Daylight savings ends: do our listening habits change as the days go darker and our clocks go back?

• Daylight savings comes to an end in the United Kingdom on Sunday October 27
• As our clocks “fall back” though there seems to be another change at this time of year; our listening habits.
• So what leads us to subconsciously change what we listen to, and is there a psychological reason for it?

As the clocks are set to “fall back” on Sunday October 27 and the nights getting darker earlier, your playlists on Spotify or Amazon Music might change also.

It was a question posed by a user on Reddit’s r/music subreddit, which posed to other Redditors “Does the music you listen to change with the seasons?” The OP (original poster) wrote “On the long, dark days of winter, I’m more likely to listen to heavier music than I am once the weather warms up and the days get longer, when I’m more likely to start listening to upbeat and chill stuff.” 

“It’s not my entire music catalogue that changes, but I definitely notice a shift in what I’m listening to based on the weather. Anyone else do this?”

The responses varied between those who change their playlists based on the time of day, while one user wrote “nah, just Slayer all year long.” Who could blame that person for sticking with the tried and tested metal act? 

But on the whole, most people agreed that when it comes to the changing of the seasons and clocks being wound backwards to officially ring in the winter months, their tastes and listening preferences do indeed change. 

So why, despite the fact we get to choose what we listen to by virtue of the myriad of streaming services out there, do we intentionally or not change what we listen to? Are we subconsciously preparing for the ardent months ahead? Could this also explain why some of us can’t stand cheery Christmas songs?

There’s a psychological reason for this, as it turns out. 

Why do our listening habits change when the clocks go back?

A study titled “Music for the Seasons: Seasonal Music Preferences in College Students,” led by Terry Pettijohn alongside Greg Williams and Tiffany Carter in 2010, examined music preferences in relation to the seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer across both men and women. 

Their examination found that seasonal changes, such as the shift in daylight when clocks go back, can lead to emotional changes, including feelings of depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The decrease in light during fall and winter can create a sense of threat, influencing music preferences.

But there is more to the change in listening preferences than just the changing of the seasons: the study suggested that when social and economic conditions are perceived as threatening, people tend to favour more mature and meaningful music. 

The same notion they felt applied seasonally—during harsher fall and winter months, individuals may gravitate toward slower, more comforting, and reflective music, which resonates with their inner experiences and helps them cope.

As people adjust to shorter days and colder temperatures, their music preferences may shift to reflect the introspective and subdued mood of the season. This change not only impacts personal listening habits but also has implications for music marketing, as certain genres may perform better during specific seasons. 

Hence, cheery Christmas music while undertaking the stressful last-minute shop for the big day, to try and keep us in a positive (and perhaps more liberal with our spending habits.)

What genres of music are favoured when the clocks go back?

Pettijohns’ research suggested that the college students as part of the study favoured reflective and complex music genres (like blues, jazz, classical, and folk) during fall and winter. In contrast, they preferred energetic and rhythmic music (like dance, hip-hop, and soul/funk) during spring and summer when social activity is heightened.

They found that listening to reflective and complex music during the fall and winter may reinforce feelings of isolation and depression associated with SAD. Therefore, switching to more upbeat and energetic music could be a beneficial coping strategy to improve mood and mitigate negative effects.

Do your listening habits change along with the seasons each year, or much like the Slayer fan, are you stuck in your routine of what to listen to? Let us know by leaving a comment down below.