hold music, the best

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NASDAQ had nice slow rag-time piano this morning, it was very pleasant to sip coffee and listen to it.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 19 May 2003 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Stop taking those pills.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 19 May 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

hee hee hee.

well, one of the brokers I had to talk to last month had the Ludwig Van on hold, which I was busily singing along to when he picked up.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Monday, 19 May 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

My friend's office has Strokes Muzak.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 19 May 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

The UGC cinema in Staples Corner has a BRILLIANT muzak version of Diamonds And Pearls that made me question the original. I was air-drumming quite enthusiastically, and my girlfriend tried to pretend she wasn't with me.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 19 May 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The dentists office has an aging tape of classical music with lots of sloppy edits. It was lo-fi Mozart!

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Monday, 19 May 2003 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

The car dealership where my roomie works has the most brilliant hold music version of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" ever – amazing synth vertigo with obsucred vocoder vocals. There is also an ebullient, cheery version of the normally very dire "Fast Car" von Tracy Chapman. The best though is the muzakified version of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful tonight". The song is so hilarious and corny from Clapton, but put in the hands of these geniuses it may be the cheesiest song ever, which is a wonderful thing. There is also a nice version of "Crimson and Clover".

Our hold music at work is set to an oldies station that mainly plays bubblegum/doo-wop/Motown stuff, which is nice. However, in the middle of another feel-good set, a cover of "Paint it Black" by Stystem of a Down sneaked its way into the set! My mind is still blown.

― Fivvy (Fivvy), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The Kentucky Department of Insurance was playing Thelonius Monk's "Bemsha Swing" the other day, which was very helpful considering I was on hold for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

does anyone know how these phone systems actually work, it seems as if there's mucho leeway, i guess you can pretty much put in any CD you want? it seems like a generally very unpoliced (yet incredibly important and mood-setting) area of PR. i imagine it usually goes: guy who installs the phones puts on the default light strings, probably like one sample song looped over and over, a full hour available at extra charge from the phone equipment place OR you can strike out on your own, if you've confidence and a steady hand, cabron, and bring in the wildcards from your own collection.... the process for this decision-making fascinates me, who calls the shots, where does the buck stop

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

HERE!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

It's the guy behind the guy behind the guy. Executive decisions, diplomatic immunity. If I told you, I'd have to kill you. All this stuff is heavily researched, of course.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

They play pan pipes versions of Celine Dion hits to doped-up hamsters, then make them choose a credit card.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"doped-up hamster" = relatively good approximation of me

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 19 May 2003 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

hahahaha!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 19 May 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

my internet provider has an out of tune piano version of 'yesterday'. it makes sick everytime.

― joan vich (joan vich), Monday, 19 May 2003 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

My travel agent used to have a spy songs mix: Secret Agent Man, Peter Gunn, etc etc. It was always a letdown when the agent picked up.

― Paul Eater (eater), Tuesday, 20 May 2003 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

I used to work in an SBC call center (before it became AT&T) and I escalated difficult calls to second-tier support. The hold music included Sting's "Shape of My Heart" and something by Acoustic Alchemy. Dunno which song, though.

― Jonar Sabilano, Friday, 2 June 2006 08:18 (nineteen years ago)

five years pass...

Have loved this one for years; just found it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ZvUYhIeoQ

― naus, Monday, 9 April 2012 10:13 (thirteen years ago)

one year passes...

This American Life had a segment on that hold music I posted.

― naus, Saturday, 18 January 2014 06:34 (twelve years ago)

one month passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4dkBF5anU

― "Jiggle It" - 2 in a Zoo (Stevie D(eux)), Monday, 17 March 2014 20:39 (twelve years ago)

six years pass...

I found the two songs my bank offers when you call them quite okay, at least they calm you down:

Enya - Orinoco Flow
Christopher Cross - Ride with the Wind

― walking towards the sun since 2007 (alex in mainhattan), Tuesday, 9 March 2021 17:10 (five years ago)

Those are pretty great compared to most of the hold music I get exposed to.

I think the predominant influences on hold music in the UK circa 2021 are: Sigur Ros, Coldpaly, Arcade Fire. Everything has that anthemic heft. If there's a 2040 equivalent of Light In The Attic records I'm sure they'll compile it.

― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 17:56 (five years ago)

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