9 Mind-Blowing Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Yourself
7. There's A Reason Music Makes You Feel Good
Why does music play such an important role in our lives? The answer is a little chemical called dopamine. Madonna can thank dopamine, Metallica can thank dopamine, and Justin Bieber... cant thank dopamine. Why? When you listen to a song so good it gives you chills, that feeling is dopamine being released by your nerve cells.
Scientists used brain-imaging to study people who consistently get the shivers when listening to a particular music score, and indeed proved the music caused dopamine peaks coupled with emotional arousal. This feel-good neurotransmitter is present alongside every good feeling in life: being in love, eating delicious food, and having sex all release chemicals from the same part of the brain. Dopamine levels are also increased when you take cocaine, so now we know why music is such a drug.