Why Do I Like This Song So Much? The Psychology of Catchy Music Artwork

The Gen X/Z Exchange

You might be wondering why you aren’t happier, where your career is going, or feeling adrift without a clear sense of direction. You’re asking, “How do I figure out what I’m even supposed to be doing?”

If you feel that familiar knot of confusion, dissatisfaction, or just plain stuckness, you've just found your kindred spirits.

This is The Gen X/Z Exchange. Where a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter bridge the generational divide to tackle modern life’s biggest headaches.

These aren't just your problems, they're the unspoken struggles of an entire generation - or two!

You're not alone in battling the quiet anxieties of a life that feels off-kilter. Happiness can be hard to find. Perhaps concerns about your mental and physical wellbeing are always bubbling away. Your most important relationships might feel strained, or the relentless demands of your career and finances are leaving you exhausted. These are the universal whispers that, surprisingly, span generations. We can help you untangle all this.

Chris has navigated layoffs, career pivots and found happiness after the infamous midlife slump, while Lily is figuring out her career after changing her degree path and reflecting on her early choices in the world of work. Our different generational viewpoints bring new ideas to tackling the big issues we’re both grappling with.

We chat about all this with honesty, realism and the openness a father-daughter relationship brings.

Our candid conversations will help you realise that you’re not alone in feeling this way too. You’ll gain fresh perspectives, practical insights, and the comforting realisation that many of your worries are universal – and solvable.

We’ll get to the heart of your frustrations, offering solutions we figure out together that you won't find anywhere else.

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The Gen X/Z Exchange

Why Do I Like This Song So Much? The Psychology of Catchy Music

January 14, 2026 • Chris and Lily Perkins • Episode 15

Why do you like a song so much… and why does it become your song? Why can't you recite the lyrics to an old favourite on demand - but the second the track starts, you’re singing every word?

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, we go beyond “favourite bands” chat and get into the psychology and neuroscience of music - starting with our all-time favourite songs, then unpacking the three things that can turn any track into a lifelong favourite.

From the ‘Reminiscence Bump’ (why music from certain ages sticks more) to the cascading version that explains why your parents’ classics can feel like your nostalgia too, this one’s a proper brain-meets-bangers deep dive.

We cover how a live band can become a 'biological conductor' of the crowd, the role music plays in films and laugh at a few misheard lyrics.

You’ll learn:

The science behind “favourite songs” and why some tracks feel so personal
What the Reminiscence Bump is - and how it shapes Gen X vs Gen Z taste
Why lyrics live in your brain differently than spoken words
How to find new music (and why many of us stop searching as we get older)
How to run an inter-generational family listening party

Listen in and you’ll discover how music can unlock memory, boost connection, and - even in some cases - help people access speech and movement when other routes fail.

Hit play now!

1.02 Chris and Lily each briefly discuss their all-time favourite song

3.02 The three things that can make a song a favourite

5.40 The 'Reminiscence Bump'

8.03 Why you can't recite lyrics on demand, but as soon as the song starts you can sing along all the way through

10.07 Where to find new music and why we stop listening to new music as we get older

17.23 The 'Cascading Reminiscence Bump'

18.39 How to run an inter-generational family listening party

26.43 Live music - three things that make for a great live performance

31.40 The Playlist for Life and the effect music can have on people who have lost speech or motor skills

33.53 Film music

35.17 Misheard lyrics