Think you know everything there is to know about music? Prepare to be blown away as we take a look at some of the most interesting, unbelievable facts about musicians and the music industry.
1. Jimi Hendrix had no musical education and he taught himself to play the guitar. Throughout his career, he didn’t know how to read sheet music.
2. Singing has been scientifically proven to soothe and raise your mood. However, singing in a group is even more beneficial because it releases hormones like oxytocin that make you feel good and also reduces stress hormones like cortisol.
3. If you hope to build a career in music but don’t know how to read or write music, don’t worry. If the Beatles could do it, so can you! Audiences speculated about this for decades, but in his 2018 interview, Paul McCartney finally admitted that both he and the rest of his bandmates were musically “illiterate” and had no understanding of music theory. Every single melody they wrote just “came to them,” the legendary musician said.
4. French researchers determined that the music volume level affects the amount of alcohol consumed. Namely, if you listen to loud music, you’re more likely to drink more in less time. The researchers studied 40 males aged 18-25 who drank draft beer in bars by manipulating sound volume and observing the behavior of their study objects. So if you’re not planning on drinking a lot on a night out, maybe avoiding bars with loud music is a good idea.
5. Finland is the most metalhead country there is. A Reddit user created a map based on data from the Encyclopedia Metallum. With 42.6 metal bands per 100,000 residents, Finland is truly the home to the largest number of bands in this genre.
6. Cows prefer slow music. A 2001 study conducted at the University of Leicester showed that when cows listen to slow, soothing songs, they produce 3% more milk. The release of oxytocin is essential for cows to produce milk, so slow music helps them relax and increases the level of oxytocin. On the other hand, cows remained indifferent to rap and techno music, showing no changes in the amount of milk produced.
7. The best-selling album of all time belongs to Michael Jackson. It is his sixth studio album Thriller, which was released in 1982. With an estimate of over 60 million copies sold worldwide, it still keeps the title to this day.
Weird Music History
Ozzy and the bat
There is at least some truth to this story, even though it has been repeatedly misrepresented. Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness, used to throw calf liver and pig intestines at the audience during a 1982 tour.
However, at some point the audience began to react. The legend took its course at a concert in Iowa. A fan threw a bat on stage. Ozzy mistook it for a rubber toy and bit off its head. What an extremely bizarre sight for the audience, and more than a memorable night!
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