By Jane Kuehne -
The Conversation
When you turn on the radio, you hear songs you like and others you simply avoid.
But even those that are not to their liking usually have fans.
Music from other eras may not be your favorite, but your parents or grandparents may love it because they grew up with it.
It is familiar and comfortable to them.
In the future, you'll probably also return to the music you love.
As a music education professor who teaches music psychology classes, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on musical preferences and how music makes its way into people's brains.
[She answered letters by hand, cooked once a year and never made herself wait: this was Celia Cruz in private]
Some composers create music that appeals to multiple generations.
For example, the song
True Colors
, which artists have covered over and over again, was originally released in 1986 by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper.
Ten years later, Epcot, the Disney World theme park, used it as part of a pre-show video.
Ten years after that, it reached our ears again as part of the soundtrack of the movie
Trolls
and if you explore the internet you will find many versions of the song.
How is it possible that so many people have liked this song over time and others haven't?
Why do some people have such different musical tastes, while certain songs can unite people from different backgrounds and generations?
Fans during the concert of American singer Taylor Swift in Inglewood, California. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
Researchers have analyzed how music works in the brain, suggesting that people like music with unexpected twists and turns, which can sometimes provoke pleasurable physical reactions such as chills.
This finding suggests that
humans have created and listened to music over time because
it is pleasurable or rewarding.
Emotions and personality
Some researchers believe that people experience emotions through music or that they choose music based on what they want to feel.
A 2011 study suggested that music preference may reflect the emotions people feel when listening to music, regardless of style.
Some people respond to soft, relaxing music.
For others, classical-style music awakens emotions.
And others react emotionally to singer-songwriter music, such as
country
,
folk
, and some
pop
.
Preferences for certain types or styles of music may be due to the time and place in which they are first heard, or they may be specific to each person, regardless of what is happening around them.
[An imposing statue of Shakira is inaugurated in her homeland]
Although a person likes certain music at one point in their life, their musical preferences change over time based on their experiences.
When he is going through a difficult time, he can choose music that reflects what he would like to happen and look for happy songs.
Other times, he leans toward sad songs.
To overcome grief, he may turn to some services to help him make sense of his emotions.
Although people's choices do not take into account the whole picture.
Musical taste goes beyond type or genre.
Not all pop
or
rock
lovers
share the same tastes.
Studies on personality and interaction on social media indicate that your musical tastes tell others what type of personality you have.
Other research reports that musical preferences reflect your unique personality.
So those who know you might suggest music you might like to listen to.
For example,
those who are more open may prefer soft, sophisticated music
such as the song
What Was I Made For?
by singer-songwriter Billie Eilish or the intense
Natural
by the band Imagine Dragons.
The study found that extroverts are more inclined to listen to contemporary music.
Kind people prefer unpretentious music, like
Never Alone
by Garrett Kato & Elina.
Conscientious people gravitate toward unpretentious or intense music, like
Power
by Marshmello.
Those who are more eager can choose many different musical styles.
Some may prefer music from singers they like, regardless of how they sound.
Some prefer artists they identify with, especially when they can see their profiles on social networks.
Why is it important to know what music others like?
Knowing the musical tastes and personalities of others can shorten distances between people with different ways of being and identities.
The music that people listen to
A study of 765 million songs streamed
by
people around the world revealed different reasons why people listen to music.
Preferences change depending on time of day, age, and musical styles.
Most listened to more relaxing music at night, but more intense during the day.
Music played in Latin America tends to produce faster physical and emotional reactions.
In Asia it used to be relaxing.
Those who go to bed later listen to less intense rhythms.
Depending on where the participants lived, the length of the day also influenced their musical habits.
In short, each person's environment and mood determine their preferences.
So why do we have so many different musical tastes?
People have complex personalities and the music they like could be related.
Some people's brains react in unique ways when processing it, whether or not it causes physical reactions.
Or they prefer a style because the artist's beliefs resemble theirs.
That being said, some songs surprise, intrigue and entertain a variety of listeners, making them universal.
In the end, each person is unique in many ways and their musical taste reflects this.
Jane Kuehne
is a Professor of Music Education at Auburn University in the state of Alabama.