60 Years of Music and Emotion: A Study

As Bose marks 60 years of audio innovation, we explore how music, deeply tied to memory and emotion, has shaped our lives across generations. Our study reveals how music connects us, defines who we are, and how we relate to the world. Music isn’t just music; it’s a powerful force that unites us.

How music has shaped us.

From Elvis to Tupac, from the original Bose 901 speakers to the latest Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, music has evolved and so have Bose products, bringing fans closer to cultural moments defined by great music and the sounds it evokes – like the memories of a day, a time or place. Looking back at attitudes towards music over the decades, Bose set out to understand how sound has shaped fandom and transformed over time. The sweeping study looked at 6,000 music fans across the U.S. and U.K., ages 18-64, and asked questions about iconic artists, music genres and music discovery. Here’s what we found.

Music of our youth defines our taste for years to come.

Of the 6,000 people studied, 80% said their favorite decade of music is from their teens and 20s. Were you a teenager in the '70s? It’s likely that Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and Elton John still dominate your playlists. Come of age in the '90s? It might be 2Pac, Madonna, and Metallica that are on infinite repeat. Seems like the music that was was with us during our formative years might be with us forever.

Nostalgia influences what we collectively view as “good music.”

Gen Z believes that music used to be better than it is today, with nearly 50% favoring the '90s and 2000s as the decades they couldn’t imagine living without.

Icons endure.

Surprisingly, iconic chart toppers like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift were not among the most influential artists over the past 60 years... at least not yet.

Queen Bey is topping the charts, but it was Queen that was identified as one of the most influential artists of the past 60 years. Taylor Swift may have millions of fans ready to Shake It Off, but respondents would rather Twist and Shout with the Beatles.

While older artists may no longer be number one on the charts, they're still in listeners’ hearts as the most influential artists of the past 60 years.

Yet, generational differences emerge.

Hip-Hop reigns as the ultimate 'desert island' genre for Gen Z, but it doesn’t get the same love across other generations—ranking #3 for Millennials, #7 for Gen X, and #16 for Boomers.

But there’s one thing that keeps us united: a love for music.

More than 56% of all respondents in the U.S. and UK rank music in their top five interests, outperforming all other interests, including sports, cooking, movies, entertainment, and travel.

60 years of Bose. 60 years of legendary music.

Now that you’ve explored the tastes and trends of fellow music lovers, dive into the influences and obsessions that shape the work of iconic musicians. SPIN and Bose have teamed up again to bring you Decades of Sound—an epic collaboration exploring six decades of groundbreaking music, featuring trailblazers who redefined music across generations.