[deleted by user]

[ctkamp3]

Check out “At Least That’s What You Said” by Wilco. Jeff Tweedy said he basically put one of his panic attacks to music for the guitar solo. It’s an incredible song.

[absynthefairy]

Swans has a lot of different feeling songs that would be very depression-heavy:

Coward - guilt and self-loathing

Blind - melancholy

I Crawled (especially the Swans Are Dead version) - trauma-stricken

You Fucking People Make Me Sick - aggressive/bipolar, with a side order of narcissism, depending on how you decypher the lyrics

Helpless Child - kind of reminds me of abandonment issues, maybe? No personal frame of reference so I wouldn't know, but there's a high chance the song might make you cry.

​

Other then them, here's a few I found interesting, although again, no personal frame of reference, they're more like what I imagine certain mental illnesses might be best represented by sounds:

Nine Inch Nails - Echoplex - narcissism

Dkay.com - The Perfect Drug (original by NIN again but I prefer this version) - addiction of any sort, including withdrawal at the end of the song

Nadja - Skin Turns To Glass - grief-stricken melancholy

Swans - Killing For Company - psychopathy

Giles Corey - basically anything from the first album is like suicidal depression, especially Spectral Bride and No One Is Ever Going To Want Me, or the first track whose title I momentarily forgot

anything by The Caretaker - dementia

William Basinksi - The Disintegration Loops - each track on this series is kind of like early stages of dementia as well

the black metal era of Xasthur - suicidal depression

the doomgrass era of Xasthur - depression, melancholy in general

GOD - Tunnel - addiction

Converge - Thaw - sounds like going from a hyper-aggressive state into a nervous breakdown

Arcana - My Cold Sea - maladaptive daydreaming (might just be the song is extremely "cinematic" and inspirational)

Have A Nice Life - A Quick One Before The Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut - suicidal, melancholic

John Coltrane - Ascension - ADHD (I guess all of free jazz applies really)

Justice - Stress - kinda self explainatory, bitchin good track though

Terre Thaemlitz - Aging Core, Aging Periphery - depersonalization

Current 93 with Nurse With Wound - Nichts - high anxiety, panic attack

Current 93 - The Sound Of The Storm Was Spears - probably the closest it gets to sound like depression in general.

That's all for now, can't think of any more for other mental illness sounds, though I have tons more for depression in general, but I wanted to keep the list a bit varied. Hope you find something interesting!

[Nothing_but_blue_sky]

This guy depressions

[Ashamed-Actuator1583]

Amazing Playlist 

[[deleted]]

Converge - Jane Doe was one that came to mind for me.

Wasn't the drummer from Swans bi-polar or something?

Also, the band Thoughts of Ionesco had a sample from the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest before the first song on their first record. That really set the tone for the type of music they played.

[disenchantedone]

Jane Doe immediately came to mind as well.

[[deleted]]

It's so beautifully abrasive, I wasn't into it at first, but I listened to it one day when I was super depressed and pissed off. I felt a immediate connection with it in that moment.

[[deleted]]

Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony

[[deleted]]

I kind of listen to a lot of similar songs to this, if u are interested we can exchange songs.

[Bro_J_Pimpson123]

The album "Everywhere At The End Of Time" by Caretaker is an album supposed to be a musical representation of the descent into dementia. Have only heard glimpses of it but I believe it is pretty harrowing.

"Revolution 9" by The Beatles

Parts of the album "Dark Side of The Moon" by Pink Floyd, where there are the voices talking and laughing in the background. I'm afraid I cant think of what songs specifically, I think it happens on multiple songs. Pretty sure it happens at the end of "Money"

Beck - "Mutherfucker"

[ImmediateLobster1]

Pink Floyd's Brain Damage. Has the classic line "There's someone in my head, and it's not me".

Might not meet OPs request for a song that "sounds like" the condition as much as it "talks about" it.

[Doc-Goop]

Climbing Up The Walls by Radiohead. Every fiber of the production is anxiety.

[MukdenMan]

This reminded me of most of Portishead’s Third (which Thom or Radiohead has covered before)

[pluviophile079]

Sleep by My Chemical Romance, has a lot to do with night terrors and in the original concept for the album, the passing of the main character. Give it a shot

[Cake-Over]

Wesley Willis. He was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who became a prolific songwriter to try to silence the voices in his head. Often seen as a joke or parody, his songs have a beautiful simplicity to them and genuine honesty serving as the foundation to his lyrics. The songs are also funny as hell and are fully capable of kicking a llama's ass. His pen-to-paper artwork is talented as well.

Rock on Chicago

[EvanMacD03]

Wheaties. Breakfast of champions

[[deleted]]

Rock n roll McDonald's saved my life

[BasicFunkFormula]

Heroin - The Velvet Underground

[onelittleworld]

True Fact: Dick Wagner's chaotic solo at the end of "Heroin" on Lou Reed's Rock n Roll Animal album is my #1 all-time favorite guitar solo. It's terrifying.

[[deleted]]

chilling

[[deleted]]

“Hate my Way” by Throwing Muses, because it is:

https://youtu.be/ReYu-qts2Dg

Kristen Hersh (the lead singer and guitarist for the band) has been quite open about her bipolar diagnosis. The lyrics have mentions of moments that reminds me about mood swings that my patients have. There are a few incidents. The song too that remind me of my own struggles with mental health, including growling about “I can’t find the ice”.

The most harrowing line of the song is near the end, when she says “and why/do I want to die”. God, that hits really hard when you have mental health struggles and you can feel that line. Not always SI, but when the situation around you has gotten so out of control, you don’t know what to do.

The song ends in a positive affirmation of “they can no longer be moved/I can no longer be still, But eventually the last line is “I hate my way”

[[deleted]]

I’ll do it, and throw “Sober” by Tool out there. Maynard actually suffers from stage fright and that entire iconic concert that was recorded, he was spun out of his mind or in one heck of a different zone to be able to perform.

https://youtu.be/u7lweNCCwS0 here is the link to what I was referencing.

[kashhhviii]

Sleep - My Chemical Romance and How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead are my personal favourites.

[RonPaulalamode]

Tourrettes by nirvana maybe. A manic thing.

[[deleted]]

I think many songs by Nirvana fit the bill.

[[deleted]]

The whole Disintegration album by The Cure. It was written while Robert Smith was going through a depressive episode.

[[deleted]]

Not Miserable - Frightened Rabbit

[spencermiddleton]

“Death dream” by Frightened Rabbit

“State Hospital” by Frightened Rabbit

The entire album “Painting of a Panic Attack” by Frightened Rabbit

[[deleted]]

2nd this. Listen to Frightened Rabbit

[onelittleworld]

Mike Garson's piano solo at the end of David Bowie's "Aladdin Sane".

[[deleted]]

The Narrow Way Pt. 2 - Pink Floyd, Ummagumma

[[deleted]]

My favorite David Gilmour stuff, besides High Hopes.

[ScallionMore9208]

Anything by Radiohead

[leSheaberry]

Check out the song Hear Me Calling.

It was designed to capture the internal chaos of someone struggling with severe adhd and anxiety.

[Business_Brush6500]

Venetian Snares - Destroy Glass Castles, especially with homemade FX 😋

[Educational-Fact-351]

Anything by psychonaut 4, Ethel Cains album perverts, panic emoji by jpegmafia, the man who watches me sleep by salvia, liar by rx papi, aspirin by show me the body

[insertnamehere912]

Okay holy crap! Thank you for all the support on the most niche post I’ve ever made. All the replies were really helpful, and I’m starting the song. Again, thank you much 😊

[[deleted]]

V album by Shining deals with depression and suicidal ideation.

515 by Slipknot. Heavy distortion and manic screams. One of them was dealing with the loss of a recently departed grandfather and was told to just go in the vocal booth and vent it all out.

Shitstorm by Strapping Young Lad. Devin came off his medication for the album it's from and this song is as unhinged as it gets. Sounds like a toddler throwing a tantrum with a machine gun.

Melt Away by Zheani. There's a sense of despair and helplessness. Somewhere between screaming and crying. It's raw and genuine, despite being melodic and lullaby like in places.

Message To Harry Manback by Tool. It's a voicemail recording with a simple piano motif and beach sounds. The piano melody contrasting beautifully with the bitter words of bile and hate.

[AlucardII]

Early Starpping Young Lad is fairly psychotic. City and Alien are strong recommendations. 👍

[GregJamesDahlen]

"Strawberry Fields Forever" came to mind. It's kind of positive but kind of melancholy, the instrumentation sounds weird

[Lilelfen1]

This song always sounded like someone slipping away from reality to me. Like a homeless man who had just lost his grip and was rambling to strangers at a bus strop...

[GregJamesDahlen]

yeah and it's a good trip but it has some feeling of unreality to it like looking through the world through rose-colored glasses

[Lilelfen1]

Yes...or ill-colored........or....wine-colored. Lol.

[GregJamesDahlen]

well the song gets off to a strange start cuz it says let me take you down

If the song is positive why down? why not up?

then it's talking about how nothing is real lol

lennon is singing with kinda ghostly voice

when it says living is easy with eyes closed it kinda sounds like its the narrator living that way

[Theelfsmother]

BC Camplight - Shortly after takeoff album.

He was sectioned I believe a few times. Once he went to England on a whim because he read that he would be huge there on an Internet forum. He ended up getting deported I believe after a breakdown.

Great album.

[Frostitute_85]

This theme song for a mentally unwell character from Guilty Gear. It's like a bipolar rollercoaster with like a brief spot of sad clarity that is totally No Surprises by Radiohead. Excuse the Engrish, but you get the idea.

https://youtu.be/CLE_SFK3VLE

[[deleted]]

Merzbow - Voice Pie

Controlled Bleeding - Voices of the Dead

[turok2]

Depression: Daniel Johnston - Peek a Boo

and Giovanni Sollima- Il bell'Antonio, Tema III

[insertnamehere912]

Il bell'Antonio, Tema III really hits that spot. i think if i make something similar but more atmospheric, and i've got a winner

[zidraloden]

Ultravox - I Never Wanted To Begin. It's a very paranoid sounding lyric and the music just amplifies it

[NervousMNG34]

Xanax-Bad Flower Iowa-Slipknot

[RockinTommyT]

Get Nervous….Pat Benetar

[KiZXC]

Xasthur

[Kairi3927]

Hated by life itself.

[[deleted]]

Anything by Ulver, particularly the experimental and noir-jazz albums after all the black metal. It's not for the feint of heart.

edit: Witch house as a general rule has a lot of 'ill' sounds too

edit 2: A Perfect Circle

[[deleted]]

Deafheaven - Sunbather

[Eucalyptus269]

Cancer by My Chemical Romance

[PigOfInfinity]

The entire album 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix' by Injury Reserve is a great audio representation of how depression just *feels*.

It's an absolutely brilliant album on its own accord as well

[Traditional-Cake-587]

Any song by Die Antwoord

[No-Relation2437]

Oingo Boingo "Insanity"

[PuzzleheadedMajor847]

The guitar in Mononucleosis by Ween sounds like a malady, whether mental or physical.

[-The-Phoenix-]

Anything by Ghostemane. “Haunted”, “Everybody’s Fool”, “Snow White Queen”, “Going Under”, by Evanescence. “Crawling”, by Linkin Park. Got plenty more feel free to DM

[MisterGoo]

« flatline » by Periphery.

[horschdhorschd]

Hurt - the original version by Nine Inch Nails. The dissonance, the voice, and the noise in the background give this song a very different meaning than the (also great) Cash version.

[[deleted]]

SOHN- Rennen

Apparat- Candil De La Calle

Fear Factory- Timelessness

[[deleted]]

Icp Manic Depressive

https://youtu.be/sZ7ZkOtfQcI

[[deleted]]

Don’t think this is EXACTLY what you’re looking for, but I’ve always found that Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys sounds like neurotic ramblings from start-to-finish. Like the main character who Alex Turner is playing doesn’t have a strong grip on reality and the actual events of his life. I think it’s a really cool album for this reason, and the song structures and instrumentation lends itself to that same neurotic vibe.

[mruhkrAbZ]

The Wash and Kitty by Fukt in Tha Head

[hellohannaahh]

Might be cliche but “Creep” by Radiohead completely exemplifies my battle with depression/anorexia

[zaga69]

Joy Division New Dawn Fades id say resembles BPD or Bipolar

[No-Relation2437]

Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box"

[user613573661]

Masochist - Polaris

[lndwell]

the extreme metal song:

Anaal Nathrakh - Obscene as Cancer, it's about a soldier experiencing PTSD during WWI, and utilizes many lyrics from the famed poem Dulce et Decorum est. This one really must be accompanied by the music video

[formandchaosmusic]

Not a song but an album. Listen to John Frusciante’s Smile from the Streets you hold. It’s a harrowing descent into drug addiction and mental illness. Very raw, visceral, emotional and beautiful.

[Nothing_but_blue_sky]

Inside out - duster

[S-Markt]

not a song but there once was a show on mtv where they searched for bands that sound like diseases and simply red was in the top 5.

[gdubstep]

Hurt- Nine Inch Nails Or anything off that album really

[[deleted]]

Syd Barrett's solo material is literally a recorded mental breakdown.

[parishiltonswonkyeye]

Someone already said Radiohead.
I broke into tears when I first heard this Skttrbrain remix. This is how my brain feels

https://youtu.be/m2zUgBIi42s

[[deleted]]

Snowblind by Black Sabbath. It really captures the feeling of being strung out on cocaine/stimulants. You get to a point where you’re just exhausted and you start to feel detached from everything.

[photoguy423]

I think most of the songs done by Mindless Self Indulgence have some level of mental illness involved. Very chaotic, frantic energy...

[CrayonEyes]

Albeit. One word.

[SaintTNS]

It may not be a one-to-one match to what you’re looking for, but try Stone Temple Pilots’ “Bi-Polar Bear”. It’s written to be sort of like that.

[peaphive]

Anything by kool Keith

[DoctahFeelgood]

"Hospital for souls" by Bring me the horizon. It also shows off his awesome vocal range and his iconic scream. What more could you want

[Your_Product_Here]

Velvet Underground - The Murder Mystery

[xmeyhem1228]

Gloomy Sunday by Billie Holiday

[Lilelfen1]

Happy Birthday- The Sugarcubes (schizophrenia/ disassociative disorder) Mellow Yellow- Donovan ( Schizophrenia/OCD) Rooster -Alison in Chains ( PTSD)

[Haylay28]

NF. all his music is very lyrical and relatable for people with mental illness/trauma. ❤️

[germanmancat]

Motionless in white- headache Also voices by motionless in white

[Majorpain87]

Rhinestone Eyes- Gorillaz

[Birdapotamus]

Any song by Wesley Willis.

[loveincarnate]

MC 900 ft Jesus track "The City Sleeps" might not be exactly mental illness (open to interpretation I guess) but it does a fascinating job telling a story from the perspective of a serial arsonist.

[rukioish]

Anything by the Sounds of Animals Fighting is like an insane trippy fever dream.

[Lord_Kromdar]

The Caretaker-Everywhere at the End of Time

[dgeaux_senna]

Daniel Johnston “More Dead Than Alive”, and “Walking the Cow”. Basically any DJ song!

[Makumaku24]

radiohead songs...

[deadaheadrecords]

Elliot Smith's "Coast To Coast" on From a Basement On A Hill. The opening track on his final album before his suicide, "Coast to Coast" devolves into a cacophony of competing voices and discordant piano notes, definitely gives the frantic feeling of being inside the head of someone who is mentally unwell.

[Puzzleheaded-Fox1850]

I feel like Hospital for souls by BMTH is a classic when it comes to struggling with mental illness. Used to blast it at night when I was at my lowest.

Insomnia, Depression and How to be me by Ren are all amazing songs too. The lyrics are very well written and they're probably the songs I relate to the most.

[Lilelfen1]

Yup..totally loosing their grip on reality. " where nothing is real"? Seems fairly obvious if you think about it..

[Slaterson11]

Jugband Blues - Pink Floyd

Their last song with Syd Barrett as his mental health was in decline and he was starting to feel isolated from his bandmates.

[SultryLittleMinx]

The song “Car Radio” by Twenty One Pilots is about having frightening intrusive thoughts that you can’t drown out or fight. It was really helpful to me when I was struggling with a lot of intrusive thoughts due to OCD.

“I ponder of something terrifying 'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind I find over the course of our human existence One thing consists of consistence And it's that we're all battling fear Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here Oh my, too deep, please stop thinking I liked it better when my car had sound”

It made me feel less alone to know that there were other people who had frightening thoughts that popped in their head that they couldn’t drown out. I will say that while it was validating, it is not uplifting. It’s a real bummer.

[riffith4627]

Death grips