Third of Brits have turned to music to help them through the pandemic

The average adult will listen to almost 10 hours of music a week – often to pull themselves out of a bad mood.

A study of 2,000 Brits conducted by ibis hotels found almost a third of people have turned to music to help them through the pandemic.

More than half (55%) admit listening to particular songs improves their mood dramatically, with 37% creating different playlists depending on how they feel. A fifth (20%) have listened to particular songs to help them feel connected to people of places during the pandemic.

54% of Brits have particular songs to cheer themselves up when feeling sad or fed-up, 51% of which have admitted to playing them more in recent times. On average adults put music on twice a week specifically to get themselves out of a grump.

The research was commissioned by ibis hotels, which is creating a playlist of songs which have helped people through the pandemic and an uplifting playlist as we, hopefully, return to ‘normal’ life.

James Wheatcroft, a spokesperson for ibis said: “So much of our mood can be affected by music – it can take us back to special memories, make us feel close to someone half the world away and pick us up when we feel sad of stressed. So as we come out of the pandemic, out of lockdowns, we wanted to create a playlist to celebrate the return to normal life, and another to honour the role music has played during Covid times. It’s a thank you to music!”

27% claim songs helped them get through the pandemic and more than a quarter (26%) said music has been more important to them than ever during this time. 16% of Brits polled say they have listen to songs to remind them of people who have sadly passed away.

Six in ten Brits (59%) have certain tracks which evoke memories and two thirds of people admit music has brought them to tears.

The study also found the pandemic had an impact on listening habits, making a tenth of people more experimental with what they’ve listened to. The research showed radio is making a come back, with one in five (20%) listening to the radio more than before the pandemic. Music consumption was up across the board with almost a fifth (16%) streaming more music than ever before. As we emerge from lockdowns and Covid restrictions, three in ten people are looking forward to seeing live music again.

Rock is the second most popular music genre to listen to when happy, pop being the most popular happy mood music with 44% listening to pop music when in a good mood.

James added: “The research proves what an impact music has on moods and how music has helped keep us connected to people during the pandemic. Two thirds of people admit music has brought them to tears and 16% listen to songs to remind them of people who have passed away. Music is powerful, it unites people, it keeps people connected to places and memories and it has been more important than ever in the last 18 months.

“While live music was off limits, it’s nice to see people experimented with different genres and even listened to more music than normal to be reminded of better times or feel connected with others.”

ibis is collating a music playlist that has kept us connected to people and places during the pandemic and songs that lift us up as we emerge from these challenging times. ibis is known for its passion for live music, offering guests playlists curated for every mood and access to exclusive gigs with up-and-coming musicians.