60 Amazing And Bizarre Music Facts To Soothe Your Ears

Jimi Hendrix had no musical education and he taught himself to play the guitar. Throughout his career, he didn’t know how to read sheet music.

Singing has been scientifically proven to soothe and raise your mood. However, singing in a group is even more beneficial because it releases hormones like oxytocin that make you feel good and also reduces stress hormones like cortisol.

Reports say British naval officers play the singer’s 'Oops I Did It Again' and 'Baby One More Time' to drive the pirates away from the African eastern coast. As the pirates have a strong dislike towards Western music and culture, they try to move away from the place as fast as they can.

If you hope to build a career in music but don’t know how to read or write music, don’t worry. If the Beatles could do it, so can you! Audiences speculated about this for decades, but in his 2018 interview, Paul McCartney finally admitted that both he and the rest of his bandmates were musically “illiterate” and had no understanding of music theory. Every single melody they wrote just “came to them,” the legendary musician said.

Prince released his debut album For You at the age of 20. In the album notes he is listed as the musician behind all vocals, but besides that, he played 27 musical instruments: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, bass synth, singing bass, fuzz bass, electric piano, acoustic piano, Minimoog, Polymoog, ARP String Ensemble, ARP Pro Soloist, Oberheim Four Voice, clavinet, drums, syndrums, water drums, slapsticks, bongos, congas, finger cymbals, wind chimes, orchestral bells, woodblocks, brush trap, tree bell, hand claps, and finger snaps.

French researchers determined that the music volume level affects the amount of alcohol consumed. Namely, if you listen to loud music, you’re more likely to drink more in less time. The researchers studied 40 males aged 18-25 who drank draft beer in bars by manipulating sound volume and observing the behavior of their study objects. So if you’re not planning on drinking a lot on a night out, maybe avoiding bars with loud music is a good idea.

Cows prefer slow music. A 2001 study conducted at the University of Leicester showed that when cows listen to slow, soothing songs, they produce 3% more milk. The release of oxytocin is essential for cows to produce milk, so slow music helps them relax and increases the level of oxytocin. On the other hand, cows remained indifferent to rap and techno music, showing no changes in the amount of milk produced.

Scottish Heriot-Watt University examined the personalities of over 36,000 music fans from different countries and discovered that the only difference between the lovers of heavy metal and classical music enthusiasts was their age. Other than that, they were virtually the same, displaying creativity, being at ease with themselves, and being introverted.

One of the greatest musicians and composers of the Renaissance era Orlande de Lassus was kidnapped three times during his childhood. The reason behind all three kidnappings was his beautiful singing voice.

Finland is the most metalhead country there is. A Reddit user created a map based on data from the Encyclopedia Metallum. With 42.6 metal bands per 100,000 residents, Finland is truly the home to the largest number of bands in this genre.

There are so many stories around about people leaving their 9 to 5 jobs to pursue a career in the arts, which they dreamt about for their whole life. However, the story goes the other way around as well. James Lilja, the first drummer of the pop-punk band The Offspring, left the band after 3 years. There had been no falling out with the other band members, but Lilja wanted to attend medical school. He later became an obstetrician-gynecologist and gynecologic oncologist.

In 1974 Elvis Presley approached Dolly Parton for the rights to record a cover of her undying hit I Will Always Love You. However, after his manager asked for half of all profits on the song, Parton refused to let Elvis record it.

It is hard to believe, but there are people who don’t feel anything toward music. The University of Barcelona conducted a study in which 5 percent of participants reported not experiencing any emotion or even the desire to tap their feet when listening to music. These were otherwise physically and psychologically healthy young people who enjoyed other things in life but naturally didn’t care for music in any form.

In 2013, Metallica played a concert for 120 scientists and competition winners at Carlini Station in Antarctica. The performance took place in a transparent dome. After that, the band received a new Guinness World Record title as the first musical act to play on all seven continents. In fact, Metallica toured all seven continents in the same year.

In 2016, Mozart sold more CDs than Beyoncé, Adele, and Drake. 2016 marked the 225th anniversary of Mozart’s death, and to commemorate this event, Universal Music Group released a box set containing 200 discs with the great artist’s creations. The thing is that for statistical purposes, each disc was counted separately. But the box set was also a huge hit and, despite its significant price of over $600, practically sold out straight away.

Canada celebrated the country’s 150th anniversary in style. Part of it was a concert that lasted from March 17 to April 5, 2017, and included the Epidemic Music Group. At a length of 453 hours, 54 minutes, and 40 seconds, it was recorded as the world’s longest concert by multiple artists.

If you perform music or have received musical education in any form, chances are you will score higher on the SAT or similar exams. Reports show that music students usually score 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math. They also tend to display higher self-confidence and be good team players and responsible risk-takers, while also being more creative and emotionally developed.

Popular opera singer Leonard Warren died at the age of 40 while performing on stage. On March 4, 1960, he was performing Don Carlo’s part in the opera La Forza Del Destino when right after finishing the third act’s song, he collapsed. While no autopsy was performed, it was assumed that the singer suffered a heart attack. The most disturbing fact is that the lyrics from his last act included the words “to die, a momentous thing.”

We find inspiration everywhere we can. Even if it is your own cat walking on the keys of your instrument. This is exactly what Domenico Scarlatti observed before he got the idea to compose his Fugue in G Minor for a harpsichord. He even nicknamed the piece Cat’s Fugue to honor the cat.

The best-selling album of all time belongs to Michael Jackson. It is his sixth studio album Thriller, which was released in 1982. With an estimate of over 60 million copies sold worldwide, it still keeps the title to this day.