For most of us, music can be the most powerful antidote to stress. But is there a song that will destress you and soothe your soul more than any other song in the world? Apparently, there is.
According to a marketing study conducted by Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson, the most relaxing song in the world is Weightless, by the British band Marconi Union, who produced it in collaboration with sound therapists at the British Academy of Sound Therapy.
The song makes use of many musical principles that have been shown to individually have a calming effect. By combining these elements in the way Marconi Union have has created the perfect relaxing song. The study found this to be the world’s most relaxing song. It contains a sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to around 50. While listening, your heart rate gradually comes to match that beat.
Many songs were tested, but Weightless stood out:
In fact, listening to that one song — “Weightless” — resulted in a striking 65 percent reduction in participants’ overall anxiety, and a 35 percent reduction in their usual physiological resting rates.
Here’s the Spotify playlist of ten of the most relaxing songs from the study:
And if you have nothing else to do, for the next 10 hours, then listen to this 10-hour version of the same song on YouTube:
