Songs with suicide references in the United States and clinical applications

The portrayal of suicide in popular music has been a topic of interest for some time. In 1984 there was notable controversy after 19-year-old John McCollum died by suicide while allegedly listening to the song “Suicide  Solution” by Ozzy Osbourne.1 McCollum’s parents later filed a lawsuit against Osbourne claiming the lyrics incited their son to harm himself, though it was ultimately dismissed by the court. In fact, Osbourne claimed the song was intended to promote an antisuicide message. In the mid to early 2000s, popular news outlets, including the Daily Mail, publicized the “dangers of emo,” a rock music genre characterized by its emphasis on emotional expression including suicidality and self-harm behavior.