Life coach recommends listening to one artist in the morning for 'auditory caffeine'

What music do you listen to in the morning? Do you switch on the radio, play a bit of Taylor Swift, or perhaps you like to start the day with some ABBA?

Well, a new study has found that Harry Styles is the most popular artist to listen to after waking up, and a life coach has explained why he’s the perfect choice.

High angle view of young Asian woman relaxing at home bedroom listening to music with headphones using mobile phone. Lifestyle concept.

Most popular morning artist

Furniture retailer DFS analysed Spotify data to reveal the top 30 songs to wake up to. They looked at playlists with morning words in the title like “wake up,” “rise and shine” and “morning” and found the most popular tracks.

Top of the list was Corinne Bailey Rae’s Put Your Records On, followed by The Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun and Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. However, there was only one artist who appeared on the list more than once – Harry Styles!

The British heartthrob had three tracks in the top 30, starting with the hit song As It Was at number seven. Watermelon Sugar then landed at 16, followed by Late Night Talking at 19, which is from his latest album Harry’s House.

It’s no coincidence that Harry Styles is the most popular artist to listen to in the morning either. A life coach has revealed that his music sets us up for a great day.

Why you should listen to Harry Styles

DFS partnered with Dr. Rakish Rana, who explained that Harry Styles’ music is a “great example of the energising attributes that are important to wake-up music”.

“His compositions frequently have a combination of catchy melodies, rhythmic variety, and tone brightness, all of which can work as auditory caffeine,” he said.

“Styles’ pop-rock combination, with its energetic tempo and appealing melodies, stimulates the mind and body, making it an excellent contender for a morning energy boost.”

Rana explained that a well-structured morning routine “sets the tone for the day” and helps improve energy levels, productivity and mental well-being.

Morning music can also “energise and improve your mood by triggering the release of dopamine”, which is the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter.

“Upbeat tempos and energising rhythms stimulate the brain’s arousal response, giving you a natural boost to energy levels and even helping to enhance alertness and motivation,” he continued.

Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

10 most popular morning songs

The study found that these are the 10 most most popular songs to listen to in the morning:

  • Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae
  • Here Comes The Sun (Remastered 2009) – The Beatles
  • Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac
  • Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) – Elton John, Dua Lipa, PNAU
  • ily (i love you baby) – Surf Mesa ft. Emilee
  • Banana Pancakes – Jack Johnson
  • As It Was – Harry Styles
  • Flowers – Miley Cyrus
  • Sunrise – Norah Jones
  • I Ain’t Worried – OneRepublic

This research was provided by furniture retailer DFS. Dr. Rakish Rana is an experienced Executive Life Coach with a Practitioner’s Diploma in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching. He is also a member of the International Coaching Federation.