I can't stand music at work. How on earth can people be economically productive and make a significant contribution to society when they're not concentrating on the task in hand? Keep the music for outside work and focus on doing your job to the best of your ability!

Music anywhwere does us all good, it lightens our mood and energises our soul.
I agree to music in the office, not loud and raucus but subdued and lighthearted, it does make people at ease and helps to keep the office ticking along in a more relaxed way.
Appreciate your ethics Helen #1, but for most people work is a means to an end, not a way of life, lets do all we can to make it a place they at least can feel relaxed. ;)

It's bad enough walking past a teenage clothing shop in the mall and having techno-music blasting out. How on earth, with any kind of music in the office, will it be possible to concentrate on important phone-calls?

Try working in a foondry, or a coal shaft. 'Orpheus in the Underworld' wouldn't help, unless accompanied by Can-Can dancers.

Try working in a place that plays Real Radio or Forth 1/2 and remaining calm at the same time. Can't be done! Also, please don't be such an utter dullard that you think that being 'economically productive' is the be-all-and-end-all and somehow our capitalist house of cards will collapse if someone listens to the radio. Bet Helen works in an office probably lower-middle management and believes all the guff she talks. Maybe we should all live moderate lives with no real excitement or colour in case the communists take over (or something!)

Office music is for lame brains anyways, nothing interesting on the radio and the DJ's are appalling but I guess it helps millions of sorrowful souls sleepwalk their lives away...

This is daft! Peoples' tastes in music vary so much it is virtually impossible to find a menu of songs/groups/whatever that will please and motivate everyone.

Depends on the job I think. I've worked in an office where the admin worker had the radio blaring, I've been on the telephone...important conversation and been drawn daggers after requesting said radio be turned down...to some its background noise, to others its pollution..or terribly bliddy aggravating...

I have heard that excerpts from the Sound of Music can clear revolting youngsters from the front of your house.

Pete40 #8,

Any music pre 1960 will do the same :o)

He missed the #1 song NOT to whistle at work:

"Take this Job and Shove It" by Johnny Paycheck....