How hot weather helps determine which songs top the charts
YOU can’t beat dance music in the summer — because hot weather makes us happy and energetic.
Researchers found that loud, high-tempo tunes boost our heady vibes.
But the same ditties become a bit of a damp squib on dreary days.
Music buff Dr Manuel Anglada-Tort, who headed an Oxford University study of UK singles charts from 1953 to 2019, put the difference down to “mood regulation”.
He said: “Warm and sunny weather induces positive emotional states in listeners, which influence them to listen to energetic and positive music.
“A song’s fit with the weather may be a factor pushing it to the top of the charts.”
The study, in journal Royal Society Open Science, analysed more than 20,000 songs and compared chart positions with Met Office records.
“Hyper-popular” danceable songs saw a huge lift in plays and sales in good weather.
Sadder and slower ones showed steadier popularity year-round.
Dr Anglada-Tort said it could be a UK phenomenon, with sun-starved Brits more excited by heatwaves than those used to warmer climes.
He added that in dry climates “high temperatures and sunshine may not be perceived positively”.