Taste in music as we get older: Why favorite songs become fewer

Taste in music as we get older: Why favorite songs become fewer

In the world of music, listening habits have changed dramatically over the years. A recent study published on the Association for Computing Machinery portal sheds light on this change and shows that the number of favorite songs decreases with age. Loud Radio Bielefeld examined research on 40,000 music fans over a 15-year period. It was noticeable that teenagers in particular share a large number of common favorite songs, while older people get by with significantly fewer favorite songs.

An interesting aspect of the study is that older people are less likely to discover new artists. Alan Said, professor of computer science at the University of Gothenburg and co-author of the study, explains that the musical spectrum narrows with age, while younger people listen to a broader repertoire of current pop music and follow trends. Especially in adolescence and early adulthood, many people open their ears to new things, while later nostalgic effects often lead to a return to the music of their own youth.

The influence of age on musical taste

Younger listeners want a mix of modern hits and older gems, while middle-aged people often look for a balance between the new and the familiar. Older users tend to be presented with offers with nostalgic content. This is also reflected in the changes in music consumption in recent years MIZ dachstelle: The time people spend with traditional radio has decreased dramatically - from 9 hours and 23 minutes in the summer of 2018 to just 7 hours and 11 minutes in the summer of 2021.

In contrast, online radio consumption increased significantly from 1 hour and 38 minutes to 2 hours and 33 minutes. Usage of paid music streaming services also increased by 20% and now stands at 2 hours and 36 minutes per week. Regardless of these modern trends, the music of yesteryear remains essential for many older listeners, which makes the development of tailor-made recommendations for different age groups all the more important.

Nostalgia as the soundtrack of life

Nostalgia plays an essential role in the musical tastes of older generations. Their favorite music from their youth is often still perceived as the “soundtrack of life”. As the MDR study shows, two distinctive features become clear in the music behavior of older listeners: On the one hand, they prefer to listen to well-known songs instead of discovering new music; on the other hand, they stick to a certain style of music.

The study results also show that education has an influence on musical taste. People with higher levels of education and artistic training tend to maintain broader musical tastes even as they age. Remarkably, previous studies at Cambridge University found that musical tastes change over the course of life: as a young adult, one reveals oneself musically diverse, while this richness narrows later in life.

Overall, these findings make it clear that our approach to music is subject to constant change over the years. From shared favorite songs in youth to nostalgic memories in old age, the love of music remains an integral part of our lives, although the way we consume and appreciate it continues to change.