"The Killing Jar" is a song written, produced and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1988 as the second single from the band's ninth studio album Peepshow

Peepshow (album)

Peepshow is the ninth studio album by the English band Siouxsie and the Banshees and their first as a quintet. With the arrival of multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick, Peepshow was one of their most musically complex albums, including the singles "Peek-a-Boo" and "The Last Beat of My...

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The song is an uptempo number which reflects the pop music

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 direction Siouxsie and the Banshees were recording at the time. Still, the track contains alternative

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 elements and Sioux's trademark cryptic lyrical content. According to Siouxsie, the song was inspired by a technique used by butterfly collectors to keep the beauty of the animal. "The Killing Jar" was remix

Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

ed slightly for its radio version, most notably in the song's introduction and percussion throughout. The single version of "The Killing Jar" is featured on the Banshees' 1992 compilation Twice Upon a Time: The Singles

Twice Upon a Time: The Singles

Twice Upon a Time: The Singles is the second singles compilation released by Siouxsie and the Banshees. It follows the same format as Once Upon a Time: The Singles, presenting the songs in chronological order. Twice picks up where Once left off , and it includes several hits not included on...

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Following the number-one success of their previous single "Peek-a-Boo

Peek-a-Boo (song)

"Peek-a-Boo" is a song by English alternative rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1988 as the first single from the band's ninth studio album Peepshow...

" on American modern rock radio, "The Killing Jar" nearly matched the feat, peaking at number two on the Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single hit number forty-one on the UK singles chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

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Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	41
U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks	2
U.S. Hot Dance Club Play	37