137-Does Music Make You Happy

Put on your dancing shoes for this episode, because we've got some happy songs coming your way.  

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and I’m curious, does music make you happy?

 

My friend Michelle, who knows how much I am obsessed with happiness, shared with me an article, which I’ll link in the show notes, about music for happiness. 

 

 

Before we dive into this fascinating article, this is your invitation to share with me your happiness finds! There is a good chance, I’ll even share it here on the podcast. How cool is that! 

 

So, back to this article.  It says: 

 

“It’s hard to listen to Katrina and the Waves's “Walking on Sunshine” without feeling a little like you’re actually walking on sunshine. And ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” is bound to turn you into one for roughly 3.5 minutes. According to Baltimore radio station Mix 106.5, this isn’t surprising—those tunes are two of the most uplifting songs ever to grace the airwaves.”

 

There is a Dutch neuroscientist, Jacob Jolij, who looked at some pretty unscientific data, but data nonetheless, that the happy songs, that make you really feel something, “their average tempo was between 140 and 150 beats per minute, which is a couple dozen beats faster than the average pop song.”    And, the majority of the songs were played in the major key (vs the minor key for us not musically inclined).  And lastly, Jolij found the lyrics to be of either happy themes or no theme at all, like complete nonsense.   

 

So, do you want to know what songs from the 2016 un-scientific research are happy songs?  

 

Well, today is your lucky day. You can get the entire list in the transcript. 

 

1. “DON’T STOP ME NOW” // QUEEN
2. “DANCING QUEEN” // ABBA
3. “GOOD VIBRATIONS” // THE BEACH BOYS
4. “UPTOWN GIRL” // BILLY JOEL
5. “EYE OF THE TIGER” // SURVIVOR
6. “I’M A BELIEVER” // THE MONKEES
7. “GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN” // CYNDI LAUPER
8. “LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER” // BON JOVI
9. “I WILL SURVIVE” // GLORIA GAYNOR
10. “WALKING ON SUNSHINE” // KATRINA AND THE WAVES

 

So, if you are feeling a little sluggish, perhaps this list of songs can help.  I’m so curious, what is your happy song.  I need to know!  Send me a message on social or tag me in a post.  We’re over @everydayhappinesswithkatie.

 

Inspired by this article in Mental Floss.  

 

 

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