Best & worst "on hold" music?

I don't like any of the music while I am on hold. I find that by the time they do answer I have been numbed so much that I have forgotten what I rang for in the first place. Maybe this is why they do it

I would prefer just to be told my number in the queue, and the approximate wait time.

Trouble is with the spoken message it can get very annoying when they keep on telling you how important your call is to them with no idea of when they will answer.

It is so rare you can speak to anyone on a phone these days and just talk to a human to explain what you want rather than use a website. Tried to book cream vouchers for my brother's birthday at a stately home, nearly drove me mad.

Best, any classical music, worst, Greensleeves .

I hate on hold music. I particularly hate snippets of Vivaldi's Four Seasons played in a loop - it makes me want to throw the phone at the wall. I also don't like the on hold message you get when you ring our doctor's surgery, as the person reading it sounds like an air-head with a speech impediment - she cannot pronounce the sound "th", using "v" instead. It drives me wild. Before someone shoots me down, I know people can't help having speech impediments, but if they have one, they shouldn't be reading out on hold messages! Okay, I'm having a grumpy day.

A few years ago, one of the holiday/airline companies used to play 'Walking on Sunshine'. It was fine for the first minute or two, then annoyed me. I think the same would apply whatever the music was.

I had to phone LV Insurance to renew my Dads insurance a couple of weeks ago and found myself tapping my foot along with their music - a lively country tune, no idea what it is though lol.
Agree that the most annoying are the "your call is important.." etc. If that's the case get more people answering the darn phones.

Isn't it amazing that if you phone a company to complain you are left holding on for ages but if you ring the same company to place an order your call is taken immediately!

Any soothing music usually ok. anything rousing makes me angrier and angrier the longer I wait!
But my pet hate is - being ADVERTISED at as I wait. GRRR!

The very worst? Beethoven's Seventh Symphony played with a disco beat background. I seem to remember that it was the Pensions Agency that used that one and as, at the time, I was a volunteer benefits advisor with Age Concern I had to listen to it frequently.

There isn't a 'best'! The most irritating so far was a GP surgery playing Things Can Only Get Better. Well, they may have done if there was ever an appointment with my GP of choice.

My insurance company plays 'Breaking Glass'!

I really like the EDF one, actually wish I could get it on a loop, I think it might help me to drift off to sleep!

Our local water company use Handel's Water Music which they no doubt think witty or appropriate but I feel is adding insult to injury.

Santander. Sounds like a film score for a western. Just as it builds up to a climax and you know the cavalry are finally arriving... it goes back to the beginning of the recording.

When I made a call yesterday I was given a choice as to what style music I would like to listen to while I waited for them to pick up on my ' very important to us ' call. I chose classical. A new experience to me. Wish I could remember who I was calling..but that's another thread

When you ring our doctors surgery they play the most doleful cello music whilst you're waiting. If you're feeling bad anyway( which you tend to be when ringing for an appointment!) it makes you feel 10 times worse.

Like any "calming" music, between the "you are now number 75 in the queue" message.

Like many others, I hate 'on hold' music. However I do prefer something beaty and jolly rather than the sad, classical music many seem to choose. Might as well tap my feet and feel upbeat rather than dreary and depressed before I start .

wasn't it wonderful, back in the day, when you either got an engaged tone or a human being answered the phone.....

My son was at a cathedral school and their on hold music was 'thine be the glory, risen conquering son' from Judas Macabeus.

France Telecom English speaking line is bearable. If I hear Greensleeves I scream and put the telephone down.

Anything as long as it's "real" and not an electronic version. If I must listen to the first 16 bars of Vivaldi's "Spring" on a loop please at least give me a violin accompanied by an orchestra and not a consort of stylaphones at the bottom of an old fashioned metal dustbin!

OVO energy gives you a choice you can press buttons and shift genre......they speak to you as if you, and they, are both human too...almost disconcerting it is.

I don't really like any on hold music, it's alright for a minute or two but it's the loop thing that's irritating, if they are going to play music why not use a half hour loop then (hopefully) you should only hear it once. I prefer a spoken message, just a you are number so and so in the queue, then no need for anything until you go up in the queue, none of this 'you are important to us' rubbish. My local housing association uses the 'you are number etc' but then gives you the option of leaving your name and number and they will call you back when your position in the queue reaches number 1. Seems to work very well and the call back is always in a reasonable time.