The 50 sexiest songs: By Marvin Gaye, the xx, Frank Ocean and more

"Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent featuring Justin Timberlake

The potent combination of JT and Fiddy breaking down doing the dirty could be nothing less than explosive. In this Timbaland-produced single, originally titled “Ayo Pornography,” the guys hit the strip club, where they discover a universal truth: Real-life pole dancers provide far more satisfaction than Internet porn. That’s right, folks. Live and learn.—Marley Lynch

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"S&M" by Rihanna

The naughty princess of pop croons admissions that would make Larry Flynt blush in her anthem to kinky sex; Riri’s pulsating dance track flirts with bondage and sub-dom play, and its candid appreciation of bad behavior saw the track banned in 11 countries.—Marley Lynch

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"Pull Up to the Bumper" by Grace Jones

In 2008, disco-era power androgyne Grace Jones claimed in an interview that "Pull Up to the Bumper" had nothing whatsoever to do with sex. Yeah, right: nothing to be read into her helpful suggestion that a bit of lubrication might be required to get that oversize stretch limo through the back door. Meanwhile, the song's possessive thump got everyone ready for some grease-monkeying around. —Steve Smith

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"Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" by the Beatles

Reportedly inspired by a seconds-long instance of monkey sex that Paul McCartney witnessed on the streets in India, "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" is one of the goofiest songs in the Beatles catalog. Still, Macca's increasingly unhinged performance—featuring that classic Little Richard–style yowl midway through—gets you thinking seriously about shedding those, shall we say, inhibitions, and encouraging your partner to do the same.—Hank Shteamer

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"F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E." by Pulp

Sex is an indelible part of this Britpop band’s oeuvre, but frontman Jarvis Cocker often addresses the subject in a way that’s rather unnerving. (See the entirety of 1998’s This Is Hardcore.) This song, from Pulp’s 1995 breakthrough, Different Class, is no exception, as Cocker sings about missing the sensation of sleeping with a former lover. Cocker sings in his signature low purr over a slinky drumbeat and pulsating bassline, eventually building up to an explosive, altogether satisfying climax.—Amy Plitt

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"Jeepster" by T. Rex

What seems at first like a squeaky-clean seduction gradually turns lascivious—okay, downright depraved—in the hands of glam-meister extraordinaire Marc Bolan, who hisses "I'm gonna suck ya!" at his would-be conquest, after declaring himself "a vampire for your love." Grab your partner in kink and play along.—Hank Shteamer

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"Sunshine of Your Love" by Ella Fitzgerald

Let's face it, there's no logical reason why a jazz singer's spin on a hoary Cream anthem should work. So why does this unlikely cover get us hot and bothered? Partly it's the song's steamy descending chord progression and stop-start, stop-start rhythm; mostly it's the feral abandon Fitzgerald packs into her libidinous interpretation. "I'm ashamed of myself," she teases a 1969 Montreux audience in a famous live clip, making it clear that she's really, really not.—Steve Smith

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"Je t’Aime…Moi Non Plus" by Serge Gainsbourg

You may think you don’t know this song, but you do—oh, you do. The fiendishly rude-sounding bassline, the nearly cheesy-but-actually-genius organ riff and then the whispered, orgasmic crooning… “Je t’aime” is Sexy Song 101. French singer Serge Gainsbourg really was doing the nasty with English rose Jane Birkin in the studio. It so scandalized and titillated the prudish Brits that the BBC banned the song—which, of course, only added to its appeal.—Sophie Harris

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"Feel Like Makin’ Love" by Roberta Flack

In no way related to the slightly cheesy Bad Company song, this 1974 tune is quite simple: Flack describes moments that inspire an amorous mood, including after walking through a park and while sitting in a restaurant. But her soulful delivery sells it—she coos each line as one lover might to another just before heading to the bedroom.—Amy Plitt

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"Bump n' Grind" by R. Kelly

R. Kelly's 1994 chart-topper is adorned with the melismatic maestro's signature vocal runs, and the video for this steamiest of slow jams demonstrates that Kelz is true to his word—seeing nothing wrong at all with a little bump and grind. And who are we to argue?—Rachel Sonis

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