We all have songs that make us feel good. We all have that one song that just puts us in a good mood no matter what else might be happening in life. It just awakens something in us and sends those sweet endorphins flowing through our bodies. It’s almost magical.

But according to a new batch of research, there’s a very precise formula for what makes a feel-good track. A cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Groningen in Holland has even discovered the number one feel-good track of all time.

As Sky News reports, Dr Jacob Jolij has come up with a scientific formula to list the top uplifting sounds and as a result, Queen’s 1978 hit ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ has now been named as the number one feel-good song ever.

According to Dr Jolij’s research, the Queen classic has just the right tempo, lyrics, and is played in a musical key identified as producing a happy feeling. The same formula was applied to 126 songs from the past 50 years, with feedback sourced from music lovers.

“A feel good song is very personal,” Dr Jolij told Yahoo News. “Music is intimately linked with memory and emotion, and these associations strongly determine whether a song will put you in a good mood or not.”

“However, there are some key criteria for composers to consider when creating feel good songs: namely lyrical theme, musical key, and tempo. Holiday-themed lyrics naturally remind us of happy times, while a major third musical key sounds happy to our ears and something we associate with confidence.”

“A high tempo of 150 beats per minute also subconsciously triggers a sense of energy. Combine these three ingredients together and you have the formula for the perfect ‘feel-good’ song.” Check out the top 10 feel-good songs of all time below.

Top 10 Feel-Good Songs

1. Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)

2. Dancing Queen (Abba)

3. Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys)

4. Uptown Girl (Billie Joel)

5. Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)

6. I’m a Believer (The Monkeys)

7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)

8. Livin’ on a Prayer (Jon Bon Jovi)

9. I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)

10. Walking on Sunshine (Katrina The Waves)

Top Feel-Good Songs By Decade

2010s: Happy (Pharrell Williams)

2000s: Dancing in the Moonlight (Toploader)

1990s: Let Me Entertain You (Robbie Williams)

1980s: Uptown Girl (Billy Joel)

1970s: Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)

1960s: Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys)

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