Recent studies found that when we listen to our favorite music it can release dopamine in the nucleus structure which is the older part of our brain. Usually, dopamine is released with biological rewards like eating delicious foods or having sex. It can also be released while we are taking very powerful and addictive drugs like cocaine and amphetamines.
When we enjoy the peak emotional moments in a song it seeps dopamine at the other part of the brain which is known as caudate nucleus. The caudate nucleus is involved in the anticipation of pleasure. It is assumed that the anticipatory pleasure can come from the familiarity of the song. You may have some memory of the song you enjoyed in the past which is embedded in your brain. Sometimes you anticipate the high points about the songs that are coming. This pairing process of anticipation and pleasure is really a wonderful combination to promote happiness.
Even when we listen to a new song and enjoy it a lot, it can release dopamine too. It can increase the interaction among our brain nuclear. It enhances our memory as well as emotional processing. So unfamiliar music is searching for recognizable patterns to make predictions about where the song is heading. If the song is too unfamiliar, it will be hard for us to anticipate the song’s structure. As a result, it cannot make us happy and no dopamine release at this moment. But if any music has some recognized features like the familiar beat or melodic structure we can anticipate a song’s emotional peak and can enjoy it more. The release of dopamine ultimately can make us happy.
It is something like riding a roller coaster. Although you know what is going to happen, you can still be pleasantly surprised and enjoy it. The combination of anticipation and intense emotional release of music might be the major factor that promotes people to love music. However, different people have a diverse taste of music. One’s taste in music basically depends on the variety of musical sounds and patterns one heard and stored in one’s brain over the course of a lifetime. The rhythmic structures and the melody of a pop song are fairly predictable. For this reason, pop songs are very popular worldwide.
Usually, people listen to the same song over and over and still enjoy it. The emotional power of a song can make a song so intense that it can be re-stimulated even years later. You would actually feel the emotions while you are listening to your favorite music.