Episode 18: "The Devil's Music - Part One"

This episode of American Nightmares, titled 'The Devil's Music - Part One,' explores the dark mythology surrounding music deemed 'the devil's music' throughout history. Starting with the infamous 'Gloomy Sunday,' a 1933 Hungarian song linked to suicide legends and the tragic life of Billie Holiday, the episode dives into how music—particularly jazz, blues, and rock and roll—has long been vilified by religious and moral authorities. The narrative traces the origins of jazz to New Orleans, focusing on Buddy Bolden, the 'first king of jazz,' whose rise and descent into madness symbolize the genre’s rebellious spirit. The episode also examines the role of Storyville, the city’s red-light district that became a crucible for jazz, and the supernatural myths that grew around figures like Jelly Roll Morton, whose alleged deal with the devil via his voodoo-influenced godmother adds to the genre’s occult aura. Through historical anecdotes, musical analysis, and cultural critique, the episode argues that music's power to provoke, unite, and transgress has made it a perpetual target of fear and censorship. The episode further unpacks the 'Devil's Interval' (the tritone), a dissonant musical interval historically feared as a gateway to the supernatural, used by composers like Beethoven, Berlioz, and Wagner to evoke dread. It connects this classical tradition to modern horror film scores and rock and roll, showing how the fear of music’s emotional and spiritual power persists. The narrative culminates in a meditation on why music—especially Black American music—has been so consistently demonized: not for its sound, but for its ability to challenge social order, blur racial lines, and ignite desire. Ultimately, the episode frames music as both a revolutionary force and a cultural battleground, where the line between art and damnation is often blurred.