A study conducted by Nokia and Kings’ College London Department of Twin Research, has revealed the role of genetics in one’s musical likings.

The study was conducted on 4,000 twins and it was found that apart from personal individual experiences, genes play a vital role in influencing our appreciation for a particular genre of music. The influence of genes is strongest on the appreciation of pop, classical and hip-hop music whereas it is quite low in case of folk and country music.

Also, it is quite interesting to know that genetic influences decrease with ageing where personal experiences rule one’s musical tastes. Once crossing the 50-year mark, genes are less active on influencing musical habits.

The declining effect of genes after crossing 50-years:

Genre                                       Influence of Genes

Pop/classical/rap/hip-hop      - 43%

Jazz/blues/soul                       - 42%

Rock/indie/heavy metal         - 34%

Country/folk                             - 28%

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