What can we deduce from hearing less than 1 second of music? Learn how accurately listeners can identify music genres from excerpts that are less than a quarter of a second long, and see how your brain does in a mini version of the experimental task. Our takeaways include how these sophisticated, split-second associations to music sometimes work against our better judgment.

References

• Mace, S.T., Wagoner, C.L., Teachout, D.J., & Hodges, D.A. (2012). Genre identification of very brief musical excerpts. Psychology of Music, 40(1), 112-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735610391347

Song Excerpts

• Classical: Adagio for Strings (Barber), The Planets, Op. 32: IV (Holst), Trois Gymnopedies: I (Satie)
• Country: All I Want to Do (Sugarland), Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (Kenny Chesney), 
• Jazz: In the Mood (Glenn Miller), Take Five (Dave Brubeck), So What (Miles Davis)
• Metal: Troops of Doom (Sepultura), Madhouse (Anthrax)
• Hip-hop: Whatever You Like (T.I.), What Them Girls Like (Ludacris), Got Money (Lil Wayne & T-Pain)

Resources

• The Record: Q1 2025 U.S. Audio Listening Trends
• TokChart.com
• Harmony Healthcare American Phone Usage and Screen Time Statistics