Which music, movies and TV get people in the mood?

(Photo by Vianney CAHEN via Unsplash)

Some of the top bedroom jams are “Earned It” by The Weeknd, “Pony” by Ginuwine and “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 adults explored how media is shaping what their time in bed looks and feels like, finding that more than two-thirds find themselves in the mood after a sexy song or scene on TV (68%).

In fact, 39% have dedicated bedroom playlists, with results showing that those who are more intimate regularly are likelier to have a sexy soundtrack on.

Forty-five percent said they can’t listen to their favorite sexy song without blushing — but watching it unfold adds an extra layer of modesty.

More than half of adults blush while watching an intimate scene in a TV show or movie (53%).

A quarter of those surveyed get shy or skip through an intimate scene when their partner is around, compared to just 18% who do the same when alone.

But even when they’re feeling bashful, 60% of those in relationships are likely to be intimate with a partner after watching a sexy scene in a movie or on TV, and 45% said that explicit songs have the same happy ending.

Conducted by Talker Research for LELO, the survey found that some of the most well-loved steamy TV shows include classics like “Sex and the City” (22%), “Game of Thrones” (18%), “The Vampire Diaries” (15%), “Orange is the New Black” (15%) and “True Blood” (14%).

More recent favorites like “Bridgerton” (14%), “Euphoria” (11%) and “House of the Dragon” (9%) also ranked high.

When it comes to saucy movies, respondents are also commonly captivated by iconic films like “Dirty Dancing” (41%), “Pretty Woman” (39%) and “Titanic” (38%).

(Talker Research)

Still, contemporary favorites like “Fifty Shades of Grey” (33%), “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (25%) and “Magic Mike” (21%) have become new classics, too.

“It’s fascinating to see how classic on-screen moments, from the passionate blindfolded food tasting scene of ‘9 1/2 Weeks’ to modern, boundary-pushing shows like ‘Sex Education’ have clearly cemented themselves in the public imagination, helping to form classic portrayals of intimacy,” said Luka Matutinovic, chief marketing officer at LELO. “These media moments stick with us and serve as an important cultural touchstone for understanding and exploring our desires.”

Half of those surveyed said that music realistically portrays what being intimate is like and 53% said the same about movies — but just 42% feel that TV shows are an accurate portrayal.

When it comes to the big screen, respondents are big fans of romantic moments like watching lovers make eye contact across a room (26%), seeing how playful banter shakes out (25%) and candle-lit room scenes (24%).

Some enjoy the steamier moments that come with shower scenes (28%) and dirty dancing (22%).

Women are more inclined to like watching scenes of playing hard to get (22%), rainstorm scenes (21%) and power play dynamics (21%), while men favor steamy bathroom moments (22%) and risky dialogue (20%).

(Photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels)

The top TV moments respondents have tried out in real life include shower scenes (35%), backseat or car scenes (30%), being quiet to avoid getting caught (29%), playful banter (26%) and making eye contact with someone across a room (26%).

Some of the tropes Americans love to see unfold are well-tread territory like “friends to lovers” (32%), “opposites attract” (25%) and finding your “soulmate” (24%).

Others are interested in some of the more tension-building tropes like “workplace romances” (22%), “no strings attached” relationships (22%) or “mutual attraction with bad timing” (22%).

A third of respondents have even lived out the “friends to lovers” trope, while others have gotten more taboo with their real-life relationships like being part of secret relationships (20%), forbidden romance (19%) and workplace romances (18%).

“It’s clear that a wide spectrum of relationship dynamics exists, from the comforting familiarity of ‘friends to lovers’ to the thrilling intrigue of ‘forbidden romance,’” said Matutinovic. “As a brand that champions sexual wellbeing, we encourage everyone to explore and embrace their authentic desires whenever and however they arise.”

FAVORITE “BEDROOM SONGS”

• “Slow” by Jamie Foxx
• “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
• “Earned It” by The Weeknd
• “Pony” by Ginuwine
• “Birthday Sex” by Jeremih
• “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
• “Adorn” by Miguel
• “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boys II Men
• “Bedroom Boom” by Ying Yang Twins featuring Avant
• “Between the Sheets” by Ron Isley
• “When We” by Tank
• “All of You” by John Legend
• “Between the Sheets” by The Isley Brothers
• “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye
• “Careless Whisper” by George Michael
• “S&M” by Rihanna
• “Redbone” by Childish Gambino
• “Nasty” by Russ
• “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
• “The Moon and the Sky” by Sade

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 sexually active Americans who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by LELO and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Feb. 12 and Feb. 17, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.