Why do people find everlasting love at music events? We’re not talking short term hook-ups, we’re talking about the real deal.

You know those couples that met whilst dancing to Le Galaxie in the fleeting summer light of a festival? The ones that end up having babies together, like the little man in the image below, and then bring them back to future gigs. This post will explore why music is a key ingredient to finding true love.

We surveyed people that are hitched from Ireland and the UK with the goal of learning how many of them met at a gig. We learned that roughly 19% of our respondents met the love of their life at a music gig.

Apparently rock lovers are the most amorous of the bunch, as the majority of couples met at a gig with loud guitars.

Surprisingly folk and punk fans have something in common…they don’t tend to pull (much). You can see the the detailed breakdown below:

After attractiveness, the most important element that drew our surveyed couples together was having a similar taste in music. As Eoin Creegan, head promoter of Bodytonic notes, ‘you’re more likely to meet like-minded people at a gig or festival as you’d share mutual interests therefore it’s a closer connection.’

We wanted to delve further into this. s there a formula that can be gleaned from all these music lovers? We think there is.

1. Darwin saw music as a sexual aid

In Charles Darwin’s Descent of Man, he argued that music evolved by sexual selection. He saw music as a ‘courtship device’ to help with procreating. He probably would have endorsed Barry White then.

2. Music makes you feel good

The majority of people listen to music to feel good. And while we don’t need scientists to tell us this, there is a study conducted by Juslin et al that revealed the most common emotions that music evokes were calm-contentment, happiness and interest.

3. You are your music – so choose wisely

For example if you’re a die-hard fan of the Vengaboys then you are projecting a certain image to potential suitors such as hyper and a lover of transport – specifically buses! Your odds of finding love at a gig are slim so you would be advised to expand your musical taste.

Recent studies focus on the subject of shared interest, as Grace McAleese of The Wright Venue already recognises. ‘I think lots of couples find love at music events because it’s a very sociable gathering and with music added to the mix, they are sharing an interest which helps!’

According to Peter J. Renfrow, ‘individuals seek musical environments that reinforce and reflect aspects of their personalities, attitudes, and emotions. Music serves as a symbolic representation of self and that individuals derive a sense of identity from the music they listen to.‘

4. Music is a conversation ice-breaker

If you go to a dating site, one of the selection questions is what music do you like. Music is intrinsically tied to your history and your value system.

On Spotify or Soundcloud (as well as many other sites) you can make your music preferences public, which is showing the world who you perceive yourself to be.

Backing this theory up is a study by Rentfrow and Gosling (2006), where they looked at the conversations between people online who first met six weeks prior.

Out of all the topics discussed music was the most popular. From the point of view of finding love, this reinforces that music is a surefire way to reveal who you are and to get an idea about who your prospective partner is. It helps you learn whether your worldviews match.

5. Country Music Fans Are Not Feeling the Love

Zillmann and Bhatia (1989) conducted a study where they played videos of people to participants and they varied the background music which led to the following findings:

• People that listen to country music are perceived as less attractive.
• Women that listen to classical music are perceived to be more attractive and sophisticated than women who like heavy metal music, (who were seen as less attractive and rebellious).

But don’t worry – if you listen to country (or heavy metal), then good for you! Don’t despair that you will never find love – you will, 11.49% of our survey have!

The key learning from all these studies is that your taste in music is a powerful part of who you are and how you see others.

Going to a gig of your favourite artist is an excellent way for you to find the love of your life (especially if you love rock and drum & bass).

Why not learn more about love and learn how to woo a crowd to your event on Valentines Day. Click here, or feel free to fill out the form below.

References

Juslin, P. N., & Vastfjall, D. (2008). Emotional responses to music: The need to consider underlying mechanisms. Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Peter J. Rentfrow. (2012) The Role of Music in Everyday Life: Current Directions in the Social Psychology of Music.

Zillmann, D., & Bhatia, A. (1989). Effects of associating with musical genres on attraction.

OnePulse survey of 500 people in Ireland and the UK.

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