Music Facts

None of the Beatles knew how to read music. (Paul McCartney eventually taught himself.)

The U.S. has more bagpipe bands than Scotland does.

A dairy cow can produce more milk when listening to music.

Elvis Presley got a 'C' in his eighth grade music class.

The first video aired on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles in 1981.

Jon Bon Jovi runs two restaurants in New Jersey called JBJ Soul Kitchen with no prices on the menu. Guests pay whatever they can, volunteer for an hour, or simply eat — no questions asked. Everyone gets the same chef-prepared meal in the same dining room. The idea is to fight food insecurity with dignity, not charity.

Surgeons who listen to music during operations perform better than those who don't .

Eddie Cochran recorded 'Three Steps to Heaven' just weeks before his fatal car crash in 1960. Released posthumously, it became a #1 hit in the UK.

Evanston Township High School in Illinois played Justin Bieber's 'Baby' as a fundraiser between classes. Students had to pay to stop it. $1,000 was collected in 3 days.

Listening to music while working can boost mood and productivity, but the effect depends on the type of task and music—lyrics can interfere with reading or writing, while instrumental music often helps with repetitive tasks.

The Greek National anthem has 158 verses!

Music therapy can help people with brain injuries recover speech, motor skills, and access memories that seemed lost, with some stroke and dementia patients able to sing songs they can no longer speak.

Britney Spears’ music is used by the British Navy to scare off Somali pirates.

Singing exercises your heart, lungs, and releases endorphins which make you feel good.

In a 1998 study, rats that listened to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major for 12 hours a day showed improved spatial learning in mazes compared to rats exposed to silence or white noise.

Japan has a network of "melody roads" that play music as you drive over them at the correct speed.

Listening to music activates the same dopamine reward system in the brain that responds to sex, food, and drugs.

Researchers have found that reading reduces stress by 68%, more than listening to music or taking a walk.

Most people turn their music down in the car when finding a street sign to "see better".

In 2010, police in Belfast, Northern Ireland, used ice cream van music to calm angry teen rioters - and it worked!

Eminem repeated the 9th grade three times.

There's a Swedish power metal band called Sabaton who teach history through their music, including multiple albums devoted to World War II battles and heroes.

During an interview when Adele was asked about her weight and figure, she replied “I don’t make music for eyes. I make music for ears”.

Queen is the only band in which every member has composed more than one UK #1 single, and all four members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.