A scientific formula by music psychologist Michael Bonshor, PhD, claims that The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations is the song that makes people the happiest. According to this theory, the 1996 single meets all the requirements that, according to the expert, are necessary for the song to please almost everyone.
According to a survey conducted by One Poll on the British population, the following singles are next in line: I Got You, by James Brown; House of Fun, by Madness; Get the Party Started, by P!nk; Uptown Girl, by Billy Joel; Sun is Shining, by Bob Marley; I Get Around, by The Beach Boys; YMCA, by Village People; Waterloo, by ABBA; and, September, by Earth, Wind & Fire.
What does it take to create the happiest song in the world?
According to Dr. Bonshor, the following characteristics are what it takes to make the world’s happiest song: a major key, seven chords, 137 beats per minute, a strong rhythm, a four-beat meter and a verse-chorus-stanza-stanza-chorus structure. This was explained by the music expert himself in a press release published by the website Studyfinds where he detailed other aspects that collaborated to create the perfect formula:
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. 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.’ Alongside this, cheery songs usually have a strong 1-2-1-2 beat to them, so that you can dance along – and a short introduction means the song kicks off with a bang straight away, and there’s not a long build up. We like high volume when it comes to how our happy songs are made, with notes played in a bright and bouncy way by instruments such as trumpets or electric guitars instead of mellower instruments. Finally, a repetitive rhythm or guitar riff that people can latch onto and becomes memorable is the cherry on the cake.
Music is ideal to improve one’s state of mind
The One Poll survey also uncovered other revealing details about the impact of music among the Brits polled. Of these, 46% said that singing their favorite songs is an excellent way to improve their mood. Interestingly, the vast majority of the people who acknowledged having a melody that cheered them up shared another characteristic: all of these people had about eight songs that cheered them up.
Furthermore, of that percentage surveyed, six out of ten (58%) said that these songs were feel good tunes. The same percentage recognized that singing them when they are in a bad mood puts a smile on their face by bringing back good memories. In addition, 38% said that their favorite happy songs were released during their teenage years.
