http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3503290&msg=emaillink
Now that’s torture!
Ouch, oughta use top40 manufactured pop hits. Now that would get them talking
Modern music is ok for amatures. But if you want to really mess up someone’s mind, go with the classical lineup from Eric Flint’s 1632:
Wozzeck - Berg
Night on Bald Moutain - Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition “Bydlo” - Mussorgsky
Peer Gynt “In the Hall of the Mountain King” - Greig
Alexander Nevsky “Arise, ye Russian People” - Prokofiev
Piano Concert #3 - Prokofiev
The Rite of Spring - Stravinsky
Tristan & ISolde’s “Liebestod” - Wagner
Der Ring “Entry of the Gods Into Valhalla” - Wagner
Der Ring “Ride of the Valkyries” - Wagner
Der Ring “Wotan’s Farewell” - Wagner
Der Ring “Siegried’s Funeral March” - Wagner
Der Ring “Immolation of the Gods” - Wagner
Symphony #8 - Shostakovich
Some of this list is absolutely awesome music, but if you play it in the middle of the night to someone who doesn’t come from a western musical tradition, it would be truely terrifying.
I think you’ve got something there, NAT.
Nile would be nice.
Typical. Just typical of anti-American bias. When Iraqis have to listen to it, it’s inhumane torture. But when this stuff gets played to millions of Americans every day on the radio, nobody says a thing despite the potential for long-term damage. Where’s the outrage? 
This makes me question: Do the Iraqis have better music? Are we just accustomed to greater diversity? Or are we imposing our own bias, even here in this thread? I can think of several Middle-Eastern influenced works that I would not consider torture even when played loudly and repeatedly. Consider Page/Plant, Garcia/ Grishom, or Fripp/Belew. The Iraqis might have a tough time breaking me. It’s a catchy sound. So what would drive you truly Bonkers?
You know, like “Billy don’t be a hero” on bagpipe, accordian, and ukelele. Thoughts?
Well, it’s not bias, it’s that they’d be unaccustomed to the loud and blustery music (i.e. Metallica) or the unbelievably irritating, cloying stuff (Barney). And hey, even when they’re not POWs, you can hurt people with that stuff.
I think some loud techno music that repeated the exact same two second sequence for about an hour and a half, then played a somewhat different two second break, and went back to the original part would drive me nuts. It would get stuck in your head, and you would keep waiting and waiting for the different part, I doubt you’d ever be able to fall asleep.
Reminds me of the use of loud rock music to drive Manuel Antonio Noreiga (supposedly) from his refuge in the Papal Nuciatura (briefly known as the “Hard Rock Cafe - Panama.”
I personally would give up government secrets if I had to listen to Whitney Houston screech “I Will Always Love You.”
Very effective torture.
Of course, once they get used to it, and once the prisoners are ever released, we can look forward to going to the Baghdad Hilton and hearing an Arabic Metallica revival band in the lounge.
Hell, that ain’t torture!
Play “Culture Club” at 140db for a few hours, then slap on some Slim Whitman. After their ears start to bleed, hit 'em with “N’Sync”, Kelly Osborn, and Tiffany in rapid succesion. Lay into them with some “Lemonheads”. Slay them with “Captain and Tennile”. Buck Owens for breakfast. Bryan Adams for lunch. Don’t make us serve supper!! OK, you asked for it! Cue the “Bee Gees”! Helen Reddy, hell yeah! Lovin’ You by Minnie Riperton ought to do it.
Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys might be a bit too harsh, and would probably violate some sort of UN resolution.
Since Muslims don’t eat pork, how about the Oscar Meyer and/or Armour hotdog songs? Or an ice cream truck playing the jingle?