Your Brain on Music

Using your favorite songs to harness your brainpower

By Sarah Delehanty

Graphic by Josie Zevin

According to the National Library of Medicine, “our ability to create and respond to music” is no modern feat—it has been part of our evolution for millennia. Before we found our voices, music was what we used to convey meaning. While we may not rely on it the same way today, music continues to shape our daily lives in ways that go far beyond simple enjoyment. 

Think about the joy of going for a walk or watching your favorite movie. In those moments, your brain releases dopamine, the chemical messenger linked to happiness, motivation and focus. That is why dopamine is perhaps the most critical chemical messenger to music’s effects on the learning process. If we can figure out how to trigger a release of dopamine, we’ll be able to increase productivity and take control of our attention, getting our brains ready for a tough day of classes ahead. Dopamine also plays a role in memory consolidation, or the movement of memories from your short-term to long-term, helping you to remember all that material from your classes.

So, how can we spark this dopamine release? One reliable way is by listening to upbeat music. If you need some inspiration, here is a list of Dr. Jacob Jolij’s top 10 “happiest songs”:

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 Wanna Have Fun” (Cyndi Lauper)

8. “Livin’ on a Prayer “(Jon Bon Jovi)

9. “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor)

10. “Walking on Sunshine” (Katrina and the Waves)

Of course, personal preference matters. If heavy metal isn’t your jam, “Master of Puppets” certainly won’t evoke the same feelings for you as it will a hardcore Metalhead. However, Jolij made a formula based on tempo, key and content to find the happiest songs written, so these should do the trick for most. Listening to music from our formative years will also trigger a dopamine release, so jam out to some 1D or maybe even some of Disney Channel’s biggest hits on your way to class to get ready to learn if nothing on this list fits your style.

The benefits don’t stop in the classroom. Music is also a powerful workout tool. In sports with repetitive movements like biking or running, studies have shown that playing a song (that suits your pace) allows the athlete to use the beat as a guide. In these repetitive sports, syncing your steps or pedals to a song’s beat can be motivating and satisfying, helping you push through fatigue. When you listen to your favorite music during a workout, it can serve as a distraction from exhaustion and pain. This will allow you to delay fatigue and have heightened endurance.

Music and its ties to our psychology and biology have infinite implications. Music with a slow tempo (around 60-80 beats per minute) can reduce stress hormones, synchronize with your heartbeat and prepare your body for sleep. Music can even act as a behavioral cue: if you play the same song every time you clean your room, your brain will start associating that track with tidying up.  I just have to recommend you pick a song you’re unlikely to hear on the radio…