Feeling a little weary, depressed, sad? You’re not alone. It’s Blue Monday, the “most depressing day of the year.” Research shows that this the third Monday in January is heavy with the blues. People have either failed to keep their new year’s resolutions or never started them, the holidays are over, spring is a long way off. It’s part of the human cycle.
Fortunately research also gives us an antidote — though science can’t yet un-eat that cheeseburger you vowed wouldn’t be part of your 2016 diet. Music is a mood shifter and you can use it to shift yours. We think a little Bob Marley always does the trick, but that’s not scientific. But this is: last year the Dutch neuroscientist Dr. Jacob Jolij came up with a list of the ten most “feel-good” songs in the world according to rhythm, tempo, key and other factors. Here they are. Have a happy blue Monday! (Spotify Playlist below)
- Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)
- Dancing Queen (Abba)
- Good Vibrations (the Beach Boys)
- Uptown Girl (Billy Joel) — um, Dr. Jolij, you okay?
- Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
- I’m a Believer (the Monkees)
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
- Livin’ on a Prayer (Jon Bon Jovi)
- I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
- Walkin’ on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves)
