Although some fighter pilots like having the option of listening to music, it generally isn’t recommended. With two radios and a lot of tactical information being shared on the frequency by controllers, you can’t afford to miss anything as a fighter pilot in combat. Music can act as a distraction and can be fatal if you cannot focus on the task at hand.
Being a fighter pilot can be dangerous. To even be considered for the tough, lengthy training process that fighter pilots go through, you have to be in the top percentile of healthy, capable bodies. As a result, fighter pilots generally don’t listen to music as the job is so busy and is grueling on the body.
However, there are, of course, exceptions when some fighter pilots do listen to music. For instance, music can be used on longer flights, such as deployments, when fighter pilots need to keep themselves awake.