Without thinking too much, what was your favorite song on the radio when you had your first real crush? By real crush, I’m talking about a crush that had you not only completely infatuated but also hoping for a relationship with the object of your crush. Longing for just a smile when they passed you in the hall between classes doesn’t qualify for a real crush!

So now that we have established the parameters of a real crush, do you remember the song that connects you with that sweet memory? 

For me, the song was “Hello, I Love You” sung by Jim Morrison and The Doors. It was 1968 and I was in the 8th grade. My crush was on a fellow Jr. High Band member because being in the band was my whole world at the time. I’ll reveal no more than that, except that he did become my boyfriend, for a little while anyway!

The Science Behind Song Memories

In order to understand why hearing songs from our past is such a powerful trigger for our memories, I should explain that there are two types of long-term memories.

Explicit Memories

Explicit memories are those that we consciously try to recall – like where you left your keys or how to do a math equation. When you seek to recall a memory – like when I challenged you to remember a song connected to a real crush – you are reaching into your explicit memory storage. 

Implicit Memories

Experiencing an implicit memory occurs automatically outside of your awareness. For example, you jump into your car to drive to a friend’s house and you don’t even think about how to get there. And, of course, there is a well-known example of riding a bike. You’ve already learned it so now getting back on the bike brings up that implicit memory of what’s involved and off you go. 

So in this case, if you are listening to a streaming app like Pandora and your “crush” song starts to play – then the implicit memory of how you were feeling back at that time comes rushing back. Before you know it, you are recalling those days of infatuation and longing for a meaningful relationship – or maybe you really did just hope for a smile in the hall. Either way, isn’t our brain an amazing thing to behold?

Song Memories Are Powerful

In an article for Psychology Today,* Dr. Shahram Heshmat said, “The relationship between music and memory is powerful. Music evokes powerful emotions that then bring back memories. When we listen to a piece of music from years ago, we seem to travel back to that moment. We can feel everything as if we were there.” 

Another interesting insight from Dr. Heshmat’s article is that the memories triggered by music are found to come more often from a certain time period of our lives. He references an article cited below (Jabukowski & Ghosh) that discusses how psychologists believe that we have a “reminiscence bump.” This is a time period during which we experience many things for the first time – generally from around age 10 to 30. I find it fascinating that this is the time span when many of us were discovering the artists and music that we love to this very day.

Now that we have dived into the scientific reasons why songs are so powerful to our memories, I hope you’ll let me indulge in my “crush” song so that I can remember what it was like to be 13. 

May your explicit and implicit memories help you to reminisce today on some sweet memories from the past, too.

I’m Grateful For These Sources

*https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/202109/why-does-music-evoke-memories

https://www.verywellmind.com/implicit-and-explicit-memory-2795346

Jakubowski, Kelly and Ghosh, Anita (2021). Music-evoked autobiographical memories in everyday life. Psychology of music., 49 (3). pp. 649-666.