7 Rock Songs With Spooky Backmasked Messages

Coincidence or Intentional?

Since time immemorial, rock music has been often associated with Satanic rituals. When we were younger, we’ve heard of people claiming that some songs had hidden messages and we often shrugged it off as nonsense. But sometimes, the phrases are just way too clear for coincidence.

Is this intentional? Or are classic rock fans have so much wild imagination? Let’s find out.

7. The Eagles – “Hotel California”

Ever since it was released, there were so many rumors about the supposed actual meaning of the song. Some say the title refers to an actual hotel in San Francisco which was purchased by occultist Anton LaVey who later converted it into the Church of Satan. Although the words don’t mean much, when you try to play it backwards, it becomes something else. The message isn’t clear but somehow, you can make out the word “Satan.” Others believe they can hear other Satanic messages like “Satan organized his own religion” or “Yeah, Satan hears this.” It might require you to listen closely and put it on repeat before you can understand the words. Some of it is subtle but yes, it’s there. We don’t know if The Eagles intentionally put it there but according to Don Henley, “Some of the wilder interpretations of that song have been amazing. It was really about the excesses of American culture and certain girls we knew. But it was also about the uneasy balance between art and commerce.”

6. Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust”

To be fair, this one is neither spooky nor scary. Then again, we’re still quite impressed how people manage to discover something like this. Do they simply play random records and hope there’s a secret message? Because really, who would have thought there’s any to be found in one of Queen’s classic hits. So, what do you hear when you backmask “Another One Bites The Dust?” The phrase is pretty clear – “It’s fun to smoke marijuana.” You can play it many times, it’s actually on our third try when we heard the words. Neat, right? But it sounds really fun though, unlike the other messages on this list – this one is mild. It’s not exactly anything scandalous or one that will make other people want to boycott the band. It’s kind of funny too. Imagine Freddie Mercury singing about weed! This guy is just cool and awesome on so many levels.

5. Cheap Trick – “Gonna Raise Hell”

This one is kind of epic, to say the least. Just a quick warning though, this will definitely transport you back to the ‘70s. Maybe people really took the title of the song literally and thought, “This sounds like something with a hidden Satanic message on it.” And well, they did come across something. The line says, “You know Satan holds the keys to the lock” and you only hear it if you concentrate and listen closely. You see, for stuff like this, you need more than sharp auditory senses. It can be difficult to make out the words too unless someone already gives you an idea. It’s always easier when you know what to look for because if you don’t, you’d be fishing for ideas. And you might think, there’s probably no hidden message here at all. But this one is interesting though. Let’s see if you can find it.

4. Judas Priest – “Better By You, Better Than Me”

Now this one will definitely send chills down your spine. It’s probably the creepiest thing you’ll hear today. We’re still kind of spooked even if we’ve heard about this story several times. If you can recall in 1985, two young men ended a night of drinking and smoking joints by going to the playground and shooting themselves with a shotgun. One died on the spot while the other lived for three more years but suffered with complications. The reason? They said they heard the words “let’s be dead,” “do it,” and “try suicide” in this song. Judas Priest was sued along with CBS Records. In the end, the judge declared that the band wasn’t responsible for any of it. According to the survivor, James Vance, “We had been programmed. I knew I was going to do it. I was afraid. I didn’t want to die. It’s just as if I had no choice.”

3. The Beatles – “Revolution 9”

We don’t really know who started the “Paul McCartney is dead” theory (and replaced by a double) but after the White Album was released, fans religiously took note of any subliminal or hidden messages in the songs. Legend has it, the other members dropped hints or clues in their music to tell the real fans the truth. For one, during the fade out in “Strawberry Fields Forever,” John Lennon allegedly says, “I buried Paul.” But perhaps the creepiest and freakiest one can be heard in the avant-garde song “Revolution 9.” It was an odd track and had so many noises and other effects. For those who subscribed to the rumors, this became another solid evidence that Paul was indeed gone. The phrase “number nine” when played on reverse becomes “turn me on dead man.” Others even claim they could hear a car crash sound or someone yelling, “let me out.”

2. Cradle of Filth – “Dinner at Deviant’s Palace”

We sincerely hope you are not reading this before bedtime or worse, at midnight. We’ve included something funny and creepy but nothing will come close to this. It might, at the very least, convince you to abandon any ideas of sleeping. Cradle of Filth’s album artwork cover alone is enough to give you nightmares but when you play “Dinner at Deviant’s Palace” in reverse, you can hear The Lord’s Prayer backwards. It was being read by lead guitarist Paul Allender’s son. It will give you the creeps, no doubt. It’s like watching “The Exorcist” on Halloween – you’re in for a real scary treat. We’re used to hearing weird stuff in metal but nothing will prepare you for this. It’s guaranteed to get under your skin. We just can’t say ‘creepy’ enough. When you listen to it alone in your room, it’s as if you’re half expecting the lights to suddenly start blinking before losing power!

1. Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven

Somehow, this Led Zeppelin masterpiece is very controversial in more ways than one. This has become the most popular example in backmasking because allegedly when played in reverse, you can hear the lines “Oh here’s to my sweet Satan. The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan. He will give those with him 666. There was a little tool shed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.” Most say it’s nothing but pure coincidence and whether it’s true or not, we can’t deny the fact that it somehow added a touch of mystery to the band. Maybe it’s also because Jimmy Page has been associated with the occult long before this came out. Even until today, some people still believe that he sold his soul to the devil so he can achieve the fame and fortune he enjoys now. However, Page said in an interview, “To me it’s very sad, because ’Stairway to Heaven’ was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that’s not my idea of making music.”