songs you need to hear at study right now

Sadly, it now seems pretty clear that the widely proclaimed “Mozart effect” was a myth almost entirely concocted by the media; listening to one particular composer or genre is highly unlikely to transform your intellectual powers. So if you’ve been force-feeding your ears sonatas in the hope of improving your exam scores, cease and desist! This kind of connection between music and the brain is a tabloid-created fable.

However, psychologist Francis Rauscher, whose research on music and the brain inadvertently prompted the whole “play classical music to your unborn child” craze that the right connection between music and the brain can improve certain cognitive skills (like spatial intelligence) for a short time period (about 10 minutes). She also says the most effective music will vary depending on the person. In short: “If you hate Mozart you’re not going to find a Mozart Effect. If you love Pearl Jam, you’re going to find a Pearl Jam effect.”