Good music to sex to?

May 19, 2008 3:40 PM

Song recommendations: Music to bang to.

Ahem. Someone I know, by which I mean a close personal friend, has recently moved into a six-person apartment with his girlfriend and a few others.

He needs music that:
- can cover up delightful squeals of pleasure
- isn't too mood-ruiningly sad, corny, or funny
- isn't so overtly about sex that the roommates will recognize the music for what it is and what it means

Bonus points for the perfect name for the iTunes playlist! From my friend, I mean.

posted by svolix to media & arts (51 comments total)

Well, any music short of 4'33" could probably meet the first requirement. So all you need is a list of songs that aren't mood-ruiningly sad, corny, funny or overtly about sex.
posted by box at 3:51 PM on May 19, 2008

No one will suspect a thing if he loops crazy bitch! although his girlfriend might not appreciate the implications made by listening to such music.
posted by Large Marge at 3:56 PM on May 19, 2008

Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 1985-1992.
Karl Sanders (Nile), Saurian Meditation.
Most trip-hop, though I'm not really a fan of the genre.
Rasa, Devotion (this one's a bit out there but I like it).
Obligatory: Led Zeppelin.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 4:00 PM on May 19, 2008

Handsome Boy Modeling School. Smooth without being too smooth.
Lovage. Kid Koala project. The album's called "Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By."

For the non-obvious stuff, try music in foreign languages. You can't go wrong with Haale, for sure, and I like Raphael a lot too.
posted by jeffmshaw at 4:04 PM on May 19, 2008

Hard to explain, but Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes.
posted by heavenstobetsy at 4:09 PM on May 19, 2008

Maxwell is my favorite boot-knockin music.
posted by ElmerFishpaw at 4:15 PM on May 19, 2008

Lately, my favourite album for this particular situation has been Beach House's Devotion. Mm hmm.
posted by blithely at 4:18 PM on May 19, 2008

Almost anything by Michael Franks.
posted by capcuervo at 4:19 PM on May 19, 2008

first off: if you're in there with your girlfriend and the door shut and music playing, they absolutely know you're doing it.

that said, Leonard Cohen can be good.
posted by drjimmy11 at 4:21 PM on May 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

2nd Maxwell. also artists like D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Shuggie Otis, Al Green, etc.

and although I love me some Michael Franks, that man makes some cheesy, cheesy music. too cheesy for my business time.
posted by gnutron at 4:24 PM on May 19, 2008

Bedroom Walls by Sound Team.
posted by Xurando at 4:24 PM on May 19, 2008

1970's Rolling Stones for one kind of mood, Kind of Blue for another. Bloc Party for yet a third.
posted by lunasol at 4:27 PM on May 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm losing my erection just reading over some of these names. I'm sure my answer from a previous incarnation of this question will have a similar effect on anyone who finds D'Angelo and Maxwell tunes sexy. I call my playlist mattress music.
posted by dobbs at 4:36 PM on May 19, 2008

maybe you could mention what musical tastes your close personal friend & the special gal have? otherwise we're all just throwing out random suggestions that may or may not work - what's sad/corny/funny for one person is pretty personal (e.g., almost nothing on this list thus far would turn my crank, no offense folks)

also, in order to satisfy your third requirement, you'll need more than one album or playlist - if your close personal friend & special gal shut the door & put on the same music each time, the roomies will know - hell, even if they ain't getting down, the roomies will probably think they are anyway
posted by jammy at 4:46 PM on May 19, 2008

See, from a, uh, practical point of view, I'm not sure that all music would be an equally good cover-up. Leonard Cohen, f'rinstance, doesn't seem like it would be sonically dense enough. A well-timed moan in between verses would cut right through.

I suspect that the best music for covering noise would be something like My Bloody Valentine — a thick, steady, swirling wall of sound covering the whole range of pitches. Whether you can fuck to that is up to you and your partner.

(On the other hand, as previous commenters have pointed out, it's totally futile to try to hide from your roommates the fact that you're having sex. They know you're dating, right? The courteous thing is just to provide some sort of auditory distraction that they can hang on to instead of focusing on the details of the sex you're having. So maybe I'm overthinking this.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 4:47 PM on May 19, 2008

OH MY GOD

How has this thread gotten so far without mentioning the only true answer.

I give you...

M83
posted by phrontist at 4:59 PM on May 19, 2008

(M83 has just as much spectral range as My Bloody Valentine, but depending on the mood your after, could be much better)
posted by phrontist at 5:00 PM on May 19, 2008

(here is an mp3 of the recent single couleurs)
posted by phrontist at 5:02 PM on May 19, 2008

(some TV On The Radio tracks could work as well... spectral spread-wise. Again, mood is the consideration)
posted by phrontist at 5:03 PM on May 19, 2008

king crimson.

all night long.
posted by CitizenD at 5:18 PM on May 19, 2008

Whatever you do, just be sure to mix it up. Otherwise the same song will be their cue.

Geez, he's playing Shuggie Otis AGAIN? We know what that means.
posted by diastematic at 5:18 PM on May 19, 2008

How has this thread gotten so far without mentioning the only true answer.

How could you give the only true answer without linking the only true true answer?

M83 - Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 5:28 PM on May 19, 2008

Parliament-Funkadelic and (don't laugh) The B-52s
posted by electroboy at 5:37 PM on May 19, 2008

Rob Zombie-American Made Music to Strip By.
Always a crowd pleaser.
posted by sperose at 5:46 PM on May 19, 2008

Always a crowd pleaser.

I don't know about the poster, but if there were a crowd in my bed and I was pleasing them, I'd want my roommates to know.

Me? I'll take The Ventures: long songs, instrumental, and a good rhythm.
posted by The Man from Lardfork at 6:26 PM on May 19, 2008

NERD is corny, but this song can be fun to groove to. If you can find the version w/ Britney Spears it's way better. Wait...did I just recommend a Britney song?
posted by TomMelee at 6:48 PM on May 19, 2008

Man, I love Leonard Cohen, and there are so many right answers to this question, but he is not one of them.

My Bloody Valentine is a good one. I'd also recommend Hot Chip.
posted by ludwig_van at 7:09 PM on May 19, 2008

If you've got a computer with an internet connection in your room, try making a Pandora station and then putting in a good sex song in as a parameter.

It's like a shuffle of only the right types of songs, and you can always thumb-up or thumb down in preparation to get it more dialed in.

My lady friend does this and it works pretty well for covering up those noises in a house with roommates.
posted by JauntyFedora at 7:30 PM on May 19, 2008

The only song that really fits my machinations in the bedroom is the peanuts theme song.

That wasn't what you had in mind, though, was it?
posted by toomuchpete at 8:04 PM on May 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

Mr. Fairytale swore by Led Zeppelin, but rejected all the urban myths about what side of which album was best.

No, the bang soundtrack of his salad days was "No Quarter." Yeah, really. He even recommended it to college pals who tried it and, similarly, swear by it.

I'm not sure I get it, but maybe I just haven't had the correct "No Quarter"-assisted bang experience, as it were.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 8:20 PM on May 19, 2008

Porcupine Tree - Moonloop (Unedited Improvision) from the limited release Transmission IV. Forty minutes long. Changes tempo repeatedly and in unexpected ways.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 8:42 PM on May 19, 2008

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
i don't make much love these days, but when i was married... this was the jam
posted by porn in the woods at 9:23 PM on May 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

One of Maynard Keenan's side projects, Puscifer, has a song that I would want on a playlist as a woman:

Rev. 22:20

Sensual and irreverent.
posted by inconsequentialist at 9:49 PM on May 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ahh, perfect for a top 5 a la Mr. John Cusacks and Mr Nick Hornsbys. Note: this list is very ephemeral.

5. El Guincho - Alegranza. For a while I stopped the music with sex equation for some reason, and this album was one of the ones to break the ice. Very springtime and fun and it makes you feel like you're making love behind a tent at an outdoor festival. The album never gets too out of control and is all over the place so it lets you get engrossed in the activity at hand. There are also lots of textures so you can just space out. This album is perfect for happy carefree lovemaking.

4. Plasticines - LP1. The first time I heard of this band was at this year's Coachella. Feeling kind of down about a recent breakup from a girl I was living in Montreal with, seeing three cute girls singing fun, quick, poppy, disposable songs in French was just what I needed. In bed the album performs admirably. "Fun, quick, poppy, disposable" is perfect for the one-night stand, but the album actually holds up well on repetitive performance due to its quick steady beat, great hooks, and overall enthusiasm. Great for wild sweaty hedonistic sex where you end up on the other side of the bedroom and you don't even remember how you got there.

3. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime. Everyone was telling me what a great album this is But it just sounded repetitive and uninteresting to me. It wasn't until it was the only thing remotely close to getting-it-on music on my new laptop, that I discovered what a great album it is. Played through horrible laptop speakers, the minimal droning beats with heavy crescendo and climaxes with the right pauses at the right time really gave the love making a soundtrack, almost telling a story. Great for fuckin' at high speeds and slower more religious experiences.

2. The Dead Texan - s/t. This album was introduced to me by my music-loving friend Jon specifically as being good for carnal relationships. Sparse and often times slow, it leads to more cathartic love making. Almost ponderous, this album will get you there but possibly in a way you didn't expect. Don't use it on a one-night stand but on a regular screw it's a good pair with adventurous sex.

1. Air - Moon Safari. The college stand-in. Among my friends, this French duo's decadent sounds were drifting through a dorm room around 2am had the same do-not-disturb effect as a the sock on the door knob. Much has been said to how it almost seems like Air writes their music to bang to, but really, after you try it, you'll never be able to listen to Air the same way. Possibly a little generic at this point, but good for just about any occasion, as are most of the other Air albums (even the Virgin Suicides soundtrack if you find the right person...).

honorable mentions: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, Broadcast - Tender Buttons, Wilco - Sky Blue Sky, Prince - Purple Rain, David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Four Tet - Rounds, The Doors - L.A. Woman, Broken Social Scene - You Forget it in People, The Rolling Stones - 12 x 5, Sixpence none the Richer - s/t.
posted by ihope at 10:16 PM on May 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

more honorable mentions: Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis, V/A - Lost in Translation Soundtrack, Spacemen 3 - Playing with Fire, Galaxie 500 - On Fire, Cocteau Twins - Treasure, Madge - The immaculate Collection,

Wow how could I forget Chris Issak. He's a number one.
Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped Fire
Really though, you can just play Wicked Game about 10 times, and bonus points if you have the music video.
posted by ihope at 10:31 PM on May 19, 2008

Funkadelics. It might be too obvious...or they might just think you are funky.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:02 AM on May 20, 2008

Used to loop a lot of Danzig, back in the day...
posted by TheManChild2000 at 5:53 AM on May 20, 2008

I've been enjoying a lot of Cat Power's Jukebox. Languid, not too loud, not too soft. I Believe in You is pretty awesome.

I call my mix FMO aka For Making Out.
posted by sully75 at 6:23 AM on May 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Rob Zombie,s "American Made Music to Strip By".

Not only are the rhythms awesome for teh bangz0rz, but Zombie regularly incorporates female squeals into the music. Sex camoflage!
posted by DWRoelands at 6:44 AM on May 20, 2008

A "friend of mine" used to listen to Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream in its entirety.
posted by Koko at 7:10 AM on May 20, 2008

Roxy Music - Avalon

Won't cover up anything, but it's good sex-music.

Also: Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees
posted by doowop at 7:32 AM on May 20, 2008

Someday if I ever meet the perfect woman, she'll somehow come to suggest that we listen to some Rage Against The Machine.

Then the bed will spontaneously combust in flames of almond massage oil of whilst Jack Daniels rains from our Swedish-fish-tiled ceiling.

This is how I want to die.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:43 AM on May 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

An old boyfriend of mine once insisted that the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock And Roll" was the best song to hump to. (Alas, we never tried.)

My current beloved and I sent ourselves into a five minute giggle fit on our first date speculating about what it'd be like to have sex to Grieg's "In The Hall Of The Mountain King", so there's another option...
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:48 AM on May 20, 2008

I scoured the Earth and put together a bunch of songs for this purpose. I ended up with the equivalent of probably 5 or 6 albums, maybe more. I titled my album "Songs for Lovin". Simple, yet to the point. I further categorized the songs by mood. I have "romantic", "electronica/mood music", and "dirty". I'm not at home so I can't list everything (let me know if you'd like me to and I will put it together when I get home in a few days).

Here are some examples of what's on it:

- "Big Log" by Robert Plant. AWESOME song! If you only get one song to loop endlessly, this should be it.
- "Closer" by NIN. No explanation needed.
- "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star
- "Wild Horses" by The Sundays
- "Feelin' Love" by Paula Cole. Very erotic song.
- "Sadeness Pt 1 and 2" by Engima
- "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaak
- "Cream" by Prince
- A couple Marvin Gaye songs (good, but a little goes a long way for me)
- A handful Morcheeba songs (don't like all the songs, but the ones that work... work. If you know what I mean.)
- "Doin It" by LL Cool J
- "Sweet Surrender" by Sarah McLauchlin
posted by jluce50 at 9:28 AM on May 20, 2008

I have to add "Walk This World" by Heather Nova. Find this song, it's worth it.

Also, Massive Attach and Portishead have some good stuff. "Glory Box" by Portishead is a fave.
posted by jluce50 at 9:46 AM on May 20, 2008

I'm going to second (third?) Hot Chip. Both albums. I spent a lot of time naked with my recent ex listening to Hot Chip in his bedroom. I'm getting a little weepy thinking about how perfect it is. Oof.

Anything by Black Box Recorder.

Almost anything by Pulp (#1 and #2 would be "This is Hardcore" and "Different Class")
posted by mochilove at 11:02 AM on May 20, 2008

I can't believe nobody has suggested Yakety Sax yet.
posted by The GoBotSodomizer at 12:28 PM on May 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

I second the extended version of "The Sky Moves Sideways" from the Coma Divine CD. It's just under 13 minutes, changes rhythm in interesting ways, and bonus points for holding out for the last few minutes. o_0 at Inspector_Gadget. That's exactly the type of song I would have picked! Are you my soulmate?
posted by parilous at 7:18 PM on May 20, 2008

Some of these suggestions make me feel like a perv; however, I do second the Rob Zombie if camouflage is the ultimate goal. I guess it would be weird to mention that I have a fondness for London After Midnight's Kiss
Though it is a tad on the goth side.
posted by vallie_h at 9:29 PM on May 20, 2008

i don't agree because the song seems to be about swinging, and also because music you shag to is an alien concept to me personally, but i saw Radiohead last week and someone i went with mentioned how "House of Cards" is their sexiest song. which got me thinking about how a lot of In Rainbows is stereotypically oooh. "All I Need," etc.
posted by ifjuly at 7:01 PM on May 22, 2008

I feel sorry for the people here who only suggest one song...

That said I enjoy Pink Floyd, but I don't know how well that would fit your criteria.
posted by Midnight Rambler at 9:04 AM on June 2, 2008