What's your soundtrack?

The question 'What kind of music do you like?' is very revealing. It is the number one topic of conversation among young atrults who are getting to know each other, according to psychologists from the universities of Cambridge and Texas. Their research has shown that knowing another person's musical tastes can provide remarkably accurate personality predidions. For most people, music is a very important part of their lives and psychologists believe that their preferences reveal information about their charader and their lifestyle. They think that personality clues are conveyed in the music's tempo, rhythm, and lyrics.

Fans of 'Top 40' pop, country, and soundtrack music tend to be more conventional and conservative compared with fans of other genres; family and discipline are important life values. They are also typically cheerful, outgoing, and sociable kinds of people who enjoy helping people. In their free time they often enjoy doing or watching sport. They also enjoy watching major Hollywood films, especially comedies. According to the psychologists, 'People who like country and pop try to avoid making their lives unnecessarily complex.'

Hip hop, funk, rap, soul, dance, and electronic music attracts people who are talkative, extrovert, and romantic and who tend to express their thoughts impulsively. They are the kind of people who love going to parties and for whom friendship and social recognition is very important. They tend to see themselves as physically attractive. When they go to the cinema, they typically enjoy watching action films, science fiction, gangster films, or comedies.

Fans of classical, jazz, and other 'complex' music typically have above-average intelligence. They tend to be creative and open to new experiences and lovers of classic or foreign films. Regarding lifestyle, fans of this kind of music tend to be politically liberal, are usually quite sophisticated, and often don't like sport. However, compared with other music fans, opera lovers are three times more likely to
commit suicide, psychologists say. But don't blame Madame Butterfly – people with dramatic personalities, whose moods go up and down a lot, are attracted to opera, not influenced by it.

Fans of alternative, heavy metal, rock music, and gangsta rap tend to be people who enjoy taking risks and having thrilling experiences. They are usually physically active. They are typically independent, curious about the world, and rebellious. They're the kind of people who are likely to enjoy watching action films, fantasy, war, and horror movies. Parents often worry that this kind of music promotes aggressive behaviour in teenagers, but research has found no direct link. In fact, younger fans of gangsta rap or heavy metal are often quieter and shyer than other young people.