Music and Mood
One of the things music has a big impact on, is your mood. There is a reason for this, other than the fact that some music just sounds happy. When you listen to music your brain releases dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, often known as a "feel-good" hormone, and it acts as a reward centre and plays a role in many of the functions in our body and mind (e.g. memory, movement, motivation, attention ect.) When we listen to music, dopamine gets released into our bloodstream and creates a sense of pleasure, which makes us feel happy and motivated. This makes us want more of that feeling. Therefore, if music is one of our main sources of dopamine(and happiness), it can actually become addicting. Some people might end up struggling to function without listening to music for longer periods of time.
Music doesn't just make you feel happy, it can also reduce stress. When listening to music the amount of the hormone Cortisol, which is one one of the main stress hormones, in our brain decreases. According to "Progress Brain Research" which considered 44 studies and concluded in 2018, that any genre of music can help reduce stress. However, Dr Danielle Kelvas explained, it is also clear that musical genres can impact what region of the brain is affected the most. It also impacts what chemical balances change the most, for example:
Classical music has been shown to really increase dopamine levels.
Pop music has been shown to increase oxytocin(which is associated with social bonding) and dopamine levels.
Electric music has been shown to increase activity in the brain's reward system
Heavy metal has been shown to increase testosterone and adrenaline levels
Here are links to each genre of music in the list:
Classical - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UN_HbOTTcI
Pop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWz8JYNvTXQ
Electric - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SPSiNavfsM
Heavy metal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epe01Bue9RE&list=PLPTG4itBp-AjLFb3bBtw3ArkXu2IAN9h6
Furthermore, according to Verilymag.com, studies have shown that listening to classical music while driving, especially when stuck in traffic, reduces road rage. Pop music will increase endurance and energy levels, and can therefore get the blood pumping if you're working out, which can make it more fun.
Additionally, it has been shown that people who intentionally listened to upbeat music, which was considered happy, improved their mood in just two weeks, whereas a group of people who listened to music, that wasn't considered happy, didn't have the same boost in their mood.
Even though there is plenty of scientific evidence for how music affects your brain in different ways, it's important to remember that listening to music you enjoy or an artist you're a fan of, will also make you happy. So you shouldn't base all music choices on science because there's a difference in music taste just like there's a difference in what food we like.