Budapest – Music is often a source of comfort, nostalgia, and emotional healing. But one particular song has earned an ominous reputation, allegedly driving dozens to take their own lives. Known as the “Hungarian Suicide Song,” Gloomy Sunday is believed to have been responsible for nearly 100 suicides, prompting a ban that lasted over six decades.
Originally written in 1933 by Hungarian composer Rezső Seress, the melancholic tune was dedicated to his former lover who had left him. The lyrics were so sorrowful and haunting that multiple artists initially refused to perform it. When it was finally recorded and released in 1935, an unusual and disturbing trend began to emerge.
Reports from that era claimed that those who listened to Gloomy Sunday became overwhelmed with despair, leading to a spike in suicides across Hungary. In several tragic cases, the song was reportedly playing on repeat when the bodies were discovered. The initial toll was said to be 17, but the number of linked deaths allegedly rose to nearly 100, sparking widespread fear.
As panic grew, Hungarian authorities imposed an official ban on the song in 1941 to prevent further incidents. The ban remained in place until 2003, but by then, the legend of Gloomy Sunday had already become a part of dark musical folklore.
Perhaps the most chilling detail: composer Rezső Seress himself died by suicide years later—on a Sunday. After a failed attempt to jump from a window, he later strangled himself with a wire in the hospital.
Despite—or perhaps because of—its macabre legacy, Gloomy Sunday has been covered by more than 100 artists in 28 languages, continuing to captivate and disturb listeners to this day.
