June 20, 2025 marks 50 years since Steven Spielberg’s Jaws turned the ocean into a nightmare. As the iconic shark thriller terrified audiences and revolutionized summer blockbusters, it also gave us an unforgettable cinematic rhythm of tension, thrills, and primal fear.
At Metal Mayhem ROC, we're commemorating this milestone with something no one’s dared to do—a heavy metal playlist that follows the movie’s exact plot, beat for beat, tooth for tooth. Turn up the volume, cue the fin, and dive into our Jaws 50th Anniversary Metal Soundtrack.
The Jaws Metal Mayhem ROC Playlist
- Alice Cooper – “School’s Out”
The summer of '75 begins. Kids pour out of classrooms and head straight for the sun and surf of Amity Island.
A perfect opener—freedom, recklessness, and the promise of a perfect beach break. But the water’s not as calm as it seems...
- Y&T – “Summertime Girls”
Beaches are packed. People are partying. Life is good.
This light-hearted track lures you into a false sense of fun—exactly how Jaws draws us in before the blood hits the water.
- John Williams – Jaws Theme
Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-da-da-da-dum...
No metal here—but essential to set the tone. The creeping dread of Williams’ theme is arguably the scariest note sequence in film history.
- Overkill – “Hammerhead”
A young woman goes for a moonlit skinny dip... and never comes back.
The night falls hard, and so does the terror. This thrash metal banger from Overkill mirrors the brutality and surprise of Chrissie Watkins’ attack.
- Mastodon – “Emperor of Sand”
The next morning, the authorities discover a gruesome sight: her severed hand buried in the sand.
Mastodon’s heavy, desert-scorched riffs paint the perfect backdrop for Brody’s grim discovery and rising paranoia.
- Black Sabbath – “Children of the Sea”
Despite Brody’s warnings, his kids play in the lagoon.
There’s something haunting and ancient in this Sabbath classic—much like the lurking menace beneath Amity’s surface.
- Blue Öyster Cult – “Shooting Shark”
The shark makes its move near the shore, sending swimmers into panic.
BÖC’s ominous synth-laced track eerily echoes the scene’s chaos and confusion. You never see it coming until it’s too late.
- Judas Priest – “Blood-Stained”
Alex Kitner floats on a raft. Then he’s gone. A geyser of blood turns the ocean red.
A crushing, violent song for Jaws’ most gut-wrenching moment. The price of ignoring danger is now paid in blood.
- Soundgarden – “4th of July”
The Mayor refuses to close the beaches. The holiday must go on.
This brooding, molten track captures the delusional calm before the next storm. The town sells celebration—but fear swims beneath.
- Great White – “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”
Two kids prank the town with fake shark fins. Guns are drawn. Panic erupts.
Perfectly tongue-in-cheek. A clever mislead, just like the scene—and the irony of the band name makes this choice bite even harder.
- Led Zeppelin – “The Ocean”
Brody, Hooper, and Quint set sail on the Orca to hunt the beast.
With pounding drums and oceanic swagger, this Zep classic sails into the deep with righteous fury.
- Accept – “Fast As A Shark”
The shark refuses to be caught. It's shot at, tracked, and still outsmarts them.
Speed, violence, and relentless pursuit—Accept’s speed metal anthem captures the chaos on the high seas as barrels fail to bring it down.
- Judas Priest – “Jawbreaker”
Quint meets his end in the shark’s crushing jaws. It rips the Orca apart, piece by piece.
No song hits harder than this. You can feel the desperation and doom as Brody stares death in the face.
- Motörhead – “Killed By Death”
Brody fires. The oxygen tank explodes. The shark is obliterated.
It’s loud. It’s messy. It’s metal. The ultimate kill deserves nothing less than Lemmy himself screaming from the depths.
- Type O Negative – “Summer Breeze”
Calm returns. Brody and Hooper kick back to shore on debris, bruised but alive.
A twisted cover of Seals & Crofts, Type O’s doom-laden version fits the eerie calm after carnage. Peace… for now.
🦈 Final Splash
The brilliance of Jaws lies in its slow burn of suspense, sudden carnage, and primal fear of the unknown. Pairing it with this heavy metal soundtrack amplifies the drama, infusing every scene with pounding riffs, blood-boiling rhythms, and bone-crushing lyrics. Whether you're revisiting the film or hitting the beach this summer, crank this playlist and let the shark hunt begin...
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