What exactly is music therapy? According to MusicTherapy.org, the practice involves using music “within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals.”
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In short, therapists use music in order to bolster and encourage aspects of a patient’s behavior, with the hope that the patient will be a more capable and stronger individual out in the world thanks to the songs and therapy sessions they are exposed to.
The website continues, “Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in many areas such as: overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, increasing people’s motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional support for clients and their families, and providing an outlet for expression of feelings.”
What Are the Best Songs for Music Therapy?
But the question remains: what are the best songs for music therapy? Well, that depends on who you ask, but there are some songs that are generally agreed upon. According to the arts therapy company Chroma, which conducted a study with the results released in 2017, several rock songs were at the top of the list.
“A lot of people probably imagine that music therapy is all about soft and gentle sounds but, when choosing music with our clients, we sometimes rely heavily on strong, loud songs with a simple melody and a no-nonsense beat,” Daniel Thomas, managing director of Chroma, said.
But there are other outfits, like the Pacific Northwest’s Soundings of the Planet, which creates relaxing new-age music, like the kind you might hear in a massage session or when practicing yoga.
According to another source, Rachel Rambach, a board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music, there are many other songs music therapists and patients can dive into. In these two links, Rambach cites dozens of songs to try.
But here below, we highlight five songs that Chroma suggests. They range from the big, bombastic rock song to the more dulcet, calm ballad. “If you look at the songs and artists that are chosen, they tend to have very strong melodies and rhythms and are very much woven into the fabric of people’s lives,” Thomas noted.
“This type of therapy can be remarkably effective and adapted to many different kinds of problems that people are facing as individuals or groups such as families.”
1. “We Will Rock You,” Queen
According to the Chroma study, researchers found that “We Will Rock You” and its catchy, pounding, even monotonous beat helped—was “ideal”—for “the rehabilitation of speech, language and cognitive functions following a stroke or brain injury,” according to writer Anita Awbi.
“In a lot of ways, ‘We Will Rock You’ is a music therapy natural,” Thomas added. “You can see and hear it in the way that it is chanted so enthusiastically in football grounds. Belt it out, stamp your feet, and you’ll immediately feel more uplifted, united and orientated.”
2. “Three Little Birds,” Bob Marley
While “We Will Rock You” is a foot-stomping classic, reggae artist Bob Marley offers another song that the folks at Chroma love, “Three Little Birds,” a sweet song that enlivens the heart. Animals have long been used for therapy—puppies, kittens and the like—so, it stands to reason that the pleasant vibrations from Marley about three little birds arriving at his doorstep would provide something similar sonically.
3. “Amazing Grace,” Elvis Presley
What better song for therapy than one about redemption? And that’s what this song is through and through. Written by John Newton, a former slave trader. But during his life, Newton saw the light and realized the vast error of his ways. As the story goes, in 1748, Newton’s ship was battered by a raging storm. Then, he called out to God to save him. When he survived the storm, like Saul to Paul, Newton was transformed. Several years later, he became an abolitionist. This song is the story of that change.
4. “Another Brick in the Wall,” Pink Floyd
This song and its gang vocals can provide a bit of community for the listener. It’s a song of rebellion but even more than that it’s a song of community. It’s a song about not being controlled by the powers that be, a song that instructs someone to think for themselves about the world around them.
5. “You Are My Sunshine,” Johnny Cash
This song, which was first published in 1940, is all about adoration and positive affirmation. It’s all in the title. How could it not cheer someone up, bring a smile to their face, and even provide them with the language and a reference point for improvement? They can hear it in their heads every time they do something well or see someone they love. Or, when feeling low, they can recall it for a pick-me-up.
Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
