The tabletop RPG is a multi-sensory experience. Whether you simply throw in a candle or two, a little bit of lighting, or a whole lot of handouts, you'll get a lot of mileage out of the small and varied adjustments to the physical realm as you paint scenes in mental space.

This post is about the auditory drama. You know how hard Master of Puppets played in Stranger Things? At precisely the right moment, with precisely the right track, music stops being background and becomes atmosphere. It stops being noise and becomes dread.

What follows is a working document — a chronological survey of tracks that might just conjure a sense of childhood for your players before you render their reality to ash. Whether you're running an 80's splatterfest, a 70's murderspree, or a 60's... monster mash I suppose, something here should set the appropriate tone.

Each era is loosely sorted:

  • [Normal] tracks play in the bar or on the road when nothing could possibly go wrong. 
  • [Uneasy] starts to unsettle the setting. 
  • [The Moment] is what you play when the thing under the stairs finally arrives.

The Late Sixties — 1967–1969

Ah, the Summer of Love. A great setting for your drifters and hitchhikers.

[Normal]

  • "Spooky" — Classics IV (1967)
  • "Green Tambourine" — The Lemon Pipers (1967)
  • "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In)" — Kenny Rogers (1967)
  • "Little Green Bag" — George Baker Selection (1969)
  • "Dancing in the Moonlight" — King Harvest (1973, though it feels like '69)

[Uneasy]

  • "Mony Mony" — Tommy James & the Shondells (1968)
  • "People Are Strange" — The Doors (1967)
  • "Season of the Witch" — Donovan (1966)
  • "Bad Moon Rising" — Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
  • "Suspicious Minds" — Elvis Presley (1969) (deceptively good for a paranoia scene)

[The Moment]

  • "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)" — The Doors (1967) (a Brecht/Weill composition, but the Doors made it theirs)
  • "White Rabbit" — Jefferson Airplane (1967)
  • "Helter Skelter" — The Beatles (1968)
  • "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" — Iron Butterfly (1968)

The Early Seventies — 1970–1974

Muscle cars and macramé. Everything is fine, just don't investigate the barn.

[Normal]

  • "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" — The Hollies (1972)
  • "Reelin' in the Years" — Steely Dan (1972)
  • "Radar Love" — Golden Earring (1973)
  • "Midnight Train to Georgia" — Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973)
  • "Ramblin' Man" — The Allman Brothers Band (1973)
  • "Takin' Care of Business" — BTO (1974)

[Uneasy]

  • "Black Sabbath" — Black Sabbath (1970)
  • "Bloody Well Right" — Supertramp (1974)
  • "Behind Blue Eyes" — The Who (1971, fits the era) (nobody knows what it's like — good for the NPC who isn't what they seem)
  • "Welcome to My Nightmare" — Alice Cooper (1975)

[The Moment]

  • "Werewolves of London" — Warren Zevon (1978) (comic horror done right)

The Mid-Seventies — 1975–1976

The decade's smile is fixed and shows something behind the eyes.

[Normal]

  • "Sister Golden Hair" — America (1975)
  • "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" — Elvin Bishop (1975)
  • "Fox on the Run" — Sweet (1975)
  • "Fly Like an Eagle" — Steve Miller Band (1976)
  • "More Than a Feeling" — Boston (1976)

[Uneasy]

  • "Bohemian Rhapsody" — Queen (1975)
  • "Slow Ride" — Foghat (1975)
  • "Katmandu" — Bob Seger (1975)
  • "Jailbreak" — Thin Lizzy (1976)
  • "Detroit Rock City" — KISS (1976)

[The Moment]

  • "Hair of the Dog" — Nazareth (1975)
  • "Blitzkrieg Bop" — The Ramones (1976)
  • "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" — Blue Öyster Cult (1976)
  • "The Ripper" — Judas Priest (1976)

The Late Seventies — 1977–1979

Disco still gleams on its surface.

[Normal]

  • "Come Sail Away" — Styx (1977)
  • "You're Just What I Needed" — The Cars (1978)
  • "Let the Good Times Roll" — The Cars (1978)
  • "Do You Think I'm Sexy" — Rod Stewart (1978)
  • "Don't Bring Me Down" — ELO (1979)
  • "Take the Long Way Home" — Supertramp (1979)
  • "My Sharona" — The Knack (1979)
  • "Rockin' Into the Night" — 38 Special (1979)

[Uneasy]

  • "Heart of Glass" — Blondie (1978)
  • "Hot Blooded" — Foreigner (1978)
  • "Double Vision" — Foreigner (1978)
  • "Go Your Own Way" — Fleetwood Mac (1977)

[The Moment]

  • "Psycho Killer" — Talking Heads (1977) (play this one carefully; it will either terrify or delight, depending on your table)
  • "Cold as Ice" — Foreigner (1977)
  • "I Wanna Be Sedated" — The Ramones (1978)
  • "Don't Stop Me Now" — Queen (1979) (deceptively joyful; use during the calm before)
  • "Jet Airliner" — Steve Miller Band (1977)

1980–1981

The decade arrives with its collar up, already looking for trouble.

[Normal]

  • "You Make My Dreams (Come True)" — Hall & Oates (1980)
  • "I'm Alright" — Kenny Loggins (1980)
  • "Down Under" — Men at Work (1980)
  • "Heart and Soul" — Huey Lewis and the News (1981)
  • "Don't Stop Believin'" — Journey (1981)
  • "Don't You Want Me" — The Human League (1981)
  • "Working for the Weekend" — Loverboy (1981)
  • "Hold On Loosely" — 38 Special (1981)
  • "Kids in America" — Kim Wilde (1981)

[Uneasy]

  • "You May Be Right" — Billy Joel (1980)
  • "Train in Vain" — The Clash (1980)
  • "Should I Stay or Should I Go" — The Clash (1981)
  • "I Love Rock and Roll" — Joan Jett (1981)
  • "Centerfold" — J. Geils Band (1981)
  • "Freezeframe" — J. Geils Band (1981)
  • "Juke Box Hero" — Foreigner (1981)
  • "867-5309/Jenny" — Tommy Tutone (1981)

[The Moment]

  • "Ace of Spades" — Motörhead (1980)
  • "Crazy Train" — Ozzy Osbourne (1980)
  • "Bad Reputation" — Joan Jett (1980)

1982

The golden edge. Everything that could go wrong starts here.

[Normal]

  • "Valerie" — Steve Winwood (1982)
  • "I'm So Excited" — The Pointer Sisters (1982)
  • "Rosanna" — Toto (1982)
  • "Africa" — Toto (1982) (inexplicably ominous at low volume)
  • "Workin' for a Livin'" — Huey Lewis and the News (1982)
  • "You Can't Hurry Love" — Phil Collins (1982)
  • "Steppin' Out" — Joe Jackson (1982)
  • "Puttin' on the Ritz" — Taco (1982)
  • "Twilight Zone" — Golden Earring (1982)

[Uneasy]

  • "The Safety Dance" — Men Without Hats (1982)
  • "Mexican Radio" — Wall of Voodoo (1982)
  • "Abracadabra" — Steve Miller Band (1982)
  • "One Thing Leads to Another" — The Fixx (1982)
  • "Electric Avenue" — Eddy Grant (1982)
  • "Here I Go Again" — Whitesnake (1982, UK original)
  • "Bang the Drum All Day" — Todd Rundgren (1982)

[The Moment]

  • "She Blinded Me with Science" — Thomas Dolby (1982)
  • "White Wedding" — Billy Idol (1982)
  • "Eye of the Tiger" — Survivor (1982)
  • "Rock the Casbah" — The Clash (1982)
  • "Back in Black" — AC/DC (1980)
  • "Run to the Hills" — Iron Maiden (1982)
  • "You Got Another Thing Coming" — Judas Priest (1982)
  • "Number of the Beast" — Iron Maiden (1982)

1983

The year everything looked like it was getting better. Sounds familiar.

[Normal]

  • "Holiday Road" — Lindsey Buckingham (1983)
  • "Uptown Girl" — Billy Joel (1983)
  • "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" — Cyndi Lauper (1983)
  • "I'm Still Standing" — Elton John (1983)
  • "She Works Hard for the Money" — Donna Summer (1983)
  • "Owner of a Lonely Heart" — Yes (1983)

[Uneasy]

  • "Dance Hall Days" — Wang Chung (1983)
  • "The Heart of Rock & Roll" — Huey Lewis and the News (1983)
  • "If This Is It" — Huey Lewis and the News (1983)
  • "Push It to the Limit" — Paul Engemann (1983)

[The Moment]

  • "Burning Down the House" — Talking Heads (1983)
  • "The Trooper" — Iron Maiden (1983)
  • "Shout at the Devil" — Mötley Crüe (1983)

1984

Big hair and big stakes. Someone is going into the basement alone.

[Normal]

  • "Born in the USA" — Bruce Springsteen (1984)
  • "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" — Wham! (1984)
  • "California Girls" — David Lee Roth (1984)
  • "The Boys of Summer" — Don Henley (1984)
  • "Summer of '69" — Bryan Adams (1984)
  • "I Want to Know What Love Is" — Foreigner (1984)

[Uneasy]

  • "Drive" — The Cars (1984)
  • "You Might Think I'm Crazy" — The Cars (1984)
  • "You're Out of Touch" — Hall & Oates (1984)
  • "Sunglasses at Night" — Corey Hart (1984)
  • "Jump" — Van Halen (1984)
  • "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" — Dead or Alive (1984)

[The Moment]

  • "The Heat Is On" — Glenn Frey (1984)
  • "Turn Up the Radio" — Autograph (1984)
  • "I Wanna Rock" — Twisted Sister (1984)
  • "Rock You Like a Hurricane" — Scorpions (1984)
  • "Round and Round" — Ratt (1984)
  • "We're Not Gonna Take It" — Twisted Sister (1984)

1985

The neon buzzes sharply in the still night air..

[Normal]

  • "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" — Billy Ocean (1985)
  • "And We Danced" — The Hooters (1985)
  • "Kyrie" — Mr. Mister (1985)
  • "Lovin' Every Minute of It" — Loverboy (1985)
  • "Addicted to Love" — Robert Palmer (1985)
  • "Conga" — Gloria Estefan (1985)

[Uneasy]

  • "View to a Kill" — Duran Duran (1985)
  • "Rhythm of the Night" — DeBarge (1985)
  • "Don't You (Forget About Me)" — Simple Minds (1985)

[The Moment]

  • "Dead Man's Party" — Oingo Boingo (1985)
  • "You Spin Me Round" — Dead or Alive (1985)
  • "Raspberry Beret" — Prince (1985)
  • "Tarzan Boy" — Baltimora (1985)

1986–1987

The decade starts showing its teeth.

[Normal]

  • "Livin' on a Prayer" — Bon Jovi (1986)
  • "Manic Monday" — The Bangles (1986)
  • "Don't Dream It's Over" — Crowded House (1986)
  • "Invisible Touch" — Genesis (1986)
  • "Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" — Timbuk 3 (1986)
  • "I Think We're Alone Now" — Tiffany (1987)
  • "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" — Starship (1987)

[Uneasy]

  • "Wild, Wild Life" — Talking Heads (1986)
  • "Word Up" — Cameo (1986)
  • "Doing It All for My Baby" — Huey Lewis and the News (1986)
  • "Fight for Your Right" — Beastie Boys (1986)
  • "Midnight Blue" — Lou Gramm (1987)
  • "Touch of Grey" — Grateful Dead (1987)
  • "Beds Are Burning" — Midnight Oil (1987)
  • "Mony Mony" — Billy Idol (1987)

[The Moment]

  • "Welcome to the Jungle" — Guns N' Roses (1987)
  • "Pour Some Sugar on Me" — Def Leppard (1987)
  • "Master of Puppets" — Metallica (1986)

1988–1990

The era's final gasps before Nirvana really took hold.

[Normal]

  • "Don't Worry, Be Happy" — Bobby McFerrin (1988)
  • "Kokomo" — The Beach Boys (1988)
  • "She's Got the Look" — Roxette
  • "Just Like Paradise" — David Lee Roth (1988)
  • "Free Fallin'" — Tom Petty (1989)
  • "We Didn't Start the Fire" — Billy Joel (1989)
  • "Once Bitten Twice Shy" — Great White (1989)
  • "Hold On" — Wilson Phillips (1990)

[Uneasy]

  • "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" — Poison (1988)
  • "The Living Years" — Mike + The Mechanics (1988)

[The Moment]

  • "One" — Metallica (1988) (based on Johnny Got His Gun. A man trapped in his own destroyed body)
  • "Pet Sematary" — The Ramones (1989)

The Network wishes your players an uneventful evening, though bruised skies suggest otherwise.