A Dutch neurologist, Dr. Jacob Jolij, collaborated in 2015 with a British electronics brand to study melody to understand which are the songs that cause the most happiness in people. Jolij noted (via Inc. Magazine) that musical taste is subjective, so it was strange for him to research songs that evoke happiness. However in his study he asked a group of people to present examples of their favorite songs, which made them feel good, to understand the characteristics found in songs that promote smile and happiness.
Dr. Jolij found that the happiest tunes are those that are slightly faster than the average, written on a key, related to happy events or are totally meaningless. He combined these factors into a single formula and searched for hits that matched the "happy song" pattern. The list goes on:
10. Walking on Sunshine (Katrina & The Waves)
9. I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
8. Livin' on a Prayer (Jon Bon Jovi)
7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
6. I'm a Believer (The Monkees)
5. Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
4. Uptown Girl (Billie Joel)
3. Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys)
2. Dancing Queen (Abba)
1. Don't Stop Me Now (Queen)
