Why You Love Music

From Mozart to Metallica--The Emotional Power of Beautiful Sounds

By: John Powell

Narrated by: Phil Fox

A delightful journey through the psychology and science of music, Why You Love Music is the perfect book for anyone who loves a tune.

Music plays a hugely important role in our emotional, intellectual, and even physical lives. It impacts the ways we work, relax, behave, and feel. It can make us smile or cry, it helps us bond with the people around us, and it even has the power to alleviate a range of medical conditions. The songs you love (and hate, and even the ones you feel pretty neutral about) don't just make up the soundtrack to your life -- they actually help to shape it.

In Why You Love Music, scientist and musician John Powell dives deep into decades of psychological and sociological studies in order to answer the question "Why does music affect us so profoundly?" With his relaxed, conversational style, Powell explores all aspects of music psychology, from how music helps babies bond with their mothers to the ways in which music can change the taste of wine or persuade you to spend more in restaurants. Why You Love Music will open your eyes (and ears) to the astounding variety of ways that music impacts the human experience.

Critic reviews

"In this book, Powell does for music what Masters and Johnson did for sex."
—Bernie Krause, PhD, author of The Great Animal Orchestra

"A buffet of insights and oddities."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Powell draws on decades of other people's research, filtered through his own charming sense of humor, to help readers hear music with fresh ears....He delivers a solid case for why, indeed, people love (and need) music."—Publishers Weekly

"WHY YOU LOVE MUSIC is highly amusing and informative, and makes for casual reading of a superior kind."—-Philip Marchand, National Post (Canada)

A bit too in the weeds for me

This books a lot of info. I am a musician, but still, when I think of a non-musician spending time with this listen (Audible), I suspect the average person might think this goes too deep into the rabbit hole on multiple topics. Your enjoyment may differ.

Does not answer why we love music

Lots of enjoyable details but does not answer the primary question of the title so disappointed

Love the topic and psychology

I've always been fascinated with why music can have such a powerful influence over our moods and emotions, and this book directly addresses this issue. Moreover, this book covers how and why music both reflects and drives our culture. There is plenty of psychology behind music's influence on human evolutionary development and behavior. I recommend it to anyone interested in these topics.

Music relating to science

Why we love music: interesting view of how music effects our brain & whole body (dance). I’ve practiced piano & have been in the sciences, too. So, I enjoyed this book. Maybe not for everyone.