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How Many Times Can We Listen to a Song Without Getting Sick of It?

MICHAELSD

MICHAELSD

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
5,520
3,534
NJ
It seems we as media fanatics can watch our favorite movie around a dozen times, the same episode of TV maybe three times at most... and our favorite songs a hundred times at least. Although I typically only like to watch a movie or TV episode once since there are so many great movies or shows left that have yet to be seen that could be watched instead.

I figured there would have been a scientific study done on this... as I'm listening to new albums now I wonder how long it will take to get absolutely sick of it or to almost begin disliking it. Yet, I could not find a study (through a quick Google search). I try to space out the times I listen to the same song, but there are some songs I would not mind listening to every day (although I'm sure I wouldn't say that after a month).

Our response to recorded music, a relatively new invention, is pretty amazing honestly. We can listen to the exact same audio on repeat for a hundred or more times and in some cases still get excited about it. Albeit it is incredibly polished, but at least if you heard the songs live every night then there would be some variation throughout every song compared to repeating the exact same sound-waves.

Mood does seem to effect our enjoyment in music more than repetition in my opinion.

There seems to be a cycle, in fact. It can usually take a couple listens for a song to grow on you, then a few more to learn all the words, then a peak of exuberance over the song until it gets played out and another song takes its place in your rotation.

Much like any other tolerance, time seems to be the only cure for growing indisposed to a favorite song. Nonetheless, how long does it take for our fondness of a song to briefly turn to contempt or even animosity towards it?
 
Max so far I've listened to a song on iTunes on my MBP is 56 times, that's not counting how many times I listened to it on my phone and iPad.

Plus don't think iTunes doesn't count listening to 2 mins of the song as a number of total times played.
 
Totally depends on the song...

"In My Life"...no limit, especially the Allison Crowe cover.

"Muskrat Love"...one listen causes brain damage.
 
The correct question would be, how sick do you have to be in order to stop listening to a song?
 
I would agree.. depends on the song.

I mean, I couldn't stomach the first 10 seconds of Party in the USA, Peaches, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, and to be really honest, Smells Like Teen Spirit, yet I'd wear the hell out of Anggun's entire Snow on the Sahara album, Bette Davis' Eyes, the entire Hysteria album, Don't dream it's Over and Something So Strong from Crowded House, and

With the Def Leppard's Hysteria album, I wore the tape out on those bad enough that I had to buy it a good 12 times to keep listening to it; I didn't pick it up on CD until 1991.

But it also depends on how relevant the music stays, how important it is to you, as well as how timeless it can be, or where you were and what you were doing the moment you heard it. Hysteria was pretty much a greatest hits album before it was released; it had 7 hit singles off of it during the run of the album.

Crowded House was so true "pop" to me (as in, not bubblegum pop) that you could play the first 5 seconds of the songs mentioned, and you'd know them immediately.

When I first heard Madonna's Like a Virgin, I was at home playing my first Transformer that my mother bought me. so every time I hear that song, I'm reminded of that.

But on the opposite side of that, when the radio plays the same song over and over and over again, and it has no relevance or importance in someone's life at that time, it becomes annoying to where you get sick of it.

Next time you listen to a song, think about it in those terms and address it. You'll enjoy the new perspective.

BL.
 
I have hundreds of songs from the 60s and 70s with over 1,200 plays. I also have almost as many with less than 10.
 
Don't panic said:
1764.
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I know exactly where you are coming from…..

Shrink said:
Totally depends on the song...

"In My Life"...no limit, especially the Allison Crowe cover.

"Muskrat Love"...one listen causes brain damage.
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I burst out laughing upon reading this; beautifully put, and I couldn't agree more with you.

rdowns said:
I have hundreds of songs from the 60s and 70s with over 1,200 plays. I also have almost as many with less than 10.
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I bolded the last section to your post to indicate fervent agreement.

Anyway, I am in a some hate similar position: While I have a number of - some of which cannot be called songs, per se, but, rather, pieces of music, - which I have played countless times (anyone for Antonio Soler's 'Fandango'? Or W. A. Mozart's 'Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466'?), there are also pieces of music (well, pieces that define themselves as music), which, having played them once, I would gladly live the rest of my life without the need to hear them again.
 
Totally depends on the song.

I've probably listened to "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd over a thousand times in my life and I never seem to get tired of it. On the other hand, I've never to this day made it through a single playing of "Friday" by Rebecca Black.
 
Music is very mood dependent for me. I never listen to songs on repeat though, and it usually takes a while for me to like a song. Last album I bought was Imagine Dragons new one.
 
I can listen to anything by the Beatles or Bob Dylan ('62-'67) forever and never get sick of either.
 
impulse462 said:
I can listen to anything by the Beatles or Bob Dylan ('62-'67) forever and never get sick of either.
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Well Blood on the Tracks is my favorite Album of all time but if I heard it all day I would hate it.

That being said Elvis ruined Blowing in the Wind for me!!! IF the King isn't dead someone should kill him for that !!
 
With subscription services, there's no time to listen to each song more than once.
 
...

Depends on the song, but for tunes I fall in love with, I can be stuck on them for years, decades etc. Some songs I never grow tired of; still listen to Bolt Thrower's World Eater daily 25 years on. :)

This Ufomammut song I've got on now (Stigma), I can listen to repeatidly for about 3-4 hours straight before switching. I like chromatic and repeated riffs and things.
 
Tomorrow said:
Totally depends on the song.

I've probably listened to "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd over a thousand times in my life and I never seem to get tired of it. On the other hand, I've never to this day made it through a single playing of "Friday" by Rebecca Black.
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Agreed. It definitely depends on the song.
 
Depends on the song. I have a few songs in my library with a 200+ play count, the most being 322. I've also got songs with a play count of 2 that I'm already sick of.
 
My most played song in iTunes has well over a thousand plays and I'm still not tired of it :p
 
On average I listen to Sia's breathe me at least three times a day depending on my mood and I never get sick of it
 
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