I've experimented with different types of music while working/coding, and noted the following; 1. I am quite a verbal thinker. Anything with lyrics seriously d

I've experimented with different types of music while working/coding, and noted the following; 1. I am quite a verbal thinker. Anything with lyrics seriously damages my ability to think verbally about a problem. 2. Music that is too slow or relaxing is unhelpfully soporific. I don't drink coffee, so I need any non-chemical stimulant I can get. 3. Anything too catchy will encourage me to hum it in my head, which actually has a similar effect to lyrics, disrupting my internal verbal processes. I've found the perfect thing that works well for me, which is soundtracks from RTS games. They're instrumental, vaguely electronic, and specifically designed to fade into the background and create a general sense of urgency and focus. If you are a big starcraft player for example, playing the background music from starcraft can create a sort of Pavlovian Response, telling your brain "You are sitting at a computer carrying out a difficult task which takes a good deal of focus and mental exertion. This activity is fun and rewarding, and it is urgent that you do it as well and as quickly as possible." Give it a try. tl;dr Soundtracks from RTS games