Listening to holiday music puts some people in a good mood this time of year, but a music expert has created the world’s happiest Christmas car playlist that’s “guaranteed” to make everyone happy. Music psychologist Dr. Claire Renfrew has analyzed hours and hours of music to find the perfect songs to lift spirits, according to science.
Her research discovered the scientific formula for a dopamine-boosting track is the combination of being in a major key, having bright and energetic vocals, being between 100 and 140 beats per minute, and having a catchy chorus.
- Dr. Renfrew was commissioned to create the “World’s Happiest Christmas Car Playlist” by Fiat.
- She discovered that the tune that scientifically “hits all the right notes” is Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
- Using her scientific formula, Renfrew created a 25-track playlist of the top mood-boosting Christmas songs, ranked in order of which ones fit the formula best.
- "It's important all the songs 'work' together because the playlist you have can make or break your drive home for Christmas,” she explains, adding that the songs “can have a surprisingly positive impact on us psychologically.”
- According to a survey of 2-thousand adults who celebrate Christmas, 48% say holiday songs make them feel happy and 45% say they help them tap into nostalgia.
- While “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is number one, based on science, nearly half (45%) say Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the Christmas song that makes them most happy.
The Top 10 Happiest Christmas Songs, According to Science
(Check out the full list of 25 here)
- “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” – Brenda Lee
- “Feliz Navidad” – José Feliciano
- “Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Helms
- “Holly Jolly Christmas” – Michael Bublé
- “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” – Wizzard
- “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” – Andy Williams
- “Sleigh Ride” – Harry Connick, Jr.
- “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” – The Jackson 5
- “Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul McCartney
- “Underneath the Tree” – Kelly Clarkson
Source: Talking Points