Music snobs of the world unite: we’ve been right all along. A recent study out of Los Angeles shows that compatibility can be based on musical taste – proving that those years of discriminating against someone because of their obsession with Nickelback haven’t necessarily been in vain.
The research duo of North and Hargraves have claimed that “music functions as a ‘badge'”, which people use not only to judge others with (hello, trademark behaviour), but also as a way of expressing themselves. Meaning? That teen that listens to rock ‘n roll isn’t just doing it for the guitar riffs – it’s further testimony to his affinity for rebellion and societal change. And your love of Britney? Evidently, you’re commenting on gender roles and conformity. (Cue: repeats of “Baby One More Time”.)
But get this: not only does your relationship’s outcome rely on having similar musical tastes (the study proved that men are more into women who share their favourite artists), but specific genres have other adverse effects.
If you’re a country aficionado, bad news: not only are women who like country less attractive to the opposite sex, the same rules apply to men who are fans of the genre as well. Guys that like heavy metal and rock are considered more attractive to women, while ladies who like classical music are considered more appealing. (Though men who like classical music have the adverse effect.)
But based on music, women are generally less judgemental: while sharing similar music taste was generally imperative to men, women were relatively lukewarm when it came to boasting a love of the same, with shared favourites a “negligible factor” in the study, and making some of us look a little more accommodating. (“Some” being the key word here.)
