When you are having a bad day and need a pick me up from the happiest songs, do you have a certain go-to one that is guaranteed to instantly make your day better?
Dr. Michael Bonshor, PhD in Music Psychology and a university professor, surveyed 2000 adults with a goal of finding and making a list of the happiest songs.
“Previous studies have found songs are perceived as happy if they are in a major key, with a sweet spot of approximately 137 beats per minute,” Dr. Bonshor said. “We like ‘7th chords’ as they add interest; regular chords use three notes, whereas ‘7th chords’ add an extra note which provides a sense of musical ‘tension’ and ‘relief.’”
Dr. Bonshor found that the songs that made the list were upbeat and easy to dance to. The songs also made the listener smile and reminded them of good memories. Also, nearly 60% of those surveyed chose songs from their teenage years.
To read the entire survey, click here.
Below you will find the first 5 of the happiest 10 songs of the survey. It should be noted that a similar study done in 2020, didn’t have Good Vibrations anywhere near the top. Fascinating how musical moods and cultural impacts change everything.
