Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Musical goosebumps

Do you get goosebumps when listening to music?

  • Yes - all the time. What do you mean people don't?

    Votes: 3 17.6%

  • Sometimes - for amazing pieces of music that move me

    Votes: 13 76.5%

  • Maybe - only for live music (so could be combined with visual stimuli)

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • No - I thought it was just a turn of phrase

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    17
Mysterious Sue

Mysterious Sue

Strata Poster
Ok, so there was some article on Reddit today that was fascinating but also slightly sketchy and I wanted to see of I can get some more people's opinions on it.

The article suggests that not everyone gets goosebumps while listening to music. My initial reaction was that this must be a load of bollocks - everyone gets that right? Like all the time, that's completely normal? So I showed it to a friend and he thought I'd gone mad and said that he'd never had that happen to him! So... I asked around the office and asked some friends and family and it really does seem to be quite split with some never experiencing it at all, others a bit and others getting it often.

So...where do people on CF fit into the 'goosebump spectrum?'.

I've been fascinated by this all day and can't get my head round the idea that someone wouldn't have a physical reaction with music. The Reddit article is a bit sensationalist and suggests it's a 'rare' thing to do with the amount of brain thingamijigs that allow you to sense audio which all sounds a bit fishy to me. And, from what I've seen, it certainly isn't rare. But I've spoken to a good 3 or 4 people now who confirm they've never had goosebumps from music EVER so there must be something in it. I just can't get my head round it as to me it just seems so natural.

https://www.reddit.com/r/path%3D%252Fr%252Ftodayilearned%252Fcomments%252F89ztdo%252F
 
There's plenty of things that get me going.
People experience and appreciate music on a huge variety of levels, so I can believe it to an extent. No idea on percentages though.
 
Ooh interesting, I often get goosebumps from watching live music but its possible that's caused by a visual stimulus as well as audio. Can't think of a time when I've had a physical reaction to music outside of a live context. How often does it happen for you, and does it just happen in particular listening environments or can it happen in any context?
 
Whenever I listen to something truly spectacular I get goosebumps. But when it's a 'meh' song, or something I know front to back, I don't.

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
 
It doesn't happen all the time. For example, if I listen to something new that's really amazing then that's how I know I've found a new artist that I really like because I get a connection with it.

There are certain songs that pretty much always give me goosebumps though, no matter how many times I've heard them before. But I have to be properly listening and not just have it on in the background. I often associate it with key changes or particularly emotive lyrics. It also depends on my mood as to how receptive I'm being to the music.
 
I've just (like 2 mins ago) bought a ticket to band next month that I've literally never heard of until ~10 minutes ago, just because the support band gave me goosebumps the first time I ever heard them a few years ago.
Yeah music is good.
 
Yeah I get goosebumps, mainly when at a live show but sometimes if a piece of music is just epic I can get them anytime I listen to it (mainly film soundtracks if at home/work). Sometimes I get them when music brings back a strong memory of a great experience, like watching Fantasmic at Cali or something.
 
Funnily enough, after @Sandman 's rather splendid 'Theme park moments that gave you goosebumps' thread, I was thinking about starting a 'Non theme park moments that gave you goosebumps' thread so folks can talk about all of life's many other goosebumpy moments. I would fully expect such a thread to be filled with musical moments, so to learn that not everybody 'gets' that sensation is really quite surprising.
I get them all the time - music, movies, sporting events, even a good book can set me off. What can I say? I'm a goosebumpy guy.
Sorry for this shameless plug, but a couple of weeks ago me, the missus and the mom went to see this:

See? I iz ded posh innit.
And you thought I was just another uncultured yob!
I'm telling you, man, this was goosebump city. Pretty much the whole thing had the hairs on my arms go all prickly. My mum was crying throughout most of it.
If you want musical goosebumps, go see this.
 
Last edited:
Really interesting answers so far guys. I'm still finding this mind-blowing.
Added a poll now so vote away!

I'd like to know what @Joey thinks about all this as I once had a conversation with him where he said he didn't care much for music (which at the time I found hard to comprehend).

@Howie I went to see Classical Spectacular once.
During the 1812 Overture, I realised I was sat directly in front of a cannon - got more than goosebumps then, I can tell you.
 
Seeing an orchestra live is such an incredible experience. I saw the LSO perform John William scores years ago and I was pretty much on the verge of crying, it was just perfect.

I find large crowds singing together a really amazing goosebumpy moment. When I went to a gig the other month and like 2000 peeps starting singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, that is a moment that will stay with me forever. Or the equally amazing singalong to Python's "Always look on the bright side of life" after seeing Iron Maiden.
 
peep said:
Seeing an orchestra live is such an incredible experience. I saw the LSO perform John William scores years ago and I was pretty much on the verge of crying, it was just perfect.
Click to expand...

I need that in my life! You know that Classical Spectacular I mentioned^? They do a Movie Spectacular too, featuring loads of JW. I think the next one is this month actually, and if I wasn't saving up for a big, dumbass, US theme park trip in June with some chump called Tom, I'd be all over it. :D
If you speak to @witchfinder , I believe he's seen John Williams himself conducting an orchestra - I bet that woulda been amaaaazing!
 
Howie said:
If you speak to @witchfinder , I believe he's seen John Williams himself conducting an orchestra - I bet that woulda been amaaaazing!
Click to expand...
Indeed it was. I certainly welled up a few times! He's actually doing a show at the Albert Hall this year but the tickets sold out in seconds I think. But they do have some other 'music from the movies' shows there.
 
witchfinder said:
He's actually doing a show at the Albert Hall this year but the tickets sold out in seconds I think.
Click to expand...

Urgh, yeah, I annoyingly found out about it like 30 mins after they sold out, gutted. I've seen a couple of films with live orchestra there, always a great evening.
 
Mysterious Sue said:
I'd like to know what @Joey thinks about all this as I once had a conversation with him where he said he didn't care much for music (which at the time I found hard to comprehend).
Click to expand...
Ok ok, look. Look. Everyone listens to music, so I think if you say you're really into music, that implies you have a more than casual relationship with it. And I think it's frankly insulting to people who are really into music, for whom music is their life, to say you're into it if you're really not? So if someone asks me if I'm into music, nah... Not really. It's just there.

But I do have a weird relationship with music...

I never know what to say when people ask me what music I like. I like a bit of everything. I often only like one song by a band or on an album. I listen to things over and over then just stop... So it makes it difficult to answer. Right now it's a lot of Michael Jackson, synthwave, early 90s hip hop and some metal. The only thing they have in common is being absolute cheese and if you ask me next week my answer will probably be different. Kyle (who is into music proper) often sends me songs he knows I'll like and gets it right almost every time, despite the massive ocean of genres, so there's obviously something somewhat predictable to my taste, but it's not genre-bound like it seems to be with most people.

I've experienced goosebumps with music and I thought the article was a crock of **** when I saw it. I get experiential goosebumps a lot, usually about seeing other people enjoy things I think are cool? It happens a lot at theme parks. Hex is a good one for it, for example. So even if the idea that only certain people get music goosebumps is a fact, how can you tell apart people who might be getting goosebumps for other reasons from those directly related to the music? I guess the maybe answer is sort of true but live music is **** and annoying. Unnecessarily loud, necessary other people, eugh. :p

I hate the **** emoji. It's 2018 let me ****ing swear.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure if it's full on goosebumps, but quite a few songs have moments when I just want to stop everything and only listen to the song.

do any songs make people cry? I have a couple that get close - Those were the days by Queen and Jeannies diary by Eels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top