Music has been lauded a salve to the soul and an element to unify groups of people, but it can also be quite beneficial to manufacturing inspiration when writing a story. I can't be the only one here who uses mellow music to get the creative juices flowing, so why not share some of your greatest inspirational hits here? I'll start:

Rise Up- Ben Lee
Delicate- Damien Rice
To Build a Home- Patrick Watson
The Last Man- The Fountain soundtrack
Duet- Rachel Yamagata & Ray Lamontagne
Winter Song- Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
Blood Bank- Bon Iver
Passing Afternoon- Iron & Wine
Bethena (Scott Joplin cover)- Alexandre Desplat
Clair de Lune- Debussey
Vienna- Billy Joel
Jealous Guy- John Lennon

Share your most inspirational music here! Perhaps it will help get someone back on track from writer's block .

I don't really know if my inspirational songs will help anyone but me, but...I'll share!

-"Over My Head (Cable car)" by Fray (or my favorite, cover by A Day to Remember)
-"You're Gonna Go Far Kid" by The Offspring
-"Dead Lover's Lane" by HIM
-"Some Might Say" by Oasis
-"You Picked Me" by A Fine Frenzy
-"Almost Lover" by " "

As soon as I read the title of this thread, my mind jumped to three of the songs you mentioned, Rabid. To Build a Home, Delicate and Clair de Lune. Then it jumped to A Fine Frenzy, mentioned by Pux.

"Bella," by Angus and Julia Stone
"A Sunday Smile," by Beirut
"Brick," by Ben Folds Five
"Lua" and "Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh," by Bright Eyes
"Sparks," by Coldplay
"9 Crimes", "Accidental Babies", "Sleep Don't Weep" and "Amie" by Damien Rice. In fact, just Damien Rice in general.
A Fine Frenzy
"Cinder and Smoke," by Iron and Wine
The album "On a Clear Night" by Missy Higgins
Every album by The National
Patrick Watson
"Braille," by Regina Spektor
All of Sufjan Stevens

Depends on my mood, and the story itself. Lot's of the times the songs involve the character's thoughts, or mine.

I guess when it comes down to it lately, I've either had The Fray's new CD repeating on my iPod, or a mix of Taylor Swift songs.

"You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift
"Wine Red" - the Hush Sound
"Eh, Eh [Nothing Else I Can Say]" - Lady GaGa

(I know I have extremely differing tastes, from indie rock to country to pop-rock. I listen to whatever pleases me at whatever time I feel.)

Note: all songs below, I only understand minimal Japanese, it's really the music, the rhythm, the notes, that get to me... I have included a small translation. If I can ignore the voice and just listen to the music, I can at least instantly tell the emotions within the song.) I have also noticed, that Japanese music has a lot of background emotion, moreso than the English songs that I listen to, like Taylor Swift, because that is focused primarily on voice rather than music. Although I have to admit that I like the sound of a banjo. This songs have given me a lot of ideas; you should try it too! *silly advertisment voice*

"Seishuun ii Janai Ka" (Ain't Youth Great?!) - Matsuoka Yuki
"Megassa Koukishin" (Megas [Tons of] Curiosity) - Matsuoka Yuki
"Toki no Puzzle" (The Puzzle of Time) - Goto Yuko
"Mitsukete Happy Life" (To Find a Happy Life) - Goto Yuko
"fixed mind" - Shiratori Yuri

I can't list any songs in particular, but I can say that it is my collection of anime theme songs that inspire me. If I had to choose, I'd say my Haruhi Suzumiya songs inspire me most, especially the ones sung by Goto Yuko (Mikuru Asahina)

Oh, I don't have a list per se, But I do have favorite artists including Breaking Benjamin, Versailles, Lareine, Gackt, Anberlin, Muse, and Death Cab for Cutie. They work well together :-)

Serene Dream by Kidney Thieves - Everytime i listen to this song i wish i could make sim movies.

Also Bear McCreary's soundtrack for BSG, some wonderfull music, especially his cover of 'All Along The Watchtower' and the 'Roslin and Adama' track -which tends to make people cry when they hear it!