A person’s favorite songs tell a lot about who they are. They give insight into who that person is, where they came from and who they strive to be. VALLEY asked over 60 people to share their top three favorite songs of all time and then compiled a Spotify playlist of all the songs.
While looking at everyone’s favorite songs, there seemed to be a pattern forming. Since most people’s favorite songs correlate to a favorite memory or time in someone’s life, most of the songs said by those over 30 years old were released when they were kids.
Those in the over 30 age group mainly stuck with artists like “The Beatles,” “Bruce Springsteen,” and “The Eagles.” The songs by these and other artists came out around the time when listening to the radio or buying records was popular, so a lot of people have similar favorites.
The other group of people is those under 30. This group tended to stray away from the idea that their favorite songs came out when they were in high school. Instead, their favorite songs lean more towards the same time period as those over 30. “Elton John,” “Fleetwood Mac,” and “Queen,” to name a few.
When looking at these songs it’s quite clear that people in the younger generations still appreciate and love older music. Whether it’s because it was the music they grew up listening to or just because they are old souls, it just goes to show that good music never goes out of style.
There are also more recent favorites, which mostly have the same thing in common. Just about all of the favorite songs that were released in the last 10 years or so are mostly upbeat and fun songs. From “Maggie Rogers,” to “Mac Miller,” and “Khalid” to “Harry Styles,” the majority of these songs can be classified as happy pop songs.
On the topic of genre, one thing does stick out about this list of favorites. Not all are happy songs. About half of them are on the sadder side and known for eliciting a more emotional response. Most people would assume that favorite songs mean happy songs, but that isn’t always the case.
A person’s favorite song isn’t just about who they are, it’s about what they’ve been through and what they carry with them through life. Something emotional isn’t always bad and something upbeat isn’t always good.
Music is a way to make connections. Finding out that a person you barely know, or someone you’ve known all your life shares one of your favorite songs is such an insane chance. So ask those around you what their favorite songs are because every favorite song someone has meant something to them.
