Why Your Playlist Might Be Your Friend Group’s Greatest Hits

    At the end of a successful choir practice on a Thursday evening, one of my friends had just offered me an earbud, the global sign for “girl, you have to hear this”. I didn’t recognize the song, as I usually don’t, but I nodded to the beat anyway. It was catchy enough, and had the kind of chorus that felt familiar, even though I didn’t know the singer and hadn’t heard the lyrics before. Maybe it was the way my friend closed her eyes and smiled when she played it. Maybe it was the way I went home, gave it a listen, and was singing the melody by the next week. That moment stuck with me because of how it made me feel like I belonged.

    According to researchers Greasley and Lamont, musical taste isn’t just about personal preference. It's shaped by our social environment, especially our peer groups (Greasley & Lamont). When we surround ourselves with people who listen to a certain genre, we’re more likely to appreciate it. And if we link that music to sweet moments, memories, or friendships, it sticks.

    I used to think my taste in music was totally unique with artists and genres spiraling all over my playlist. In closer speculation, I saw traces of my best friend’s love for Taylor Swift, my cousin’s obsession with trending music on social media, and even my brother's love for John Williams. It was about the people in the end, not the songs. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that while personality traits do influence musical preferences, social factors like peer influence play a major role across cultures (Greenberg et al.). This is proof that our playlist is usually a summary of the people we hang out with.

    However, that doesn’t mean we’re copying each other. Even with assistance from friends, music is unique, and we filter it through our own experiences. I might love a song my friend introduced me to, but I’ll connect with it individually. Maybe the lyrics remind me of a moment they never knew about, or the beat matches my mood on a Monday evening.

    Now, when I scroll through my playlist, I see so many friendships. Each song is a memory, a conversation, a laugh, a tear. And while I still have personal favorites I’ve grown up with, I know that my taste has been shaped by the people I care about, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a reminder that music connects us, teaches us, and helps us grow.

Sources:

- Greasley, A., & Lamont, A. (2016). Musical preferences. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M. Thaut (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 263–281). Oxford University Press.

- Greenberg, D. M., Wride, S. J., Snowden, D. A., Spathis, D., Potter, J., & Rentfrow, P. J. (2022). Universals and variations in musical preferences: A study of preferential reactions to Western music in 53 countries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 122(2), 286–309.