Why Crank Up That Song?

An examination of why some songs almost involuntarily make us reach for the volume knob/button.

Enjoy this impromptu issue of Michael’s Record Collection, spawned by my listening experience on my morning commute. I know I owe you more frequent issues of this newsletter, and those are coming. Two are already in the can, one is scheduled for Monday, an interview for a third is scheduled for the next week, and yet another interview is being finalized. For now, I hope you enjoy the following.

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Driving to work this morning, a song came up on shuffle and a few seconds later I reached forward to turn up the volume. I must have done this countless times over the years, but this time I paused to think about why I took that action. (For the record, the song was the excellent “#Addicted” by the Polish band Riverside).

Why is it that some songs elicit the immediate need to hear it louder? It’s as if I can force more of that goodness through my earholes and into my brain if the volume is higher. And, in fact, behavioral science says that’s correct (in a way).

There are multiple ways cranking up the volume on a song we like impacts us. The two primary ones are auditory arousal — which increases adrenaline production — and escapism.

Loud sounds, such as rock music turned up to 11, can induce the body to release adrenaline, which in turn creates feelings of excitement or arousal (get your mind out of the gutter; it’s a different kind of arousal).

Auditory arousal pumps up adrenaline, letting us tap into music as a well of aural-induced confidence.

I must admit that this never occurred to me. I don’t think of myself as more confident when listening to a great song at a higher volume. I recognize more enjoyment, so it must be escapism that I’m connecting with. From the linked BehavioralScientist.org post above:

This becomes a world unto itself, which is the second reason for our preference for volume: escapism. Loud music masks unpleasant feelings by literally drowning out the brain’s other senses.

I was driving this morning when that turn-up-the-music feeling hit me, and if you’ve never had the experience of driving during rush hour in Orlando, Florida, you have no idea how enticing the idea of escapism truly is. In the context of where I was, this makes perfect sense that I’d have an almost involuntary need to increase the volume. But it isn’t the only reason.

When music is played at a higher volume, the equipment delivering the sound (speakers, headphones) may be able to project frequencies in the recording, giving a fuller listening experience. This too makes sense. After listening to rock music for roughly half a century, it’s probably an involuntary response in me to seek out those deeper frequencies in the recording. Tapping into more frequencies by turning the knob means more details and subtleties in the recording are revealed. Bass and other low frequencies are felt more keenly by my nervous system. Soaring guitar solos or high vocals stimulate my brain and nerves. That science-y article above also says loud music releases stress-relieving endorphins, which is no doubt a big help during morning (or afternoon) rush hour. Somehow, it also makes us feel cooler, apparently (not for me, nothing ever seems to make me feel cooler).

Obviously there are issues with loud music, as with any loud noise, especially over time. Damage to hearing — in the form of tinnitus or hearing loss — is an obvious side effect, and we should all be aware that loud music can be harmful, especially with prolonged exposure, but even if we have a level we know is harmful, it’s not like my car stereo or noise-canceling headphones tell me how many decibels I’m getting. Maybe some do, but I doubt they’re in my price range.

Getting back to the original question, I don’t know why there are certain songs that make me reach for the volume knob. It’s probably something as simple but unquantifiable, like how much I like a song, or how much the song rocks. Google’s Generative AI tells me it’s because “different songs are recorded with varying levels of dynamic range,” but this is something I also do while listening to an album of largely similar songs by the same band with the same producer and engineer. The AI also mentions some genres have different expectations for volume, but that again doesn’t account for why I might turn up “No One Like You” by the Scorpions when listening to their Blackout album and don’t turn it up for some of the other bangers on that record.

In fairness, the AI response also mentions individual preference as a factor, and I’d say that describes why I do it. I just enjoy some songs more than others and need to feel them deeper in my being. The only way to do that is to smash the volume button and let those frequencies vibrate throughout my nervous system.

It was good to do a little reading today to find out why I needed to hear that Riverside at a higher volume. I wonder why I’d never thought about it before. I’m sure I’ve been behaving this way since I got my first KISS record in elementary school but have somehow never been self-aware enough to notice it when I did.

When do you crank up an occasional song? During workouts? While driving? Or do you always listen to all songs at the same volume? I’d like to know where I fall on the “normal scale” on this.

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