Here’s good news for guys who are a little bit country, and girls who are a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Men who list country…
Here’s good news for guys who are a little bit country, and girls who are a little bit rock ‘n’ roll.
Men who list country music as an interest on their Plenty of Fish dating profile receive 32% more messages from singles looking to mingle, while women who let their hair down to classic rock like Led Zeppelin, Queen and The Rolling Stones are 68% more likely to strike a chord with someone special, according to a new survey .
The online dating service scrolled through more than 9 million POF profiles to study the dating success of musically-minded singles on the app. And it found male country music lovers have something to sing about. Not only do they receive more in-app messages, but they are also 65% more likely to find their match on the app — perhaps because potential partners recognize that these cowboys are 49% less likely to be looking for just a quick hookup. (No wonder Blake Shelton is People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2017; hold onto him, Gwen Stefani.)
Women who rock also hit the right note with potential suitors; including classic rock bands in their profiles amped up their POF activity, as did head-banging to heavy metal, which drew 9% more messages.
And singles looking for something serious should consider female classical music fans, who are 93% more likely to be looking to tie the knot, and male rap fans, who are 16% more likely to want a serious relationship.
This is in tune with a 2017 Elite Singles survey that found 67% of daters said it’s a deal-breaker if a partner isn’t interested in music, with just more than half saying it’s important to have a similar taste in tunes — and one in three even vowing to pull the plug on a potential match if their musical tastes weren’t aligned. That report also noted that three-quarters of American singles think going to a concert is a great first date idea, with rock (29%) being the most popular choice, followed by a classical performance (15%) and a pop star (13%).
So what’s the deal? First, your musical tastes do say a lot about you. A University of Austin study titled “Message in a Ballad” found that your song and album preferences are linked to your personality, and other people are able to form accurate impressions about you based on your playlist. For example, extroverts often prefer happy and energetic music; those who are more experiential gravitate toward complex music; someone more introverted or depressed may avoid upbeat songs. So if you want to work the $3 billion online dating industry to your best advantage, you may have better luck looking for your musical soulmate first.
Plus, bonding over your favorite songs — or teasing each other about different musical tastes — makes a great icebreaker for first dates.
“Music is very good at helping to create social bonds. When we listen to music together and keep the beat or sing along, even if we’re in separate rooms, we feel good about the other person,” Plenty of Fish conversation expert Celeste Headlee told Metro. “The experience releases endorphins in our brains, which leads to pleasurable feelings that we can share with someone else. Singing together also leads to the release of oxytocin, the neurotransmitter that causes warm, loving feelings. Even listening to music can cause your brain to release oxytocin.”
Science has also shown that music gets you in the mood for love. Music stimulates the same part of the brain that sex or drugs does, according to a 2011 McGill University study. Another study found young, single women were more likely to give a guy their phone number after listening to a song with romantic lyrics.
