Apparently aghast at the idea of their tunes aiding and abetting Gitmo-style interrogations, pop musicians have filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking the playlists used by the CIA during their loud-music torture sessions.

And just what musical medley do government spooks find most effective in making prisoners crack?

[Suzanne] Cusick, the NYU music professor, has interviewed a number of former detainees about their experiences and says the music they most often described hearing was heavy metal, rap and country. Specific songs mentioned include Queen’s “We Are the Champions” and “March of the Pigs” by industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails.

Another former prisoner, Binyam Mohamed, told Human Rights Watch that he had been forced to listen to the rapper Eminem’s song “The Real Slim Shady” for 20 days.

The cynic in me says that the artists are mainly concerned with having their songs identified as preferred torture implements, with all the punchlines accruing from that association: “His/her music is CIA-certified weapons-grade in the War on Terror!”. Or maybe someone’s looking for Federally-funded royalties from all those repeat playbacks?

Presumably, other less-torturous uses of those same bland melodies — such as wedding songs, workout beats, and commercial jingles — are A-OK.