Best music to listen to in the office

It seems that most analysts/interns listen to some sort of music while staring at the computer screen all day. Couldn't survive without it.

What does everyone listen to while working? What helps you keep motivated and focused? Personally, I listen to a lot of house mix/techno on Pandora but tend to switch it up with jazz/rock/rap.

best music to listen to at work

You can make grinding through Mundane tasks easier with positive and upbeat music. The trick is playing music that you are familiar with. This way you tempo and tone of the song lifts you up without distracting you with lyrics.

Language-based activity such as writing or reading is different. Avoid music with lyrics when writing, reading, or absorbing new information. Music with a slower tempo is ideal.

Key Takeaways

  • Use familiar music, downtempo music with no lyrics when doing language work. Use upbeat music when doing mundane work.

MIke Catania Chief Technology Officer at PromotionCode.org

“Familiar music, regardless of the style, directly affects the quality of tasks like these for the better.” In fact, the company saw a 24% decrease in input errors three months after adding music to the workplace, says Catania.

 

di.fm for the win.

"Oh the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion" - Frank Slaughtery 25th Hour.

"Oh the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion" - Frank Slaughtery 25th Hour.
 

I've been workin this graveshift and I ain't made shit I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

2pac - All about you Twista - Hope

Anything that is upbeat and has a real beat to it.

 
Guest1655:
At my elite boutique all the analysts are forced to listen to classical music. We once had some riffraff that turned on that ungodly rap music and were promptly laid off for being ungentlemanly .

That was actually a rule at my prep school during study hall; you could only listen to classical, as studies have shown it is the only music that has a positive correlation with learning.

 
drexelalum11:
Guest1655:
At my elite boutique all the analysts are forced to listen to classical music. We once had some riffraff that turned on that ungodly rap music and were promptly laid off for being ungentlemanly .

That was actually a rule at my prep school during study hall; you could only listen to classical, as studies have shown it is the only music that has a positive correlation with learning.

Correlation does not imply causation. ......................................................................... I have a next level rolodex.
......................................................................... I have a next level rolodex.
 
pruf:
lol @ "intelligent"

I know, seems oxymoronic but there are, actually, insightful and intelligent hip hop and rap songs.

One of my favorites is

Blanket by Urban Species Feat. Imogen Heap

...very poetic and well done. Too bad this style of music is hard to come by. Oddly enough, this song is featured in Jessica Biel's new movie where she's a stripper and is played in the club while she is busting out some naked striptease action, lol. Irony?

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 
h.e.pennypacker:
Carlton Banks:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/scubastza/Blog%20Stuff/musicthat…

LOL @ Lil' Wayne. Radiohead FTW.

What's the image of (can't view images at work)? Anything with Radiohead winning is, well, a win in my book. See them live.

It shows a correlation between SAT scores and music preferences. Basically, it shows that ignorant mainstream hip hop is bad.

 

If I'm not doing something that requires a lot of thought or concentration, which to be honest anybody who has worked as an analyst knows is a very common occurrence, I actually listen to a lot of talk radio as it's quite interesting and helps you to feel like you are connecting with the outside world while stuck at your desk. Towards the end of the week I tend to also listen to a lot of livelier music and electronic music in prep for the wkend since that sort of stuff seems outta place on a monday afternoon.

 

I agree, no-words type of music works well...regardless I still don't know why the hell people like dubstep, guess I'm 'too old.' On that note, punk rock and reggae are my go-to.

If the glove don't fit, you must acquit!
 
You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

[quote=Nefarious-]www.grooveshark.com[/quote]

Just discovered this site a couple days ago because of this post... +SB

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

neo tokyo - sleepyhead remix

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

MGMT v. Notorious BIG - Nasty Feel

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

Might be off topic but I once sat next to a guy who jammed "Hustle Hard" every moment he was trading

Nobody wants to work for it anymore. There's no honor in taking the after school job at Mickey D's. Honor's in the dollar, kid.
 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/cwQndY1CTHc

http://www.youtube.com/embed/DmbdtbdBqI0

http://www.youtube.com/embed/tzsd-3x9t_Q

http://www.youtube.com/embed/SPqST0S22js

“Millionaires don't use astrology, billionaires do”
 

Groove Salad on SomaFM. I can't listen to radio stations that play any well known songs, etc because I dislike too many of them and I will focus on the lyrics instead of the work. Groove Salad keeps my mind engaged enough that it doesn't wander off while I am trying to be productive. Ambient music/beats for the win.

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

Sigur Ros Pandora Channel if I need to relax Chromeo Pandora Channel if I need to keep it moving

There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

Childish Gambino

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 
Nefarious-:
Childish Gambino
Love Childish Gambino but his lyrics are so dense that it distracts me if I listen while I'm working
There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

Almost nothing mentioned above is techno. It's all house / progressive house / electro house, etc... And it's all pretty awesome.

Avicii & Swedish House Mafia are killing it out there...so good.

 

Seems like a lot of people here are into insturmental, minimal lyrics when working.

What about:

Glitch Mob

Daft Punk

Cut Chemist

Blockhead

RjD2

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

Always thought this video was pretty great:

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

If you don't have this mixtape from Glitch Mob, you are seriously missing out:

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

This has also been a clutch go to when trying to study or get work done for like the past 5 years. Pretty amazing song by Aesop Rock. He made it for that nike product that hooks your shoes up to your iPod. The point of it is to lyrically capture a jog (the warm up, the middle part and the cool down).

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

The best thing to listen to when doing mindless work is porn audio. Nothing gets the blood flowing quite like that.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

Pandora, all day every day.

- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

Alot of neo-jazz at work. Keeps me calm so I don't have to put my hands on a bitch.

"Cut the burger into thirds, place it on the fries, roll one up homey..." - Epic Meal Time
 

Analyst got fired about a year before I got to the bank for playing poker online. No idea how he got around the blockers, but a VP walked by and told him to come to his office. 10 minutes later his stuff was off his desk.

I remember one time getting so overloaded I took more adderall than I needed to, rolled up my sleeves and had the headphones in on full blast. I could see people walking by being like wtf is he doing. Didn't care, most productive day/night of my life.

It is what it is
 

Don't use headphones. If an MD is yelling at you from the hall you want to hear him. That said, we were allowed to listen to music after 7, nobody really cared.

An MD I worked with in the summer used to listen to 50 cent on his iPad all day everyday. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in banking, he'd randomly email me youtube links to new rap songs he'd find too.

 

For me, no music promotes brain activity like good ole techno lol. I dont know many songs by name but bpm on sirius usually does the trick.

 

Anything with lyrics only distracts me, but I've been studying at Panera lately, and they have some nice classical/orchestra type music playing in the background over the speakers. I find this to be a nice stimulation without being distracting.

 

Heat of the Moment Final Count Down Africa by Toto That "Half way there" song Journey, obv LSO Rap

I am not joking.

"That dude is so haole, he don't even have any breath left."
 

Buffalo Killers - Get It

[quote=mbavsmfin]I don't wear watches bro. Because it's always MBA BALLER time! [/quote]
 

What I chose for my last all-nighter:

The Strokes- Is This It Moby- Play Kendrick Lamar - Section 80 MF Doom- Operation Doomsday 50 cent- Get Rich or Die Tryin' Eminem- The Eminent Show J Dilla- Donuts ATCQ - Midnight Marauders

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." --Abraham Lincoln
 

Soul music, unless I'm at the office.

[quote=Matrick][in reply to Tony Snark"]Why aren't you blogging for WSO and become the date doctor for WSO? There seems to be demand. [/quote] [quote=BatMasterson][in reply to Tony Snark's dating tip] Sensible advice.[/quote]
 

This:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/u2ySKPeoh_s

and whatever song was playing in the background during the Godfather baptism scene when those revenge-killings were going on.

generally, songs about ambition, success, not giving up, and getting revenge.

 
cinnamontoastcrunch:
Epic Film Scores (Inception/Gladiator/Dark Knight Rises-based stations on Pandora)

This. Also, a lot of koto music, opera, classical, metal, electric and avant garde music. Philip glass, John Cage, Aphex twin, Mastodon, Rimski Korsakov come to mind. Also, nature sounds.

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 

When you got to meet that deadline, you can't go wrong with "Hard in Da Paint" by Waka Flocka Flame.

And don't you dare play the clean version...it takes away from the authenticity and beauty of this masterpiece.

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."
 
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

You just dont know good rap. Check this out.

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?
 
SirTradesaLot:
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?

Except for Led Zeppelin and Beatles these seem like good bands to me. I did not know that there were other finance people who like Jimi Hendrix. ^^BTW do you like Punk?

 
John Daggett:
SirTradesaLot:
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?

Except for Led Zeppelin and Beatles these seem like good bands to me. I did not know that there were other finance people who like Jimi Hendrix. ^^BTW do you like Punk?

Seriously?

Going to California

I've never really been into punk.

 
John Daggett:
SirTradesaLot:
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?

Except for Led Zeppelin and Beatles these seem like good bands to me. I did not know that there were other finance people who like Jimi Hendrix. ^^BTW do you like Punk?

I didn't say they weren't good, but just noted that these are very old. Seems like a baby boomer's record set.
 
SirTradesaLot:
John Daggett:
SirTradesaLot:
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?

Except for Led Zeppelin and Beatles these seem like good bands to me. I did not know that there were other finance people who like Jimi Hendrix. ^^BTW do you like Punk?

I didn't say they weren't good, but just noted that these are very old. Seems like a baby boomer's record set.

You seem to be implying that people should listen to music that coincides with the time period they have lived in. I would contend that such an implication has as much legitimacy as a steamy pile of poo.

 
Going Concern:
SirTradesaLot:
John Daggett:
SirTradesaLot:
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?

Except for Led Zeppelin and Beatles these seem like good bands to me. I did not know that there were other finance people who like Jimi Hendrix. ^^BTW do you like Punk?

I didn't say they weren't good, but just noted that these are very old. Seems like a baby boomer's record set.

You seem to be implying that people should listen to music that coincides with the time period they have lived in. I would contend that such an implication has as much legitimacy as a steamy pile of poo.

Not saying they should, but that's what normally happens. I also do find it weird that someone couldn't name one musician they like in the past 20 years. Seems a little 'safe' to me.
 
Best Response
SirTradesaLot:
<span class=keyword_link><a href=/resources/skills/finance/going-concern>Going Concern</a></span>:
SirTradesaLot:
John Daggett:
SirTradesaLot:
StryfeDSP:
Gym: Lots of melodic death metal, heavy metal. Chillin: Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pink Floyd just to name a couple.

I can't stand rap :|

When did you receive your first AARP card?

Except for Led Zeppelin and Beatles these seem like good bands to me. I did not know that there were other finance people who like Jimi Hendrix. ^^BTW do you like Punk?

I didn't say they weren't good, but just noted that these are very old. Seems like a baby boomer's record set.

You seem to be implying that people should listen to music that coincides with the time period they have lived in. I would contend that such an implication has as much legitimacy as a steamy pile of poo.

Not saying they should, but that's what normally happens. I also do find it weird that someone couldn't name one musician they like in the past 20 years. Seems a little 'safe' to me.

Personally I think I would barely be able to come up with enough artists from the last 20 years that I still really like to fill fingers on both hands, at least compared to what came before.

 

I think anyone who listens to 'house music' or whatever outside of being shithammered or rolling should be made to live on a desert island filled with fist pumping hairy spanish dudes for the rest of their life.

"IBIZA IBIZA WEE JUS COME HERE TO PARTYYY"

My drinkin' problem left today, she packed up all her bags and walked away.
 

Fiona Apple, Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, Bon Iver, Talking Heads, Joanna Newsom, Florence + The Machine, Springsteen, The Smiths.

Been really into The Lumineers and Alabama Shakes recently, too.

 

Et temporibus deserunt earum ut velit. Est ea est aut nihil quo blanditiis. Voluptatum veniam molestiae aut asperiores eveniet et ut.

Esse facere fugit labore quia aut. Minima sequi magni autem laudantium voluptatem quia qui.

Culpa est tempore et. Nostrum quia esse aliquam ratione et id. Explicabo dignissimos et dolor necessitatibus assumenda ut non. Eveniet non temporibus magni iste eveniet et quia. Consequatur rerum tempore quia ab quos consequatur.

Non sed rerum quis fugiat. Et maiores consectetur neque ratione aut odio eius. Nobis vel repellat reprehenderit minus.

"Come at me, bro"- José de Palafox y Melci
 

Tempora cupiditate rerum voluptatem vel ea non mollitia autem. Reiciendis voluptas voluptates alias ut ut dolorem omnis debitis. Excepturi qui quis nulla laboriosam.

Ratione officiis quod esse et aut eum sapiente. Nobis omnis voluptatibus quod ea. Totam ut et quaerat vero perspiciatis ut. Saepe assumenda maiores et et dolore. Harum et qui accusantium quam tempora suscipit.

Dolore molestiae nulla amet sed. Ratione ex asperiores nemo magni doloribus at id. Dolor est sunt totam autem quas error quos et. Molestiae nesciunt esse aut nobis eligendi. Nobis maiores magni qui. Id magnam explicabo sint asperiores praesentium voluptatum.

Suscipit in alias non aut. Non est incidunt voluptatem voluptas magni hic et qui. Quo accusantium aut quibusdam iste.

 

Tempora veniam sunt est quod. Eum ratione quis illum nisi.

Autem quisquam odio qui et. Dolores voluptas sit dignissimos quos amet sed laudantium aliquam. Molestiae tempora voluptatem eaque sit.

Illum sed quisquam pariatur. Sint eaque qui est non nihil est. Dolores minus sed sunt iusto sint. Sit sit dolor esse omnis deleniti. Soluta accusantium deleniti voluptatem eos blanditiis pariatur.

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 

Autem aliquam porro laborum repellat quo. Tenetur quod possimus nostrum explicabo. Tempora est provident quod rerum nihil ipsam in. Omnis quo unde voluptatem nisi sed et. Sapiente necessitatibus quia sit laborum voluptate quam. Asperiores ab mollitia atque qui sint error modi.

Nihil modi aut excepturi quo corrupti doloribus ipsa. Voluptatem ipsa hic sequi id. Autem veritatis necessitatibus ea est totam sit.

"Come at me, bro"- José de Palafox y Melci
 

Perferendis commodi et quod ullam corporis quia. Incidunt cumque nihil veritatis nemo voluptatem. Voluptatem qui id praesentium cupiditate labore. Expedita aliquam et fugit aut blanditiis illum vel. Harum suscipit vel consequatur et aut. Expedita ea error eveniet dolore.

Ut numquam pariatur cumque et dolores consequatur expedita. Dolores quasi blanditiis harum. Adipisci recusandae dolorem expedita voluptatem soluta. Quia eos in neque eum quia sequi et. Est natus aliquam ut sed. Eum molestias eaque quia velit eaque et dolor.

Ut unde dolorum non ipsam. Quaerat ab asperiores qui aut tempore recusandae aut. Eaque et libero aperiam suscipit sint.

My drinkin' problem left today, she packed up all her bags and walked away.
 

Quae nemo dolorem occaecati odio rem. Quia unde est rerum recusandae est accusantium quisquam. Repellendus cupiditate velit cum quis consectetur. Repellendus rerum quo possimus aspernatur pariatur occaecati in.

Facilis laudantium labore est quod itaque quis blanditiis. Qui debitis maxime repellat possimus. Et optio aut nemo expedita soluta.

Molestias qui nesciunt inventore repudiandae mollitia porro. Excepturi rerum temporibus laboriosam veritatis aperiam enim omnis. Voluptatibus numquam dolore earum. Et tempora consequatur et ut velit quaerat. Maxime et dignissimos ducimus iste.

Quo quasi blanditiis non accusantium nam in. Veniam dolorum omnis consequatur sed.

 

Eos impedit rerum dolor odit. Consequatur omnis et sit laboriosam maxime iure voluptas. Est ut dolor delectus aut veniam praesentium optio vero. Dicta sint aliquid quas quaerat non.

Consequuntur magni est ea perspiciatis. Nulla eaque nisi nulla sint possimus omnis. Deleniti sapiente sint suscipit ipsum qui harum iusto.

Eligendi et animi et doloremque expedita quia. Aut sunt voluptate a iusto culpa aliquid est. Omnis et commodi nisi voluptatem omnis occaecati. Sint dolorem enim debitis cumque non. Maxime sequi eum commodi molestiae veniam et cupiditate. Fugit eligendi earum dolorum qui id aut omnis. Voluptatem sint in quod deserunt aperiam explicabo accusantium.

Tempore beatae labore et sed voluptatem quia ut est. Dolor ut cumque quia ut ex minus. Saepe quam quia qui optio dolor officia dolores. Hic voluptatum ut porro incidunt sed alias facere.

 

Nihil nostrum voluptas et ut animi non. Corrupti dolor ut beatae sunt dolorem laborum eaque. Ullam earum officiis quidem aut et officiis.

Est quia deleniti dicta possimus explicabo earum pariatur iure. Architecto molestiae eius quia dolores. Quibusdam et excepturi error. Officia consequatur illum quo hic asperiores earum omnis. Qui possimus sed laudantium porro aperiam enim ut numquam. Accusamus voluptatum eaque praesentium esse et esse culpa.

 

Inventore mollitia sed quia autem ea voluptas. Non ab blanditiis molestiae sunt sint accusantium. Totam autem quasi sed facilis molestiae repellat est. Dicta ut accusantium ea sed ea. Ut illum placeat accusamus modi animi.

Rerum autem et deleniti explicabo tenetur. Dolores omnis ut quae dolore nulla tempora ea. Temporibus id quis rem deserunt repellat. Accusantium recusandae dolore non eligendi veritatis sit vero.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • William Blair 03 97.7%
  • Lazard Freres 06 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • JPMorgan Chase 06 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 06 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (23) $378
  • Associates (95) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • 2nd Year Analyst (69) $168
  • Intern/Summer Associate (34) $167
  • 1st Year Analyst (213) $160
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (155) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”