Mom loved him. You love him. Prince performing in 1985. Ron Wolfson/Landov hide caption
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Ron Wolfson/Landov
Mom loved him. You love him. Prince performing in 1985.
Ron Wolfson/Landov
Way back in the 1980s, were you the one playing "When Doves Cry" over and over? Well, don't be surprised if your kids wind up doing the same thing.
Young adults have strong positive memories of the music their parents loved when they were the same age, a study finds. That flies in the face of the cultural stereotype that children reject their parents' taste in music.
Participants in a study on musical memory didn't just say they remembered and loved the music that was popular in the early '80s, when their parents were young. They also loved the music of the '60s, which their grandparents may have been blasting while changing Mom's diapers. And the 20-year-olds of today liked the older songs as much as the new stuff they listen to with peers.
For real? "They would hear this music and say, 'Oh yeah, that's my parents' music,' with obvious fondness," says Carol Lynne Krumhansl, the psychology professor at Cornell University who led the study. The study was published online in the journal Psychological Science.
The scientists had been testing musical memory in an earlier study, and were surprised to find that college-age participants could identify older pop and rock songs just as quickly as the new stuff. Even more surprising, they liked the older stuff more. So the researchers decided to try to nail down what was happening, using clips from hits off Billboard lists from 1955 to 2009.
Top hits 1980-1984 from the study: can you name them?
More than 60 student volunteers (average age 20) listened to short clips of the top two pop and rock songs for each year. The researchers quizzed them on which songs they recognized, how much they liked them and their emotional responses. They were also asked if they had memories associated with the songs and if those memories were from listening with parents, alone, or with others.
Earlier research has found that the music heard in late adolescence and early adulthood has the most impact and staying power through a person's life. So the researchers figured that today's 20-year-olds would be all about Rihanna and the Black Eyed Peas. Not so.
"We didn't have any idea" that young adults had strong personal memories of the music of the early 1980s, Krumhansl told Shots. She and her colleague, Justin Adam Zupnick of the University of California, Santa Cruz, were even more surprised to see the second "reminiscence bump" in emotion and memory for top hits from 1965 to 1969.
Young people have strong memories of music they heard growing up, especially the stuff their parents listened to when they were 20. Carol Lynne Krumhansl hide caption
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Carol Lynne Krumhansl
The connection to parents' music isn't entirely surprising. Music plays a central role in child rearing, both in the songs children are taught at home and in school and in those heard more informally as part of the home environment. The songs parents choose to listen to reflect their taste, their values, their era.
Music is a powerful cue for retrieving strong personal memories — when you kissed that girl at summer camp; the blue polka-dot dress you wore to prom; how lonely you were freshman year.
And the human brain remembers music with extraordinary detail, unlike spoken words, in which people remember just the gist. After hearing less than a second of a song, people can "come up with the title and the artist," Krumhansl says. "They know the emotional content. They know the style."
The 1960s music may evoke strong memories in 20-somethings because of the quality, Krumhansl speculates. We are talking about The Beatles here. But the top pop songs of that era used in the study also included "The Ballad of the Green Berets," "To Sir with Love" and "Sugar Sugar," so maybe it's not just that.
Krumhansl thought the students might have memories of 60s music because it lives on as classic rock. But it turned out their memories came not from current listening, but from hearing it when they were younger.
Technology may also be a factor. The introduction of cassette tapes in the 1960s made music more ubiquitous, and the same tapes were played long after that decade ended. (Props to you parents still hanging on to those mixtapes.)
Next, Krumhansl wants to find out if other generations have the same experiences with emotional memory and music, and try to trace influences back through multiple generations. She's launching a Web-based survey that covers 100 years of pop hits, and welcomes public participation; check it out here.
And maybe play "Bette Davis Eyes" (No. 1 hit, 1981) while you do.
FAQs
Does music affect children's behavior? Yes, exposure to music will influence your child's behavior, but perhaps not how you think, because the style of the music may not matter. Exposure to music strengthens the corpus callosum, the tissue that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.
Why do kids like music so much? ›
And, music helps to set a mood. Quiet, soothing music calms and relaxes children, while a lively marching tune rouses them for energetic clean‐up time. Music and movement are also social activities that help children feel part of the group.
Does playing music help kids? ›
Listening to and creating music helps children learn numeracy, literacy and emotional skills. Incorporating music into routines and play in the early years has a positive influence on your child's early development. It can get them moving, thinking and inspire creativity.
How does music have a negative impact on youth? ›
Music and Substance Use
Certain genres of music may end up glorifying or promoting substance use through its lyrics. Research from 2016 suggests that listening to rap music is positively associated with problematic alcohol and drug use and even aggressive behaviours among teenagers.
What are the disadvantages of music for children? ›
However, research shows that music can also induce harmful effects, particularly when it comes to rumination. When a person dwells on negative thinking or feelings, it can contribute to the development of depression and anxiety or worsen existing conditions.
Does music affect autism? ›
Music therapy helps individuals with ASD identify and appropriately express their emotions. Because music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain, it can stimulate cognitive functioning and may be used for remediation of some speech/language skills.
Can kids listen to too much music? ›
Music is not usually a danger for a teenager whose life is balanced and healthy. If a teenager is constantly listening to music that has destructive themes, it is important to explore if their identity is too involved in the music or its themes. Platforms such as TikTok have a large focus on music and dance challenges.
How does music affect the brain for kids? ›
Music may expose the child to challenges and multi-sensory experiences which enhance learning abilities and encourage cognitive development. In particular, music can also engage cognitive functions, such as planning, working memory, inhibition, and flexibility. These functions are known as executive functions (EF).
How does music help children emotionally? ›
It helps them process and express their feelings, which can be empowering. Through music, children can find solace, release pent-up emotions, and gain a sense of control over their emotions. This emotional resilience and self-understanding contribute positively to their overall self-esteem and self-confidence.
Are kids who play music smarter? ›
Music makes you smarter
Studies show that early music training strengthens the executive functions of the brain - the parts responsible for problem solving, making good choices, processing complex information, and regulating behaviors. Young musicians perform better in core school subjects like math and science.
Learning music teaches children to work towards short-term goals, develop routine and practice self-discipline. Setting aside regular time for practice develops commitment and patience. Mastering a new piece of music leads to a sense of pride and achievement, and helps children to learn the value of self-discipline.
What age is good for music? ›
From ages 4 to 7 most children's hands and minds are able to function to play an instrument and begin to learn the basics about music. Music can be a wonderful hobby for your children, and it can help them begin to learn commitment through the process of practice and weekly sessions.
Can music be a bad influence on kids? ›
Researchers have suggested that exposure to violent music lyrics has been linked to emotional and behavioral problems, including aggression, substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and suicide. One study found a relationship between violent song lyrics and an increase in aggressive thoughts and feelings of hostility.
What are the damaging effects of music? ›
There are studies that show, however, that music can impact our mood long-term, increasing depression or anxiety. Certain songs, certain lyrics, certain genres of music are more likely to intensify depression or anxiety, sometimes as much or more as outside stressors and environmental factors.
Is music positive or negative? ›
While music can uplift and soothe, it also has the potential to evoke sadness, melancholy, or distress, particularly if the lyrics or melodies resonate with personal experiences of loss, heartbreak, or trauma.
What are the behavioral effects of music? ›
How Does Music Affect Behavior? Music can affect behavior by being a motivator, a timer for completing tasks or a mood enhancer. It may also impact our shopping habits. Music is used in advertising to encourage brand recognition and create familiarity and positive association with various products.
Does music influence bad behavior? ›
Researchers have suggested that exposure to violent music lyrics has been linked to emotional and behavioral problems, including aggression, substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and suicide. One study found a relationship between violent song lyrics and an increase in aggressive thoughts and feelings of hostility.
How does music therapy affect children? ›
How can music therapy help children? Music can help a child express themselves in a non-verbal way that can be less threatening than responding with words, helping them gain personal insight that is crucial when recovering from surgery or illness.
