Lauren recently blogged on sad songs, and the comments section adds a lot more to the list (for the record, I think Nina Simone’s “Ooh Child” is about the most heartbreaking song I’ve ever heard).
So now, a new question: What is the best sex song? (And please, please do not say “Crash” by Dave Matthews Band. Please). My vote is for Led Zeppelin, “Since I’ve Been Loving You.”
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At the risk of revealing my romantic side, how about “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails?
Portishead, “Wandering Star.”
Anyone’s a great lover following that beat.
I’m not actually claiming that it’s “the best,” but I’ll mention the B-52′s “Roam,” a great sex song that people seem to think is about travel…
One night stand:
“Work It” — Missy Elliot
“Push It” — Salt’n'Pepa
“My Neck, My Back” — Khia
“Let Me Put My Love Into You” — AC/DC
“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” — Daft Punk
“Tube Snake Boogie” — ZZ Top
Serious committed relationship:
Anything by Bebel Gilberto
did you enjoy sardinia? i’m from italy :)
“Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” Chris Isaak
“Boom Boom” John Lee Hooker
“Breathless” Jerry lee Lewis
“Brown Sugar” Stones
“Fire” Jimi Hendrix
“Give Me Back my Wig” Hound Dog Taylor
“Go All the Way” Raspberries
“Hound Dog” Big Mama Thornton
“I Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jelly Roll” Taj Mahal
“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” Ramones
“I Want to Want You” Juliana Hatfield
“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” Beatles
“In the Midnight Hour” Wilson Pickett
“La Grange” ZZ Top
“Long Tall Sally (a.k.a. Bald Headed Sally/The Thing)” Little Richard
“Miss You” Stones
“My Love For You” Dirtbombs
“Slip Away” Clarence Carter
“Sometimes I Wish I Was a Pretty Girl” Robyn Hitchcock
“Squeeze Box” The Who
“Stay With Me” The Faces
“Susie Q” Dale Hawkins
“Ted Woody and Junior” Robyn Hitchcock
“The Dark End of the Street” Percy Sledge
“The Look of Love” Dusty Springfield
“The Low Spark of Hi-Heeled Boys” Traffic
“Train Kept a Rollin’” Johnny Burnette Trio
“Walk on the Wild Side” Lou Reed
“Why Don’t We Do It in the Road” Beatles
“Why Don’t You Eat Where You Slept Last Night” Zu Zu Bolin
“Woman Love” Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
“You Shook Me” Muddy Waters
What is the best sex song?
The song the canyon wren sings when you’re a dozen miles off the pavement in a hot spring pool in a red-walled slot canyon.
Barring that, anything by Coltrane.
Talking about “Closer” as an expression of love/desire would probably take an entire paper, actually. Suffice it to say that your statement isn’t quite as ironic as you may think.
That being said, my vote goes for Tool’s “Stinkfist.”
No, actually, my vote goes for an old standby: Barry White’s “Can’t Get Enough of your Love.”
I’m personally fond of Interpol’s “Narc.” Lyrics about love and seduction, free of cliche and co-opting by movies, and a beat that starts out steady and increases, crescendoing at the lyrics “You should be in my space/You should be in my life”… very hot. I recommend it highly.
That one song from Hootie and the Blowfish.
In the right “sex mood”, Porcelina by the Pumpkins is works.
Hold On and Drive, both by Melissa Ferrick. Both great sex songs…though she could stop playing Drive in concert. (though people who are new to her in concert absolutely adore it)
Dolphin’s Cry by Live – off of The Distance to Here.
here’s a line:
this crazy fog surrounds me
you wrap your legs around me
all I can do to try and breathe
“Black Milk” by Massive Attack, a smooth trip-hop groove over sweetbreath vocals.
Oh, and I forgot an even better one:
Melissa Ferrick’s “Drive.” Mmmm.
Inertia Creeps or Teardrop – Massive Attack
Buddha Bar Volume 6
Astrud Gilberto w/ Stan Getz
A good Georgia summer thunderstorm has to be my personal favourite, though.
As to the Dave Matthews reference, I had a lot of bad high school sex to that album. Ugh.
Nightswimming by REM.
I like “You Look Like Rain” by Morphine for this lyric: “I can tell you taste like the sky, cause you look like rain”.
And then Cassandra Wilson and Jacky Terrasson’s recording of “Old Devil Moon”; Cassandra Wilson could read the tax code and it would be sexy.
“Alright” by Kinnie Starr.
And I’m also a romantic: “Closer” by NIN.
Do we mean songs about sex, or songs to play during sex? Because I don’t like to play music during sex, actually.
I’d imagine this would be a fun topic if you were completely un-selfaware about performative gender roles and how public claims about “best sex” songs were a component of identity formulation. And how such identities almost always fall in line with patriarchal notions.
I’m semi kidding, so no one act appalled please, but quite serious all the same.
No laughing
“justify my love” madonna. I don’t know why, I just hear that song and I’m ready for some down and dirty.
My all time favorite
“Who wants to Live Forever” by Queen for the slow romantic nights.
I think I said this earlier, but what the hell. Motorhead, baby!
After trying to wrap my mind around the patriarchal implications of Nightswimming…
1) Jorga *or* Pagan Poetry – Bjork
2) Say Yes – Floetry
3) I Miss My Lion – Scout Niblett
4) The Letter – PJ Harvey
5) Blue Dress – Depeche Mode
Patti Smith. Gloria.
Don’t you feel my leg – Maria Muldaur
You’re my thrill – Shirley Horn
Ornithology – Charlie Parker
Case of You – Joni Mitchell
Not a particular song, but an album.
Loveless- My Bloody Valentine
“Breathe Again” by Toni Braxton always makes me think of… well, sex.
“Say Yes” by Floetry.
You all are going to laugh but “Come Together” the Micheal Jackson version has a beat to it that just screams sex.
After that, anything by Maxwell or D’Angelo.
“Rain Song” by Led Zep…
Oddly, The Cramps (the band, not the affliction) do it for me.
Ooh! And Air! Especially several songs that were used on “The Virgin Suicides” soundtrack.
The Cramps probably cause they fuck each other. I knew that my current boyfriend and I might be the real thing when he said to me, “I never knew a girl who liked to fuck to punk rock before.”
Ooh, you wild thing. It figures considering you’re all porn liberal and everything.
Because I’m a dirty girl and not at all about the romance or lovey-dovey:
Closer – NIN
Prison Sex – Tool (but actually any of their stuff does it for me)
Anything by Lords of Acid
Anything by Massive Attack
I’m sure there are more, but those are the first to come to mind.
Massive Attack’s “Mezzanine” is a good one.
Pussy & Spank my Booty – Lords of Acid
NIN’s remake of Physical by Adam Ant
a surprising amount of Aphex Twin
the Alan Parsons Project album about Poe (because why not?)
… the transcendent Natacha Atlas singing “Tongue of Flame” with Transglobal Underground
… the incomparable Ms. Vaughn telling me “I Won’t Say I Will (But I Won’t Say I Won’t”
… the divine Ms. Simone going on & on about how she’s “Feelin’ Good” (especially the Joe C. remix)
just all turns my knees to jelly…
How about ‘The Lemon Song’ since so many people are on a Zeppelin kick…
Well, old fashioned guy that I am, I think the best sex songs are the ones that only hint at it:
Let’s Do It (….Let’s Fall in Love), Cole Porter
Let’s Misbehave, Cole Porter
Winter Weather, Peggy Lee
Fever, Peggy Lee not the Madonna version
Wicked Game, Don’t know the artist
Hungry Like the Wolf, Duran Duran
That’s it
Sex songs? If you need a soundtrack to fuck, you have subscriptions.
Best sex song…this isn’t fair for me, I was sheltered as a kid.
So I’ll go with Heliologue and say “Stinkfist” by Tool.
And anything by Cole Porter, just for sentimental value.
I’ve always been partial to the Sneaker Pimp’s Roll On. The role reversal with the female demanding oral sex, but adamant about not returning the favor.
Stinkfist is a beautiful song, but I can’t really identify with the theme of jaded sexuality.
Hungry Like the Wolf only hints at it? Except for the panting and the loud moaning, I suppose…
And does he really sing “I smell like I sound?” What the hell?
I can’t help but love it though. The record Rio has a special place in my heart.
3 songs (and one poem) that most of you have never heard:
Flames by VAST (off their 1998 album, go buy it RIGHT NOW. So damn good) If you want something less sentimental then opt for Pretty When You Cry on the same album (“I didn’t wanna fuck you baby, but you’re pretty when you’re mine”)
Passive Aggressive by Placebo (it starts with the lyrics “hold your breath. Concentrate. It’s in your reach. Concentrate” said in the sexiest way possible)
Grey Sky Morning by Vertical Horizons (“It’s not so bad, you’re only the best I ever had”)
8 x 10 by Alix Olson… Alix is just sexy in general, but this poem is phenomenal.
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I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite, but I had what might be the best sex of my entire life while listening to Captain Beefheart’s “Trout Mask Replica.” Holding on to a mic stand that I somehow caught before it hit my guy on the head, & that I just held there until he had to get up and flip the record over (yes, it was a while ago).
I was Made for Loving You – Kiss
Whole Lota Rosie – AC/DC
Your Pretty face is going to hell – The Stooges
Super Freaky – Rick James
What can I say, loud obnoxious Rock and Roll does it for me.
“This is Hardcore” from the eponymous album by Pulp. I can’t think of any other song which actually sounds like fucking.
I second MBV’s Loveless, and also Slowdive’s Souvlaki
Really a lot of things shoegaze. But Loveless, yes, the best.
the fuck? what in the world are you talking about? subscriptions? are you saying that folks who enjoy music whilst having thangs will somehow end up owing alot of $$ for some crummy magazines or is there some weird alternate meaning of this word?
Not merely issues.
Sina,
I smell like I sound, I’m lost and I’m found, And I’m hungry like the wolf.
That is how the verse goes. I always intepreted the panting and loud moaning as wild animal noises, not the act of intercourse. Duran Duran is great, love there new album.
I’m surprised how many chose ‘Closer’ by NIN.
If you like “Case of You” (and I do) check out the Phoebe Snow version.
“grow wild” off of Hugo Largo’s disc drum, though I don’t get up and change it, the rest of the disc works too….
I also like just about any Portishead album, interpol strikes me as a good idea, massive attack too. This could change in the winter, but the languid, hot, humidity of summers draws me to this music.
Oh, and just about any PJ Harvey, what’s up with that?
This shows my heavier music roots here :
Tool, specifically, Anemia. anything on this c.d. No mushy or gushy slow tunes here. bass lines and drums that fill up all the empty space in a room, not to mention Maynard’s voice.
Only You by Portishead
Captain by Dave Matthews
Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
Learning to Fly by Pink Floyd
Electric Relaxation by Tribe Called Quest
Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies
Loveless is certainly a wonderful album to just put on repeat, though.