Why are some songs popular? Guess what – psychologists actually know a lot of the answers. In this episode we’ll listen to excerpts from Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah, as well as Noisestorm’s Ignite, Adele’s Someone Like You, the Enterprise Theme from Star Trek, and even two pieces of music from the motion picture Koyaanisqatsi. We’ll especially deconstruct Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to figure out why it is such a popular song. Many thanks to musician extraordinaire – Steve Kessler.





Key Points

Humans are pattern seekers (see this episode on Gestalt Principles of Perception and we seek patterns in what we see and what we hear

(see this episode on Gestalt Principles of Perception and we seek patterns in what we see and what we hear The Mere Exposure effect : if you hear anything enough times (or meet anyone enough times), they “grow on you”, i.e., liking increases with familiarity)

: if you hear anything enough times (or meet anyone enough times), they “grow on you”, i.e., liking increases with familiarity) We find repetition in music across cultures

One segment of a song serves as a cue to the next sebment, allowing us to know what’s coming next (we even come to predict what what song will come next if we listen to the same sequence of songs over and over again)

to the next sebment, allowing us to know what’s coming next (we even come to predict what what song will come next if we listen to the same sequence of songs over and over again) “Repetition invites us into music as participants ” – watch the video below which summarizes Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis’ research

” – watch the video below which summarizes Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis’ research The Psychology of Music: The Role of Expectations and Minor Chords

One of my listeners, Hilary, told me about this YouTube clip which perfectly captures the idea of the Mere Exposure effect when it comes to songs:

when it comes to songs:





Music Featured in this Episode

Ignite by NoiseStorem

Hallelujah by Rufus Wainright

Star Trek theme by Jerry Goldsmith

Excerpts from Koyannisqatsi by Philip Glass

Theme from the movie Jurassic Park by John Williams











