In 2011, a British band joined forces with a group of sound therapists to create “The Most Relaxing Tune Ever”. Yet since 2011 the world has somehow become more stressed out, strung-up, and on edge. It’s about time we revisited some of those more tranquilizing numbers.
Can Music Really Help Us Relax?
Since classical antiquity, when Apollo was the God of Music, people have held that music has the power to penetrate the soul. That its powers stretch further than the mere ability to vibrate our eardrums. That music can actually heal our mind, body, and soul.
Whether or not you take this view, there’s no denying that music has a powerful ability to shape our environment. It’s the subtle chord changes, the tempo, the rhythm, and the harmonies. This is what affects the emotions, performance, and even purchase intentions of ourselves and those around us.
- A study from the 1990s showed that the “mood” of the music we listened to influenced our perceptions of others.
- A study from 2002 showed that arithmetic performance in primary school pupils could be improved by playing calming music. More aggressive music had a negative impact on performance.
- A study from 1998 showed that listening to grunge music increased levels of hostility, sadness, and tension. “New Age” music had varying results. “Designer Music” (music engineered for specific reactions) could improve mental clarity, caring, and relaxation.
The idea that music can be designed to evoke specific reactions is what’s fascinating here. Take the sessions that produced the “Most Relaxing Tune Ever”. The aim was to create a song to induce a serenity and calmness in people that surpassed anything else out there. The result was Weightless by Manchester Trio, Marconi Union…
1. Marconi Union – Weightless
According to Shortlist, this song is “even more relaxing than a massage, walk, or cup of tea”. The engineering behind the song was drawn from scientific theory to slow breathing and reduce mental activity. Its strategic bass-lines, rhythms, and harmonies work to induce a biting sleepiness. Enough sleepiness, in fact, for motorists to be warned not to listen to the song while driving. As reported in The Telegraph:
“Studies found Weightless was 11 per cent more relaxing than any other song and even made many of the women ‘drowsy’ in the lab … It induced a 65 per cent reduction in overall anxiety and brought them to a level 35 per cent lower than their usual resting rates.”
After around five minutes of listening to a song, your heart starts to match the beat of the music, or is at least heavily influenced by that beat. This is called “entrainment”, and explains why Weightless (YouTube, Spotify) starts at 60 beats per minute, later slowing to 50 beats per minute. This lowered heart rate naturally leads to a fall in blood pressure and eases anxiety.
Founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, Liz Cooper, goes on to explain:
“The harmonic intervals – or gaps between notes – have been chosen to create a feeling of euphoria and comfort. And there is no repeating melody, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are no longer trying to predict what is coming next … Instead, there are random chimes, which helps to induce a deeper sense of relaxation. The final element is the low, whooshing sounds and hums that are like buddhist chants [that] put you in a trance-like state.”
If you’re curating your own Relaxation playlist, you should keep all of that in mind. Enough of the science though. The vast majority of listeners to Weightless concur in their view as to its calming influence. After listening to it myself while having a lie down, I’ll admit struggling to climb back out of bed at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
All is not uniform in the public opinion department, however. Despite Time Magazine dubbing the song “8 min. 10 sec. of aural bliss,” some people don’t succumb to its charms. This may be due to different wiring, or simply because the sample size of the study wasn’t enough to draw a universal conclusion.
So if Weightless just isn’t doing it for you, try one of these other relaxing songs that were included in the study. There’s bound to be one that can soothe and calm those wrecked nerves of yours Enter Deep Relaxation With Dark Atmospheric Ambient & Drone Sounds [Sound Sunday] Enter Deep Relaxation With Dark Atmospheric Ambient & Drone Sounds [Sound Sunday] Drown out the noise and allow your mind to sink into itself with this edition of music you can download for free, aka Sound Sunday. Read More . The following are the remaining nine songs of the Top 10, with Marcuni Union’s Weightless coming in at Number 1. Most of these will be available to listen to on Spotify (see our write-up Music Streaming With Spotify: What You Get For Free Music Streaming With Spotify: What You Get For Free The long awaited streaming music service, Spotify landed in the U.S. last week. Unlike other streaming services, however, Spotify offers an ad-supported free option, which makes millions of albums and songs available to you through... Read More ) or Apple Music (see our write-up Getting Started With Apple Music — What You Need to Know Getting Started With Apple Music — What You Need to Know After the purchase of Beats last year, Apple has finally unleashed its streaming music service upon the world. Read More ).
2. Airstream – Electra
Sit back and alleviate your mind with Airstream’s 6 minutes of perfect chillout. Some viewers suggest playing the music at 0.5 speed (Settings > Speed > 0.5) for added meditative qualities, though there’s a lot to be said for listening at 2x speed.
3. DJ Shah – Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix)
This tune from DJ Shah’s Chill Out Mix appeared in Vsauce’s most relaxing music playlist. Unfortunately, the beat is slightly faster than most people’s resting heart-rate, so you’re unlikely to experience entrainment. However, you’ll almost certainly sink deep into your mattress.
4. Enya – Watermark
Enjoyed by almost 20 million listeners on YouTube alone, Enya truly managed to strike a chord with this release. As YouTube user MissDistarr60 put it: “We can live tens of thousands of miles apart, yet this music has the same affect on each and every one of us. It touches the emotions that we all share.”
5. Coldplay – Strawberry Swing
In terms of music videos, they don’t come much more entertaining than this one. Yet on top of this, the soft instrumentals and whispered vocals massage your nerves, and (surprisingly for this band) lift your mood like few other songs out there. Good work, Coldplay.
6. Barcelona – Please Don’t Go
This truly powerful song, for some, serves more to churn the emotions than to act as a relaxant. But its steady, placid chords and poignant sting instrumentals add elements that are sure to evoke either tears of sadness, or previously unknown depths of sleep.
Listen on YouTube.
7. All Saints – Pure Shores
A strange addition to the list, but nonetheless, Pure Shores does indeed offer a chillout vibe that you may previously have overlooked. Turn the lights out, insert your earphones, and hear it for yourself. Just don’t blame me if you end up dancing like it’s the year 2000 all over again.
8. Adele- Someone Like You
Few need an introduction to Adele’s iconic Someone Like You. Viewed by well over 500 million people on YouTube, it’s a song that the artist can live off for the remainder of her life. Yet it’s not necessarily the incredible vocals or touching lyrics that are to thank for its ubiquity; it’s science.
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Someone Like You is “sprinkled with ornamental notes similar to appoggiaturas”, which build tension in the audience and illicit strong emotional responses.
9. Mozart – Canzonetta Sull’aria
The only classical song in the list, Mozart’s Canzonetta Sull’aria is recognizable to many due to its appearance in The Shawshank Redemption. Originally from the opera Marriage of Figaro, it’s sure to add a beautiful end to any stressful period.
10. Cafe Del Mar – We Can Fly
Imagine you’re sat on a beach as the wistful instrumentals of We Can Fly jet you off to some far-flung destination. Reminiscent of bygone travel shows, Cafe Del Mar have perfected the feel of some much-needed downtime with this one.
Listen on YouTube.
Which Songs Help You Relax?
Of course, there are plenty of other songs that are as equally relaxing as some of those in the study. These will usually incorporate some, or all, of the calming features that were identified in Weightless. Here are a few more to add to your list:
- Enya – Carribean Blue
- Mogwai- Take Me Somewhere Nice
- Massive Attack – Teardrop
- Radiohead – High and Dry
- Pink Floyd – Learning to Fly
So if you’re looking for calming ways to destress your mind 10 Calming Apps to Destress & Clear Your Mind 10 Calming Apps to Destress & Clear Your Mind You are not alone if you have you ever felt stuck in your thoughts? Like you're trudging and not able to make any headway. Calming, thought-organizing apps can rescue the mind. Read More , or easy ways to fall asleep faster 3 Relaxation Techniques to Help You Sleep Better 3 Relaxation Techniques to Help You Sleep Better Sometimes it takes too long to fall asleep. Technology can help us sleep better with some help from better sleep habits. Try these suggestions to shut off your brain. Read More , these songs will be a welcome addition to your repertoire. It’s hopefully a better alternative than using white noise for serenity 3 White Noise Apps To Help You Sleep, Concentrate & Relax 3 White Noise Apps To Help You Sleep, Concentrate & Relax If you're trying to sleep or work and an incessant background noise won't let up, these apps will help. Read More .
Which songs have a tranquilizing effect on you? And what do you think it is that makes them so effective at reducing your anxiety?
Image Credits: laying on the bench by Marjan Apostolovic via Shutterstock
The 1975 are my go-to to chill. Paris, FallingForYou, Robbers, and Change of Heart come to mind.
The More Things Change by Machine Head.
Most relaxing song ever.
Try Vallis Alps - Young
Pendulum man from Bark Psychosis, and I Know from the same band, Hammock's sleepover series volumen 1 & 2, the entire Bordeaux album from harold budd & robin guthrie, brian eno's lux album and reflection.. And many others like 1979 deru.
it really works......
amazing...!!!! thank you
Brian Eno's Airport music. I played a version at half speed I found on YouTube while I was going into surgery. It's amazingly calming
I didn't find the Marconi Union track calming at all. I found it tense, thick and busy sonically. Stressful!
Give me "Headphone commute" by Fingers in the Noise - Drone Journey any day of the week.
Or some stuff by Deepchord.
Or Chad Lawson.
where is hey you - pink floyd?
Good call!
I find a song called Zabadak to be very relaxing and positive . The 1967 "top of the pops" version on youtube is good . I heard the song for the first time in my life a few days ago
Checking it out now, Peter! :)
House of cards is the best relaxing song by radio head
That's a good call! Haven't heard that song for a LONG time!
Out of My League by Stephen Speaks
?_?
with the exception of the mozart, no music = way more relaxing than the rest of this garbage
Fair enough :)
I pulled them into a playlist together on google music. In case anyone else finds it useful:
https://play.google.com/music/playlist/AMaBXyn5Em03qZugTHVsrGIJ4YXbJ23zO5plzp7Nq_o10hZeaef2_Y2YCC21wXcJ8yH2KIwtjxw2ssa5AsM7EJd-n1Rhrs8Wlg==
Thanks Dorianne!
We believe that music obsession serves as a surrogate for lack of human bonds. Songs can pierce the heart directly; it needs no mediation. Weekly Chillout mixtapes uploaded each and every Wednesday. Hear us on MySpace!
glut.it
Nice pitch.
You should add M83- Outro to the list.
I'll give it a listen!
For some reason, these (like all so-called "relaxation" tracks) not only fail to relax me, but provoke a very strong and visceral feeling of anxiety in me. Very strong sensation of my skin crawling and my blood running cold. I figure this is as good a place as any to ask what the hell is up with that.
No idea what's up with it, but I'm still twitchy and jumpy ten minutes after listening to only half of weightless...
I have no idea! Perhaps you're already too relax for these songs to have the desired effect? ;)
I agree! Most of these 10 songs are grating and annoying, imho. Which leads me to think that the scientists did not have a large enough sample size. The following are some of what make me truly relaxed. I would imagine science would back me up on this (yet since it only really matters to me, who cares- I'm satisfied).
Some of the brilliant pioneers in this genre:
Eno/Budd (?The Pearl?, ?An Arc Of Doves?),
Brian Eno (?Thursday Afternoon?, ? An Ending (Ascent)?,
Harold Budd ?(Juno, Avalon Sutra / As Long As I Can Hold My Breath?),
Tangerine Dream (Phaedra),
Tetsu Inoue (Ambiant Otaku)
much of Bill Laswell/Material (Eternal Drift?)
Or these masters, as well: Ry Cooder and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (A Meeting by the River), Aphex Twin (Btoum-Roumada, Avril 14, Kesson Daslef), even Yann Tiersen ?(Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi?, ?Sur le fil?).
Don't know why my comment had all those weird ???s?
It's not that. I mean, it's not my kind of music, but honestly I don't mind it that much. It's just the reaction they provoke gives me the willies.
Listened to the music you provided. It provoked the same reaction, but to a much lesser extent.
Play 3&9 together!! Brilliant
haha. Strange combo :)
Like Your Brain :x
The album "And their refinement of the decline" by Stars of the lid is extraordinarily good. :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et_lDyRymrw
Will check it out!
There's Band of Horses as well.
Going to listen to it now, thanks Karan!
i like this piano music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cbFJWXu1ow
Ordinary Love - Sade
or most anything by Sade
Also, Drowndeep by Maxwell....or check out his album Embrya
Good call!
Elevator Beat - Nancy Wilson
Love it!
Oh, and Space Oddity is really great.
I second that!
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is good too. Well, at least for me it is.
REAL BULLSSHIT SONG :| MY GRANDMA MAY LIKE IT :|
Shahryar, you know, you can make a point without being a dick.
Dude, great list.. except you forgot all the good songs. I guess it just goes to show what one can throw up on a blog and call it a website. Ignorance yay!
By the way, check out Ishome. All her songs are amazing, but I would recommend Adam, Kent Tavr and Earth.
I didn't create the list. Science did.
@Simon, you know, you can make a point without being a cunt.
Check out the album "Young Mountain" by This Will Destroy You. It is easily the most relaxing album front to back that I've ever heard. Any album of theirs is great, but start there.
I'll give it a listen, thanks Kevin!
If I Be Wrong by Wolf Larsen is one of the most calming songs ever. Very peaceful melody, slow and soft- plus his voice is very soothing. The message of the song itself also embraces peace of mind and "letting go"
Good shout!
Loved it. She sings beautifully :)
Gabriella Quevedo picking Hotel California, Dream On or Goodbye Blue Sky.
Goodbye Blue Sky is a very good call!
alina baraz-fantasy cannot be missed here
Will give it a listen! Thanks :)
The Sextet from Cloud Atlas
Going to listen tonight!
check out catherine wheel -the nude or fripp - they have bunch of relaxing songs. kate bush -hello earth, under ice, Vangelis bladerunner love theme, enya the celts, loreena mckennitt
Will do, thanks!
Great article, thanks for writing it and the recommendations. A few here to add to my collection. I have a few that do the trick for me:
1. E.S. Posthumus
2. Andreas Vollenweider, especially White Winds
3. The soundtracks to The Thin Red Line (one of my favorite), Gladiator and The Pacific
4. The music of Ludwig Senfl
Thanks again
Thanks a lot for the recommendations, Tom!
Big Eyes,
Blue velvet, and
Carmen by Lana del Rey are all relaxing to me. Also Eyes on fire by blue foundation??
Kudos for Lana del Rey!
"Waking Up" by "Explosions In The Sky" is a really soothing piece guitar music you guys can try, it was also featured in the film "Lone Survivor".
https://soundcloud.com/sama-khan-1/waking-up-explosion-in-the-sky
Great share, thanks Pritam!
finally after 100 suggestions , something really peacefull ..
i dont know how the gain relaxation by dark metal bands :))
thanks Pritam
finally after 100 suggestions , heard something real peacefull ..
I dont know how they gain relaxation with dark metal bands :))
THanks By The Way
Pritam :x
mind are not relax in your music please get new idea?
Did you try the recommendations in the comments?
Check out The Japanese House
Will do!
..comfortably numb .. must listen most relaxibg song evr
Agreed!
Hatchet To The Head by Cannibal Corpse!
Listening soon!
Rameses B definitely helps me relax
I'll give it a listen!
This is a really great compilation. Thanks for such great suggestions.
Piano compositions almost always work wonders for me.
I found this one especially useful - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIAKehWOX8.
Even Ed Shereen's songs (like One, A-team, Kiss me, Photograph) are great.
Thank you! :)
For me, it's "Judy Don't You Worry" by Sarah Cracknell from the CD "Kelly's Locker"... in fact, the whole CD relaxes me and makes me feel better.
I'm adding this to my "to listen" list, that's growing very long due to this article ;)
This whole comment section has some great suggestions which I'm now off to explore on YouTube. Thanks for the article, Rob. You brought us together with music. Works every time!!
Thank you, Eva!
One of my favourite chill-out tracks is 'I remember' by DeadMau5, feels like the tempo is just right, gentle beats, soft airy female vocals and great reverberation effect. It is certainly far better than the All Saints and Adele choices in this so called top 10 proven by science list.
I found Adele to be a strange choice here. It has an emotion aspect to it, but I wouldn't necessarily call it 'relaxing'.
I get the idea that these songs are supposed be 'chill out' and relaxing.
What if you don't like any of the music, can it then be considered relaxing?
All these songs are the musical equivalent of choking to death on incense smoke while being massaged by a beardy man radiating BO, dressed in a tie-dyed shirt and force-feeding you tofu and seaweed.
Finding music that speaks to your soul while relaxing you, is a very personal journey. These are just suggestions, so start exploring YouTube and good luck.
Not so much a song, but an album. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells. A classic in any ones eyes.
All I can say to this suggestion is, YES
The Grateful Dead. 'Nuff said.
Debatable ;)
To each his own.
Bron-Yr-Aur by Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelins album 'Physical Graffiti'. A lovely acoustic guitar piece, it's only 2 minutes, but put it on a loop and it's wonderful.
I forgot about this song for years! Thanks for reminding me!
Fleetwood Mac - Albatross, the perfect relaxation b4 going to sleep
I'll give it a try!
great one...here's a great cover by Aussie guitarist Dave Hole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erGO1rsEVOI
That's amazing!
You're welcome Rob. Google the name and see the beautiful cabin I Wales which inspired Jimmy to write the tune. Also, listen to the acoustic version of White Summer; another one of his gentle masterpieces. Too many people think that Jimmy was all about nothing but power chords, but his music encompasses a lot of folk, country & blues too. Listen to 'Going to California' 'Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp' & 'That's The Way' - all from the 1975 Earl's Court acoustic set and see what I mean. It's on YouTube.
I'd add Erik Satie - Gymnopédie No.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Xm7s9eGxU
DonGeteley - me too! Satie is very meditative and relaxing.
Claire De Lune and Arabesque by Debussy. Arabesque was featured at the end of one of the Oceans movies as the boys hang out in front of the Bellagio. All ambient sound is cut, and just that song plays. Love that scene.
To be honest, almost anything by Debussy could be on this list.
To me, these selections (Weightless, etc.) are more droning than relaxing. What works for me? A simple gurgling brook or a gentle wind passing through a pine forest. Sure, we can't all access a brook or a pine forest at a moment's notice, but then, I'd pick the sound of silence over a synthesizer any day. Thank you.
With the right app, you could. Try the White Noise app (for Android) and see if you find any sounds you like.
True. As mentioned in the article, there are several apps that can provide these ambient sounds, if that's what your looking for. For iOS, I use NatureSounds.
Gregorian chanting is also relaxing. Especially if you use quality headphones, or have a Bose sound setup, where you can feel the low tones vibrating you to your core. It's like a full body massage with musical overtones.
I find some buddhist chants to be incredble. Especially when intertwined with som quality percussion.
I agree. Which is why I can't stand some kinds of heavy metal (Metallica, Megadeth, they're just depressing) and rap (Eminem, who can't seem to get over the fact that he chose his career over his family, the whiny "git"; Jay-Z, who thinks he's the HOVA [Jehova] of rap.)
Fur Elise by Beethoven, Bittersweet symphony by the verve ,tera chehra by adnan sami etc :)
Love "Für Elise" !
Ah yes! One of the first songs I ever learned on piano :)
Pretty much any New Age or mellow ambient music of which there are beaucoup.
Many of the more 'mediocre' songs in this industry sound too much alike for me to be able to appreciate properly. I think searching for the best in the genre is definitely worth the payoff.
six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach , especially the version performed by Yo-Yo Ma
I second this!
Yo-Yo Ma is da Man! I love his rendition of 'The Swan'. I play it on my violin often. It's very beautiful & relaxing.
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
I wouldn't rate it as one of the most relaxing songs ever. Definitely one of the best, though.
While it's not necessarily relaxing, it's probably the best song on all of the 9 Zep albums. It's another one of Jimmys creations using weird guitar tuning (DADGAD) to create mystic ambiance. I love everything about it: Jimmys' power chords & Jonesies' keyboards. Bonzos' drums - absolutely brilliant!
I especially like James Taylor. His concerts, playing in the background, combined with sex, are the best a guy can put on in the background to help with the seduction of a new girlfriend in bed! Trust me, I know this for a fact. He makes a girl think of nothing but love.
haha. I'll take your word for that.
Haha! How about Ravelvs Bolero? It's 14 minutes & 23 seconds long, and it builds in volume and tension and increases in tempo as it approaches the end. With perfect timing, you'll finish at the same time as the music. It's perfect! ÷)
Enya is always a safe bet when it comes to relaxing music for me.
Very true!
Nothing relaxes me more than silent hill 1 theme.
Beethoven!
Jeff Beck - Where Were You
Yes - Awaken
I've never heard either of these. I'll give them a listen!
Jeff Beck was in the Yardbirds with Jimmy Page, and they have collaborated on several works. Try 'Becks Bolero' which they absolutely shine on; both of them. It's on the album 'Truth' by Jeff. Rod Stewart sings on it, and the whole thing is just wonderful.
Stranger on the Shore by Acker Bilk
The Theme from the Godfather
The Theme from Franco Zefirelli's Romeo and Juliet
The theme from The Godfather is an amazing call!
And, speaking of wind, just for a goof, search YouTube for 'Loz's Magnificent 7-Tone Fart Symphony'. Hilarious!
Every time I hear Stranger on the Shore, I get whole-body shivers when the clarinet hits that L-O-W note at the beginning. It amazes me that a clarinet can sound like two entirely different woodwinds in the upper & lower registers. Oh! That reminds me: Mozarts Serenade for (13) Winds. Hypnotic...