Whistling in the Dark”—They Might Be Giants
• “Dark Crash”—Music for Pleasure
• “Scared of the Dark”—Steps
• “Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat)”—Bob Dylan
• “Dweller By a Dark Stream”—Bruce Cockburn
• “Dark Night”—The Blasters
• “A Dark Passage”—Blind Guardian
• “Darkness, Everybody”—Man Overboard
• “Kids in the Dark”—All Time Low
• “Driving in the Dark”—Saves the Day
• “Straight Into Darkness”—Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

• “Dark Side”—R5
• “A Voice in the Dark”—Blind Guardian
• “Dark Signs”—Sleep Token
• “Cold Dark World”—Weezer
• “Dark Moves of Love”—M83
• “Romance in the Dark”—Dinah Washington
• “Now It’s Dark”—Anthrax
• “Dark Sun”—The Sound of Arrows
• “Sleep’s Dark and Silent Gate”—Jackson Browne
• “Journey Through the Dark”—Blind Guardian
• “Darklands”—The Jesus & Mary Chain
• “Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)”—Ice Cube featuring Chuck D
• “Dark Streets of London”—The Pogues
• “The Dark of You”—Breaking Benjamin
• “I’ve Got a Dark Alley and Bad Idea That Says You Should Your Mouth (Summer Song)”—Fall Out Boy
• “The Darkside”—Hypertaxx
• “Darkest Part”—Red
• “Darkness, Darkness”—The Youngbloods
• “The Dark Memories”—Heavenly
• “Darkest Secret”—Black Stone Cherry

• “Headlights on Dark Roads”—Snow Patrol
• “This Dark Day”—12 Stones
• “Power in the Dark”—Tom Robinson Band
• “Dark Light”—Night Lovell
• “Twist in the Dark”—Frida
• “You Left Me in the Dark”—Elvis Costello
• “Dark Diamond”—Elton John
• “Queen of Darkness”—Badfinger
• “I Was Born in the Dark”—Fireworks
• “New Dark Age”—The Sound
• “Dark Entries”—Bauhaus
• “Dark Is the Night”—Shakatak
• “You Want it Darker”—Leonard Cohen
• “Marching Into the Dark”—John Legend
• “Dark Passenger”—Holy Grail
• “Throughout the Dark Months of April and May”—Cocteau Twins
• “Actually It’s Darkness”—Idlewild
• “Dark Sweet Lady”—George Harrison
• “Engines of the Dark”—Conrad Keely
• “By the Rivers Dark”—Leonard Cohen

• “Darker with the Day”—Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• “Words Darker Than Their Wings”—Alter Bridge
• “Darker than Blood”—Steve Akoi featuring Linkin Park
• “We All Feel Better in the Dark”—Pet Shop Boys
• “My Dark Hour”—Steve Miller Band
• “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror”—Elvis Costello
• “And She Would Darken the Memory”—The Twilight Sad
• “Jeannie’s Afraid of the Dark”—Dolly Parton
• “The Darkest Star”—Depeche Mode
• “Darkest Hours”—Stratovarius
• “Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean”—Nightwish
• “After Dark”—Kung-Fu Generation
• “Dancer in the Dark”—The Rasmus

© 2022 Ansel Pereira