A recent study published in PLOS One reveals that nostalgic pop songs provoke a stronger urge to dance than tracks that are merely familiar, shining new light on how music and memory intertwine to move our bodies. Researchers from the University of Western Ontario found that while both nostalgia and familiarity boost enjoyment and the desire to tap or move along, only nostalgia predicted the powerful urge to dance—a discovery with potential implications for therapies targeting movement disorders and well-being.
The findings matter for Thai readers because music is a central part of life and culture in Thailand, weaving through everything from temple fairs and weddings to night markets and family karaoke sessions. Understanding what drives our urge to dance or move could enrich community events, cultural festivals, and even health interventions using music throughout the Kingdom.
In their innovative online experiment, the research team asked young adults—mainly in their early to mid-twenties—to listen to a curated playlist of pop hits. They rated each song for nostalgia, familiarity, enjoyment, and their desire to tap, move, or dance along. Nostalgia was intentionally triggered by including songs popular during the participants’ adolescence, such as Ke$ha’s “TiK ToK,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” and Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite.” Songs like these scored highest for both familiarity and nostalgia, but not all chart-toppers had the same effect. Katy Perry’s anthemic “Firework,” for example, was highly familiar but ranked low in nostalgia and failed to inspire much dancing urge among the group.
Professor Grahn, director of the Centre for Brain and Mind at the University of Western Ontario and lead neuroscientist on the project, explained: “Groove is the pleasurable urge to move to music. Our brains light up spontaneously when we listen to rhythmic tunes, regardless of our ability to control movements—this is especially true for people with movement disorders.” She added, “Every great wedding DJ inherently knows this, and now, we have the scientific results to back it” (Neuroscience News).
PhD candidate Riya Sidhu, lead author of the study, highlighted how nostalgia amplifies the enjoyment and dancing impulse: “The more familiar you are with a song, the more likely you are to enjoy it. Familiarity and nostalgia are tied together, but nostalgia brings you back to a special place and makes you want to move.” Notably, only nostalgia—not plain familiarity—was a significant predictor of the participants’ urge to full-on dance. This means that emotionally tinged musical memories are what truly get people onto the dance floor.
The researchers also included newer yet familiar songs—like Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” Jonas Brothers’ “Sucker,” and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy”—as low-nostalgia controls. Although these tracks were well-known, they lacked the emotional punch needed to inspire participants to physically dance, providing further evidence that nostalgia is the secret groove ingredient.
For Thai readers, the implications reverberate far beyond Western pop. In the context of Thailand, where luk thung (ลูกทุ่ง), mor lam (หมอลำ), and classic Thai pop routinely spark collective dance at village events and city concerts, it is nostalgic tunes—whether Anna’s waltz from The King and I or chart-topping songs from the 1990s like “Chaiyo” (ไชโย) or “Khuen Nee Yoo Kap Khrai” (คืนนี้อยู่กับใคร)—that reliably bring people together on the dance floor. The research hints that the sentimental ties Thai people feel toward national anthems, school songs, or even the background music from long-running TV dramas have a scientifically measurable effect on their bodies, urging them to celebrate, sway, or dance together.
The historical context is compelling: the researchers note that homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Cro-Magnon humans have been busting moves to music for over 50,000 years. In Thailand, dance has ancient roots in classical forms like khon (โขน) and likay (ลิเก), as well as in the spontaneous circle dances at temple fairs or during festival parades, where nostalgia-rich songs passed down through generations fuel the urge to dance.
Looking ahead, the study’s authors believe the findings could be harnessed for therapeutic purposes, especially in rhythm-based interventions for conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Professor Grahn, who also studies how music affects the brain in people with movement disorders, emphasized: “Our results suggest a distinctive role for nostalgia, beyond the influence of familiarity, in motivating the desire to dance.” This opens exciting opportunities for Thai healthcare professionals and therapists working with elderly patients or those with neurodegenerative diseases. Rhythmic exercises paired with nostalgic Thai music might not just lift spirits but physically activate those who are otherwise reluctant to move.
For the broader Thai society, these findings are a call to recall, preserve, and celebrate the tunes of the past, not just for cultural continuity, but for their scientific power to move the community—literally. During major festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong, organizers could strategically include nostalgic music sets to ignite dance participation. Families might also find that playing favorite hits from their youth can create joyful, cross-generational connections—and healthy movement—in the home.
As music streaming makes it ever easier to revisit old hits, Thai readers are encouraged to actively create playlists of their “throwback” favorites for personal enjoyment or family gatherings. For educators, incorporating period-specific songs into dance, music, and even history lessons could enhance engagement and learning outcomes among students by tapping into nostalgia’s special power.
To sum up, nostalgic songs are more than reminders of the past—they are keys to unlocking the body’s natural urge to move and dance. For Thais, who pride themselves on rich musical and dance traditions, leaning into nostalgia may be both a joyful pleasure and a promising way to promote social health and physical wellness.
For anyone seeking a practical takeaway: dust off your favorite old Thai tracks—whether luk thung legends, ‘90s pop, or the theme from your first lakorn (ละคร)—and let the music guide you to dance, for your mind and body’s benefit.
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