Music has a huge influence over the way we feel and some songs just get to us emotionally. The right tune can help us shake off bad breakup vibes, or pump us up for a night out or motivate us for a sweat sesh, even when we’re not feeling it. But when you need a song to take you from “meh” to amazing, consider this the ultimate pick-me-up: Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
The track is scientifically proven to make us feel more upbeat, according to researchers with the University of Missouri. Neuroscientist Jacob Jolij came up with a formula for happiness by analyzing 126 songs from a 50-year period. He had 2,000 British folks pick their faves and then studied the beats per minute, theme, key, and lyrics from the top choices. And that Queen song was mentioned by close to two-thirds of those surveyed.
Jolij says that the pattern was very clear for what makes a great pick-me-up song. He explains that the average tempo of a “feel good” song was a lot higher than the average pop song. The list of feel-good songs had an average tempo of around 140 to 150 beats per minute, compared to the average pop song’s 118 beats per minute. So now we know what to play when we need a boost.
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