Anya Mullen – Opinions Editor

We all love music. But why do we love some songs more than others? I’m not asking that question from a scientific or musical standpoint. I’m sure there’s something about neural pathways and their connection to music, but I’m asking about personal connections or feelings toward music.

I was thinking about it after the wonderful BU Charity Fashion Show, because so many of the songs chosen this year were absolute bangers from the 2000s. The student show crowd always brings the energy, but I wondered: would the spectators be as invested in the show if they didn’t know any of the songs? I mean, who am I kidding? Of course they would. But it didn’t hurt that so many of the songs can be so strongly associated with a time when we were young and carefree and danced to all of these songs before we even understood their lyrics. When songs like Yeah! and Rock That Body start playing, we have such strong nostalgia for our elementary school dances.

Image courtesy of Anya Mullen

The same thing can go for songs that were already old when we were born. I’m taking a class here at BU about the history of rock music, and some of the songs that get played in class take me right back to my childhood living room, listening to music with my Dad. There are so many songs that will never get old to me and that I’ll never forget, simply because I was brought up listening to them. I don’t even remember a time when I didn’t know them by heart. My parents definitely gave me a head start on this particular course.

So I guess the point I’m trying to make is that maybe we don’t like songs because they are masterpieces, but because of the associations we have with them. I (along with everyone else at BU) will always associate Desire by Ian Asher with Winterfest 2026. I’ll always associate Chelsea Morning by Joni Mitchell with my mom and Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty with my dad.

So next time you take a look at your playlist, think about where you found specific songs. When did you first hear them? Who showed them to you? Do they evoke certain feelings for you when they come on?

Music has had many different roles throughout human history. It can be for celebration, dancing, worship or to evoke emotions. With all the music in the world readily available, it’s the soundtrack to our lives. The average person listens to multiple hours of music per day. 

But our favourite songs: are they our favourites because they are perfect musical masterpieces, or are they our favourite songs because of how they make us feel and remember? I put on Believe by Nikki Yanofsky before the gold medal game last weekend, and that was some of the strongest nostalgia I’d ever felt.