Anything I like, be it instrumental, metal or electronica...

Looking around the place I work I also seem to be the only one who enjoys their music as I'm often constantly moving in my chair to the music while coding/whatever [grin]

I don't have a problem with being distracted, in fact it helps as I can use a bit of my brain to follow the music while the rest gets on with the problem at hand [grin]

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Original post by SuperVGA Oh have you listened to "The dark side of Phobos" instrumental version of the DOOM soundtrack?

Not yet, though I've just started downloading it (30 more hours to go, apparently). Cheers. [smile] Steve Rot's DOOM Tribute seems more faithful to the originals than some of the remixes I've encountered.

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Original post by phantom I don't have a problem with being distracted, in fact it helps as I can use a bit of my brain to follow the music while the rest gets on with the problem at hand [grin]

I think the key here is that it's a predictable (and controllable) distraction that drowns out the unpredictable distractions (noisy telephone conversations etc).

I listen to opera/metal, classical, and rarely techno. Sometimes I program in silence, which is probably more efficient since I don't have to mess around with the play list and don't have to get distracted by something in a song.

I guess music is good for 'getting in the zone' as long as it keeps you in it ;)

Metalicca. end of story.

I don't know why, but Metalicca was popular in my uni days, where I spent a lot of time coding (assignment, hobbby, etc). SO if I want to get any programming done, I just listen to Metalicca (Reload) - and I'm in the same mood again.

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Original post by FableFox Metalicca. end of story. I don't know why, but Metalicca was popular in my uni days, where I spent a lot of time coding (assignment, hobbby, etc). SO if I want to get any programming done, I just listen to Metalicca (Reload) - and I'm in the same mood again.

Though my favourite band is a similarly named but more popular group called Metallica, I don't actually like listening to music at all while coding. I like it to be quiet, and sunny outside. Yeah, I'm weird.

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Original post by Azul Anyone like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed!Black Emperor? Its almost 100% instrumental rock.

I listen to all of the above. Post-rock is awesome.

I listen to pretty much anything under the sun while programming. Usually just have my iPod on shuffle mode at work. Metal, jazz, hip hop, classic rock, ambient, you name it. Though when I'm in deep thought on a pretty complex problem (where you know you're on the brink of figuring out a bug that's been haunting you for days) then I usually turn it off.

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Original post by BLiTZWiNG Though my favourite band is a similarly named but more popular group called Metallica, I don't actually like listening to music at all while coding. I like it to be quiet, and sunny outside. Yeah, I'm weird.

Not at all, music annoys me when I need to think about things. When I hear music I have a natural urge to try and break it down which draws me away from my current task. I need it quite when I'm working. Though having a TV on in another room or people talking in another room doesn't bother me at all. But I want neither in the room I'm in.

None; mostly I listen to my co-workers talking. Or to myself talking to my co-workers.

Pandora One rocks for this! It was well worth the $30/yr for me.

In terms of what music, some good chill bands I enjoy for studying/programming/focusing are Miike Snow, Ratatat, Pogo (!), El Ten Eleven, Passion Pit, RJD2, and Vampire Weekend. But really I'll listen to pretty much every genre. As long as it's different.

[edit: also Talkdemonic, and a second vote for Explosions in the Sky]

I generally listen to a mix of Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence, Linkin Park and 3 Doors Down. Sometimes I'll branch out and listen to game or movie soundtracks.