Why do people love music?
It's a question that has been baffling scientists for decades: why does something such abstracts as music provokes such consistent emotions? It's possible that our love of music was just an accident. We originally developed emotions to help us navigate dangerous worlds (fear) and social situations (joy). And somehow, the tones and beats of musical composition activate similar areas of the brain.
Robert ZatorreIt may be the case that it happened to evolve, but once it evolved it really became important.
dopamine
Studies have shown that when we listen to music, our brain releases dopamine, which makes us happy. In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, led by Zatorre, researchers found that dopamine delivery is strongest when a piece of music reaches an emotional peak and the listener feels “chills”, the whirlwind feeling of excitement and awe. That might explain why we love music. But it doesn't explain why we developed this flavor in the first place. Typically, our brain releases dopamine during behaviors that are essential for survival (sex or eating). This makes sense, it's an adjustment that encourages us to do more of this behavior. But music isn't essential in the same way.
