We don’t know about you, but we’re certainly in the mood for romance and what do we love the most? Music, of course. So we’ve gone ahead and had a look at the inarguable link between love and music.
See, love isn’t only one of the most common sources inspiration for musicians, music taste actually has a pretty big say and who we choose to shack up with. Really, let us prove it…
Music is the most common first date conversation topic
In Message in a ballad: the role of music preferences in interpersonal perception, which examined how we humans use music taste when formulating our perceptions of each other, researchers found that “music was the most common topic in conversations among strangers given the task of getting acquainted”.
Researchers took 60 college students and paired them up for six weeks and asked them to get to know one another. After six weeks, they found that music was the most commonly discussed topic and, most interestingly, as topics like movies, books, and sports fell by the wayside, music remained relevant.
People consider music to be the most intimately revealing of all media
It’s not surprising that we give up talking about books, movies, and sports before music, because for many people, music is considered to be the most intimately revealing of all mediums. Translation: we reckon we can tell more about a person looking through their Spotify history than their bookcase.
“Individuals consider their preferences for music more revealing of their personalities than their preferences for books, clothing, food, movies, and television shows,” the study read, noting that we use music to communication information about ourselves to the outside world.
Music tastes influence how ‘attractive’ you are
In Effects of Associating with Musical Genres on Heterosexual Attraction, researchers found that music taste can actually influence how attractive you are to other people. Not a particular music taste, any taste for music at all.
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The study involved presenting participants with video-dating profiles in which potential suitors gave information about themselves. Each profile was the same save for expressing a love of “classical music, country music, soft rock, or heavy metal”. The control profiles had no music preference stated.
Researchers found that “disclosure of musical preference was found to influence heterosexual attraction as well as the perception and evaluation of pertinent traits”. In other words, maybe chuck in a love for heavy metal in your Tinder profile.
Liking country music makes you ‘less attractive’ no matter your gender
Whatever you do, make sure you don’t mention liking country music. In the same study, researchers found that liking country music makes you less attractive to most potential mates, regardless of whether you’re male or female. They found: “A date’s devotion to country music was found to diminish attraction in respondents of both genders.”
Other musical genres & their attractiveness are gender specific
Researchers also discovered that “fascination with heavy metal rock greatly enhanced the appeal of men, but it proved detrimental to that of women. Adoration of classical music produced the reverse consequences. It tended to facilitate the appeal of women, but to diminish that of men”.
So if you’re a guy looking for a date this Valentine’s Day, get yourself a leather jacket and a Slayer album or two, and women, you might want to look into adding a few more symphonies to your record collection.
Men care more about sharing musical taste with their partner than women
Wait, scratch what we just said, because according to that very same study, it’s men who are more interested in sharing musical taste with their partner. Women, on the other hand, don’t really seem to care all that much.
According to the researchers: “Men were more strongly attracted to women with whom they shared musical tastes than to women with whom they did not. The sharing of musical tastes had only a negligible effect on women’s attraction to men, however.”
A surprising amount of Australians will give up sex for music
According to a study launched by Apple Music and home audio systems supplier Sonos, a large percentage of Aussies would be willing to give up having sex before they give up listening to music.
The study looked at the listening habits of Australians and how they influence their home life and given the choice, sex definitely wins, but only by a whiskey. An incredible 46 percent of Australians said they’d give up sex before music.
Music taste shapes how people see themselves & their romance compatibility
In Values, Functions of Music, and Musical Preferences, researchers found that music taste not only shapes how we perceive those around us, but it actually influences how we see ourselves and therefore how compatible we are with others.
“The value associations of musical styles that appear most consistently across studies and across cultures involve intense styles,” the study reads. “Openness-to-change is positively and conservation is negatively associated with liking styles such as rock and metal.”
“Current study also converged with Boer’s (2009) work in showing positive associations between self-enhancement and preferences for styles such as hip hop and pop, and self-transcendence and preferences for classical music and jazz.”
