The UK division of a German yogurt company has come up with what it claims is the perfect piece of happy music.
“The Lighter Note,” produced by Jamie P and Oliver Price, uses a formula proven to induce happiness, according to Müller Yogurt & Desserts.
It relied upon the research of Dr. Michael Bonshor, who teaches Music Psychology at the University of Sheffield in England. He believes the ideal happy song combines a major key, 7th chords, 137 beats-per-minute, four strong beats in every bar and a verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure. A short intro, repeated riffs and a bright tone also help.
“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,” he explained, in a release. “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.”
Bonshor added that notes played in “a bright and bouncy way by instruments such as trumpets or electric guitars” are also key.
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The Beach Boys’ 1966 classic “Good Vibrations” tops Bonshor’s list of happy songs, followed by “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown, “House of Fun” by Madness, “Get the Party Started” by P!nk and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl.”
He also recommends “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.
Müller commissioned a poll of 2,000 adults in the UK to find out which songs make them happy. The top songs named were “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen and “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.
Not surprisingly, “Happy” by Pharrell Williams was also a popular choice.
Take a listen to Müller’s “The Lighter Note” below: