The 13 emotions of music

Researchers at UC Berkley have visualised a fascinating map of how people emotionally respond to different music, identifying 13 distinct emotions that music can elicit. And they are (drum roll): Amusement, joy, eroticism, beauty, relaxation, sadness, dreaminess, triumph, anxiety, scariness, annoyance, defiance, and feeling pumped up. The interactive map allows us to explore the musical pieces and see how they evoke emotions for us. It’s also useful if you just need a bit of pump-up to get you going in the morning.

The researchers spread their 2,500 participants across Chinese and US listeners to examine cultural differences: “People from different cultures can agree that a song is angry, but can differ on whether that feeling is positive or negative,” says author Alan Cowen.

Read about it here or jump to the map here.