Why Do We Like Certain Types Of Music?
Different people like different types of music. People could spend hours telling you why they like a certain song… maybe it’s that awesome guitar solo or the fast beat, or maybe it was played a lot when they were a child.
But why do we like certain types of music?
Sound is processed by the auditory system. Sound waves are filtered by the ear when music is played, and processing begins based on the frequency. The cochlea (the hearing part of the inner ear) then encodes the pitch, and the auditory pathways send that information to the auditory cortex in the brain.
Multiple areas of the brain are activated when we listen to music.
The auditory cortex breaks down what we’re hearing in terms of pitch and volume
The amygdala (a collection of cells near the base of the brain) processes emotions
The mesolimbic system (a pathway in the brain) deals with pleasure response and neurotransmitters like dopamine (one of the feel-good chemicals)
MRI scans of people listening to music showed significant activity in these areas when specific songs were played, indicating the strong link between music, memory, emotions, and the urge to dance!
Some people love heavy bass in music, others don’t. Some theories state that as age progresses, humans like to listen to music with less bass. This could be because, with age, the body tends to become weak. The resonance caused by low-frequency sounds is no longer comforting after a certain level.
The type of music we like also depends on the type of thinker we are. In a study led by Cambridge University researcher David Greenberg, a connection was found between brain thinking styles and musical preferences. The results were broken down into 3 main types:
Empathizers or Type E - who focus on people’s thoughts and emotions (tended to like low energy songs with emotional depth, including sad songs, and genres like soft rock and singer-songwriters)
Systemizers or Type S - who focus on rules and systems (tended to display a broader range of preferences than either of the other types)
Balanced or Type B - who focus equally on both areas (tended to prefer more intense and structured music like heavy metal — or classical music in the avant-garde vein)
Which type are you?
David Greenberg said:
‘We are seeking music that reflects who we are, so that includes personality, that includes the way we think, and it may even be the way our brain is wired.’
Our mood can also determine the type of music we listen to. Think about Spotify playlists; there’s one for every mood!
A side note for music makers out there:
Because of the specific ways music can make people feel, it’s much easier for streaming playlist curators to pick out which song works best for which playlist if a song sticks to and encapsulates a very specific mood. This doesn’t mean changing the way you write just to please curators, but it’s worth considering if getting your song on a particular playlist is one of your goals.
Mood states are closely related to personality, so people’s musical preferences can actually provide a small window into someone’s deeper self. Music is also attached to memories, and pop music is often the type of music that evokes memories from earlier on in our lives. This is because pop music was generally played in the background, whether we selected it or not (radio, supermarkets, bars, clubs, etc).
And that’s why we like different types of music.
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