Science Says These Songs Are Guaranteed to Make You Happy!

I am no neuroscientist, but I know a little about music. It is a proven fact that that music and happiness are linked intimately. Science also shows happiness will actually make your brain work better. Now, neuroscience has come up with the ultimate list of tunes to make you happy.

Note: I have to tip my hat to my old radio pal, Johnny Molson for this. He featured this on: Mike and Molson – The Podcast.

Back in 2015, a music-loving Dutch neurologist did us all a favor. He figured out what makes for the most mood-boosting tunes. The reason for the study came from an unusual source: the British electronic brand Alba. Apparently, they wanted to know what made for a happy song. They reached out to Dr. Jacob Jolij for the answer.

The first thing that Dr. Jolij reminds us is that taste in music is subjective. You may not like what I do and vice versa. “Music appreciation is highly personal and strongly depends on social context, and personal associations. In that respect, the idea of a ‘feel good formula’ is a bit odd,” he commented.

There is something that you can do that can help find the answer. He asked the listening public to submit examples of their favorite feel good tracks. Those tracks were then analyzed for patterns to reveal what characteristics are generally associated with smile-inducing songs. After the analysis, he compiled a list.

He found that the happiest tunes are slightly faster than your average song. They will be between 140 and 150 beats per minute on average. They will also be written in a major key, and either about happy events or complete nonsense. Dr. Jolij combined these factors into a formula for the happiest songs possible. With hat formula, he went searching for existing hits that matched his template.