Every time Christmas time comes around, the Mariah Carey Christmas song "All I Want for Christmas" hits the airwaves. The brain is wired to hate its melody which made scientists wonder why people love it so much.
Christmas Song Melodies
Most songs that are played during the holidays have a common chord which is why people instantly identify melodies with a Christmasy feel. Carey's song is different from all others due to an unusual chord.
Mercer University professor Adam Ragusea explained that Mariah Carey Christmas song melodies use the "minor subdominant" chord. This same chord is often described to have a sound similar to a snow melting in the fireplace.
Since the "All I Want for Christmas" chord has an additional sixth note, the brain should interpret the sound as displeasing. Contrary to what studies suggest, the brain seems to disregard its negative reaction to dissonant sounds in Christmas melodies.
Mariah Carey Christmas Song
Considered to be one of the top Christmas hits, "All I Want for Christmas" has a chord pretty similar to another popular holiday track "White Christmas." These songs defy the natural tendency of the brain to hate discord.
Inverse cites that the dissonant chord is most audible in "I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree." The unusual chord in Carey's song could be why the track is a big hit but some disputes this claim.
As cited by Asia One, jazz and soul performer Tim De Cotta suggested that the song's Christmas vibe comes from "mixing and mastering." The song makes use of various gospel music and jazz elements lending it a pleasant vibe.
There are some who argue that the popularity of the song could be attributed to the fact that is has been featured in movies like "Love Actually." Carey's popularity is also another factor that guaranteed its success.
No one knows, for sure, why Mariah Carey Christmas songs are huge hits but as science suggests, it could be the unusual sixth note which mimics the sound of melting snow -something that sounds a lot like the holidays.
