Music has been used in American military prisons and on bases to induce sleep deprivation, “prolong capture shock,” disorient detainees during interrogations—and also drown out screams. Based on a leaked interrogation log, news reports, and the accounts of soldiers and detainees, here are some of the songs that guards and interrogators chose. Read about the guards here.
Deicide: Fuck Your God
Dope: Die MF Die, Take Your Best Shot
Eminem: White America, Kim
Barney & Friends: theme song
Drowning Pool: Bodies
Metallica: Enter Sandman
Meow Mix: commercial jingle
Janeane Garofalo/Ben Stiller: chapter from the Feel This Audiobook
Sesame Street: theme song
David Gray: Babylon
AC/DC: Shoot to Thrill, Hell’s Bells
Bee Gees: Stayin’ Alive
Tupac: All Eyez On Me
Christina Aguilera: Dirrty
Neil Diamond: America
Rage Against the Machine: unspecified songs
Don McLean: American Pie
Saliva: Click Click Boom
Matchbox Twenty: Cold
(hed)pe: Swan Dive
Prince: Raspberry Beret
Bonus: Listen to investigative reporter Justine Sharrock explain why the Meow Mix jingle, Neil Diamond, and the Barney theme song all lend themselves to “no-touch torture.” Plus: How Metallica reacted when they found out how their music was being used. —Gary Moskowitz
