>Electronic music is a staple for programming for me. No (or few) lyrics to distract you, and a good driving rhythm to put you in the zone... Orbital, BT, Paul Van Dyk, Sasha and John Digweed (Northern Exposure), etc...

That's how I see it too. I like it for coding, and when driving on the highway. Makes me go faster :)

I've heard of Orbitial, but the others are new to me. I tend to like the heavier ones, dating back to LOA, and newer artists like (the) Prodigy, Chemical Bros, and the Crystal Method are my staples. The Beastie Boys work well too, though not really the same thing.

A friend of mine (well maybe ex-friend, I haven't heard from him in a while) introduced me to these groups--he always was very avant-garde and eclectic...